stainless steel welding

[littlejim]

The term 'stainless steel' covers a pretty wide range of alloys, they even use the term for chrome cobalt alloys.

However the stuff they make saucepans out of is pretty common.

I recently discovered that my MIG welder, using ordinary steel wire, welds the common or garden variety of stainless steel without any problems.

Just in case there is somebody else out there who didn't know you could do it (like me).

 

[AlanT]

You can weld it like that but it won't be stainless.

 

In fact the corrosion will head straight for the weld.

This may not matter to you, of course.

[RogerH]

Hi Jim,

I think you will find that the joint is quite weak and will go rusty. It will also make the stainless go rusty - it will creep away from the weld bead into the SS.

 

If you have SS to weld then use SS wire and Argon.

 

However if you are simply tacking something or trying to defy physics then it will work.

 

9/10 for inquisitiveness and curiosity

 

Roger

[littlejim]

Note the above comments. If you are doing something important what Alan and Roger say is spot on.

If you are just trying to stick some stuff together, handle to saucepan, bracket to exhaust system, etc. and not worried about appearance, go for it.

My point was it sticks. (My fishing buddy would add 'like the brown faecal material to a Witney blanket.")

Edited July 28, 2014 by littlejim

[Fireman049]

Hi littlejim ~

 

Shouldn't that be an Army blanket??

 

Tom.

[littlejim]

Hi littlejim ~

 

Shouldn't that be an Army blanket??

 

Tom.

Thought I'd get a plug in for the local blanket factory (near Brize), now defunct. proabably made them for the three Services and civvies.

[AlanT]

I use one of these to cover my bonnet.

It came to me from my Dad who got it in the Tank Regiment in WW2.

 

Stainless is just ordinary steel alloyed with Chromium mainly.

When you weld it the Chromium will possibly vaporise or migrate to the edge of the weld.

Edited July 28, 2014 by AlanT

[BlueTR3A-5EKT]

Any one read the info in this site?

 

http://www.mig-welding.co.uk/mig.htm

 

It is good basic advice and set up tips for us non professionals.

 

I looked up how to weld aluminium on it as my local B&Q just sold off aluminium MIG wire in its 'Pound to Clear' bin. Am I a sucker for this stuff or what?

 

Cheers

Peter W

[Lebro]

When putting my Aerominx on the road some years ago I had to make the frames for the sidescreens, as the car came with no weather protection at

all, working from old photos etc came up with a pattern. I made the frame using stainless bar 10mm X 3 (from memory)

Purchased from RS components. It required hundreds (well lots anyway) of V shape cuts to be made in order to develop the overall shape, each V then being closed up, & welded. I used SS wire in my MIG, & this did most of the welds on the two screens. I ran out of Argon near the end, & decided to try CO2 (my normal gas) & apart from having to adjusting the flow, & feed rates a little rate, it seemed to be just as good, if not rather easier to get nice looking welds.

 

 

 

This morning I have been removing the spare gearbox from the Aero, in order to put the newly rebuilt original box back in. Lunch first I think.

 

Bob.