The welding characteristics of Inconel 600 Alloy using a continuous wave Nd:YAG laser are experimentally investigated. The major process parameters studied in the present laser welding experiment were the positions of focus, laser power and travel speed of laser bean We measured the fusion zone size and its shape using an optical microscope for the observation of cross-sectional area. We performed two tests regarding the tension and the micro hardness for welding quality estimation. Then we measured residual stress in welds by electronic speckle pattern interferometry(ESPI). In conclusion the optimum butt welding process parameters were 0.5mm focus position, 1.6kW laser power, 1m/min travel speed and 5.5$ell$/min assist gas discharge.