welding Stainless steel

kiwicar · Post by **kiwicar** » Mon Apr 07, 2008 2:23 pm

Hi
Compared to mild steel how dificult is it to weld Stainless steel, using Mig kit?
I gather you have to use straight Argon, does this mean it will splatter and bubble like mild steel does on pure Argon?
Any extra steps to make it weld properly?
Many thanks
Mike

sidecar · Post by **sidecar** » Mon Apr 07, 2008 3:26 pm

kiwicar wrote:Hi
Compared to mild steel how dificult is it to weld Stainless steel, using Mig kit?
I gather you have to use straight Argon, does this mean it will splatter and bubble like mild steel does on pure Argon?
Any extra steps to make it weld properly?
Many thanks
Mike

I've mig welded SS with just mild steel wire, obviously the welds could rust but it did not matter for what I was doing. (A bung for a lamda probe).

I thought that it welded a lot better than mild steel! (I was just using CO as well!....or maybe CO/Argon mix, I can't remember!).

Pete

kiwicar · Post by **kiwicar** » Mon Apr 07, 2008 3:58 pm

That is good to hear, I am going to get the right filler wire, but I may try argon/ CO2 mix, It was just I was reading up on the net and a couple of articles went on about argon/ O2 mixes that sounded a bit like "black art" type stuff.
Mike

ChrisJC · Post by **ChrisJC** » Mon Apr 07, 2008 4:22 pm

I repaired a bracket on my SS exhaust on Saturday. I used SS wire and normal CO2 gas. 0.8mm wire. Went on very easily.

Chris.

Post by **katanaman** » Mon Apr 07, 2008 4:27 pm

Argoshield is probably best/cheapest gas for welding SS. Pure argon works well too but costs more. Depending what your welding you need to either purger the inside with gas (pipe) or weld on a copper base (flat sheet). If you don't the other side of the weld goes all horrible and oxidised. Might not be a problem to you and doesn't really weaken it but for say an exhaust it adds a horrible weld inside that does nothing for flow. Other thing to note on stainless is it warps something terrible which can make it a mare to work with. Headers need to be jigged or they wont fit (been there have the T shirt and flat sheet can end up like a all over the shop. Other than that lot its a joy to work with lol.

Eliot · Post by **Eliot** » Mon Apr 07, 2008 7:43 pm

I've only ever TIG'd stainless, welds nice and clean - exact same settings as normal steel. Just used stainless filler.

What is it?

stevieturbo · Post by **stevieturbo** » Tue Apr 08, 2008 12:37 am

Just weld it as you normally would. It doesnt require anything fancy. Ive always used argoshield light for steel/stainless.

At least stainless doesnt get all rusty

so it tends to weld easier.

kiwicar · Post by **kiwicar** » Tue Apr 08, 2008 4:29 pm

Many thanks to all for the replys.
I was starting to think about headers, particulally merged collector and the bits to do an 8 to 2 to 1 to 2 with crossover primaries (but I will start with the collectors. I started making it up in 16G mild steel but I have been thinking it would be better to do it properly in Stainless. If it had been a case of TIG welding only and it is like soldering wet pasta then I would have stuck to Mild steel and coat it but if I can do a decent job with MIG and an extra bottle of argon (and some Jigs) then I will buy some stainless and have a go.
Mike

Ralphh85 · Post by **Ralphh85** » Tue Apr 08, 2008 9:26 pm

i started miging up a SS exhaust, but that stoped as im using a different type of engine now (v8).

as ssaid i had 0.8mm ss wire and CO2, as its cheap, its not that pretty but it does not rust and it just same as mild, the only real difference is stainless steel suffers alot more with heat distortion, i will put a p[ic up of a collector i made tiomorrow if i remember.

Ralph

kiwicar · Post by **kiwicar** » Wed Apr 09, 2008 9:38 am

Hi Ralph,
pictures would be great.
Many thanks again
Mike

mgbv8 · Post by **mgbv8** » Wed Apr 09, 2008 4:55 pm

I've just been given a free brand new TIG attachment which fits the sockets on my inverter stick welder.
It has the normal TIG gun with a hose out the end of the umbilical with a bottle connector. I assume it would normally have some sort of solenoid and foot pedal with the whole kit which was from a massive Draper MIG set. Would this work on an inverter ??
How would I start the arc? Would it contaminate the tip if I struck started it?
I know it used to knack the tips back at college if you touched down on ally.
But I've not done SS before apart from a bit of silver soldering.
I'll have to dig my old books out I guess.

Post by **katanaman** » Wed Apr 09, 2008 5:08 pm

you will have to scratch start it. HF start involves a fair bit circuitry and you will also be missing the arc ramp at start and finish as well as the pre and post gas. It will work though, just be a bit more fiddly and of course you wont be able to weld alloy unless your inverter has AC as well.

mgbv8 · Post by **mgbv8** » Wed Apr 09, 2008 6:07 pm

Thanks Marki
I'll give it a go as soon as I find some gas for it.

Ralphh85 · Post by **Ralphh85** » Wed Apr 09, 2008 6:10 pm

i will be making another soon onec V8 is in and working, anyway heres where i got to before.

Ralph

stevieturbo · Post by **stevieturbo** » Wed Apr 09, 2008 7:10 pm

Ralphh85 wrote:

Ralph

Very nice work !!!!!!!

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welding Stainless steel

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