Stainless question

[Bbqjoe]

I have a nice sheet of stainless, and am considering making a TC cover.
Can stainless be welded with standard wire feed wire?

If it can, I'll weld the back side so it won't be seen.

 

[Jfive]

I'm assuming you are referring to mig er70 wire, answer is yes. Weld can rust since it lacks chromium and stuff. If you can stick weld 308l rod is easy to use and comes in 3/32 rod and welds colder than other rods so it can weld thinner metal.

 

[Poboy kartman]

Awww.... Man!!!! I'm disappointed...I saw the thread title and thought maybe you had invented a new type of men's underwear!

 

[KartFab]

I second what Jfive says. Also be careful not to weld it too hot, even if you weld it you will get some discoloration from the heat, which can be polished off.

Also, make sure you wear a respirator (half face or dust mask type is better than nothing) while welding. Welding stainless produces hex chrome (lung cancer causing).

 

[machinist@large]

I have a nice sheet of stainless, and am considering making a TC cover.
Can stainless be welded with standard wire feed wire?

If it can, I'll weld the back side so it won't be seen.

I'm assuming you are referring to mig er70 wire, answer is yes. Weld can rust since it lacks chromium and stuff. If you can stick weld 308l rod is easy to use and comes in 3/32 rod and welds colder than other rods so it can weld thinner metal.

Yes, you can weld stainless steel with mild steel filler rod/wire, but the weld will be very suspect. Might hold, might not. Any type of electric arc welding requires precision and proper set up, including the correct type of filler material. You can deviate from best practices, but all bets are off as to the final results......

Also, make sure you wear a respirator (half face or dust mask type is better than nothing) while welding. Welding stainless produces hex chrome (lung cancer causing).

Any form of welding requires proper ventilation; they all release metallic vapor's, which are toxic. The fact that you can buy your way into it so reasonably doesn't change that. Metal poisoning isn't something to play with.

 

[Bbqjoe]

Thanks guys. I'm going to hold off until I can do it right.

 

[Joe-405]

It wouldn't hurt to try a sliver before you get a tig.

 

[Bbqjoe]

It wouldn't hurt to try a sliver before you get a tig.

I've got an old lincoln 100 pack

 

[chancer]

How thin is the Stainless?
If you have extra definitely worth a try.

 

[Jfive]

If you have a mig they make Flux core and gas shielded ss welding wire. It's spendy but so is tig when you figure argon into it. I use a lot of gas tig vs mig and no gas arc welding as its in the Flux.

 

[Poboy kartman]

Thanks guys. I'm going to hold off until I can do it right.

You won't live that long old fart!!!!

 

[Bbqjoe]

You won't live that long old fart!!!!

At the rate you're going, you'll never know.

 

[supermanotorious]

I can put stainless in my MIG, but you need pure argon to run it, I do have an argon bottle for my TIG and stainless 309L filler rods

 

[Kartorbust]

Yep it's doable. Did it at two previous jobs...one was for Case New Holland for combine harvesters. The other was for a wheelchair van company. Neither place we used 309L wire to keep prices down. They claimed, it didn't matter so much as far strength goes.

A designer knows he has achieved perfection, not when there is nothing left to add, but when there is nothing left to take away.

 

[supermanotorious]

while not overly-impressive, here is where I fixed the heat shield on the exhaust of my (at that time my father's) Avalanche with the 309L rod and TIG

there is some old MIG weld there where I tried using carbon wire and it never held, I grinded what I could then hit it with the rod, saw the part fuse together, beautiful

 

[chancer]

I had some 1x1 1/8" stainless angle iron. I welded it no problem with my Flux core mig.
Used it for a jackshaft. It is still holding.

Helk of a time drilling that stuff!

 

[supermanotorious]

with a hand drill?- of course. drill press- 1000x easier

 

[Bbqjoe]

with a hand drill?- of course. drill press- 1000x easier

Ya gotta remember, Chance is kinda old school.

 

[chancer]

with a hand drill?- of course. drill press- 1000x easier

I finally found a bit that worked Great, After melting 1 or 2!
Funny thing is I was also slotting the mount, so I could adjust the chain.
I usually use a bur in a Air grinder. Nothing would touch that stainless but my angle ginder.

 

[BomarFab]

To properly mig weld stainless you need 308, 309 or 316 wire and tri mix gas. I've done quite a bit, with some practice it comes out pretty good. The trick with stainless is heat control, it builds up heat quickly. Too much heat and you will "sugar" the stainless and cause it to rust, even if doing it from the back. Stainless also has a strong tendency to warp because of its heat retention. Tig would be my first choice, just because of the infinite heat control.