Welding stainless steel?

[Greg]

Anyone have experience with welding stainless? I'm doing some reading about it, just wanted to know if anyone on here had real-world experience.

 

[bobdog]

I've played around a little bit. TIG only never used MIG.

 

[Greg]

I don't have a TIG, so MIG it is. I have a little project I want to put together, it would be nice to use the tools I already have.

 

[Bear T]

Just make sure you are in a well ventilated area, and I would recommend a respirator. That stuff is nasty. Haven't welded it much myself, but when I worked in a welding shop, they had an area dedicated to stainless and galvanized, had some giant fans, and the guy welding had to wear a bunch of safety crap.

 

[BCGPER]

I weld stainless pipe almost every day. Got a stick welder?

 

[bobmed]

Be sure to use a stainless wire brush for cleaning and keep it for stainless.
I've welded a lot on industrial washers and other machinery.
I've used stick, mig and tig. Tig is best for tiny good looking welds on shet metal but stick and mig are best on bigger thicker stuff.

 

[BOB-CAT]

What are you welding??

 

[bobdog]

I don't have a TIG, so MIG it is. I have a little project I want to put together, it would be nice to use the tools I already have.

I like to do my own work too, but if I just had a little project I would farm it out to an expert. You need to buy another tank of gas and a spool of wire. the little project just got expensive and someone that welds SS all the time will do a better job than someone that has never done it. If you see yourself welding it alot in the future spend the cash, if not pay someone. What is the project? If you were in salt lake I could help with a loaner tank.

 

[Greg]

I weld stainless pipe almost every day. Got a stick welder?

No stick, just the mig.

Just make sure you are in a well ventilated area, and I would recommend a respirator. That stuff is nasty. Haven't welded it much myself, but when I worked in a welding shop, they had an area dedicated to stainless and galvanized, had some giant fans, and the guy welding had to wear a bunch of safety crap.

Yeah, I've welded galvanized before...... didn't realize SS did the same thing.

Be sure to use a stainless wire brush for cleaning and keep it for stainless.
I've welded a lot on industrial washers and other machinery.
I've used stick, mig and tig. Tig is best for tiny good looking welds on shet metal but stick and mig are best on bigger thicker stuff.

It will be pieces of 1" square tube, so the mig should do the job.

What are you welding??

I like to do my own work too, but if I just had a little project I would farm it out to an expert. You need to buy another tank of gas and a spool of wire. the little project just got expensive and someone that welds SS all the time will do a better job than someone that has never done it. If you see yourself welding it alot in the future spend the cash, if not pay someone. What is the project? If you were in salt lake I could help with a loaner tank.

It's something that could possibly be production work, which is why I want to try it out first and see what it's like. It doesn't need to be pretty, most welds will eventually be covered.

I don't mind picking up another tank & spool of wire, if I can do this myself and save paying someone else for multiple projects, it's worth it. I'm sure there will be a learning curve.

It's something related to food service, hence the SS.

 

[bobmed]

Esab make a dual shield wire for stainless that works good.
It has a flux core that you use with 75%/25% argon CO2 gas.
I used it on stainless sched 40 pipe with good results.
It costs around $12 a pound and you can get 2lb. spools to try out.

http://products.esabna.com/EN/home/...ondary/q/display_id.id4367f2a963b3c5.57472000

 

[Rot Box]

I weld stainless almost daily (sanitary/food grade) with TIG and Argon. That being said I have not used a mig enough to give good advise. I will say that I'll take SS over black/mild or aluminum anyday

Ventelation is always good when welding anything. With SS there are fumes (mostly hexavalent chromium), but they are not nearly as bad as other types of metal imo.

I wish every metal was stainless... It welds so pretty

 

[sixb]

I just used my regular mig setup with the flux wire for a repair on a cold saw several years ago and it's still holding fine.

 

[ricsrx]

I weld stainless almost daily (sanitary/food grade) with TIG and Argon. That being said I have not used a mig enough to give good advise. I will say that I'll take SS over black/mild or aluminum anyday

Ventelation is always good when welding anything. With SS there are fumes (mostly hexavalent chromium), but they are not nearly as bad as other types of metal imo.

I wish every metal was stainless... It welds so pretty

x2 on the stainless, when I got my tig I started collecting every piece of scrap SS I saw lying around. I used to work in the food industry also. welded SS every day..Its the only way to go

 

[MikeGyver]

I TIG weld stainless turbo pipes pretty often, but I have never welded with stainless MIG wire. Stainless doesn't weld too much differently than mild, other than it loves to crater at termination, so be aware of that.
I would just get a stainless hardwire and try to match the alloy to that of the workpiece. Run Tri-mix gas or C25 might work too.