My first attempt to use filler metal practice stainless steel

[Vinhtec]

Hey guys this is my first attempt to use stainless filler metal. I am just welding on a scrap junk piece of turbo flange junk I cut off.

I cleaned my flange metal first with some tar and grease remover used for peeping cars for paint.

I got a sweet Chinese gas lens for the original torch that came with the my everlast welder. I cant wait to change this torch out for a weld craft torch or something more flexible and lighter. I think this is what really helped me get good color out of my welds. Almost forgot make sure you turn argon flow up more for use of a gas lense I set it something like 10 L/min something like that Ill go back home and look later.

I am use .030 Er316 weld wire for a mig as filler metal. I was told the silicone in the mig weld wire helps keep it cool.

I tried out pulse setting after really studying it. I left my sheet at home so I dont remember what I did to my machine. But it seemed to work very well.

I bought a cheapo auto dark helmet from harbor freight and it was good. But I decided to spend the 40 bucks more and get a miller pro hobby all black hood from cyberweld.com 80 bucks. It was worth it by all means.

I got plans to change out that horrible foot pedal from everlast too its like a giant heavy rock you need to climb up and step on every time you use it.

Anyhow here are some pictures right as my beads started getting tighter my neighbor asked me to help him with is BMW race car. I will get back in the seat for more practice after some test at school (I know the beads look horrible). The color is magnificent. Through my helmet I could see the colors change as it was cooling I am not sure if this is an affect of the gas lens(probably) but it was BA. I finally figure out that you actually had to dip the rod in the puddle .... sounds noob but its a lot harder than I thought. Then you need to back out the filler out of the heat area or it will just ball up and melt. Anyways hope this helps some people that are noobs like me.

[Jules The Great]

Blue does look cool.

Welds don't look bad to me might be a little on the surface but they look adhered.

If you were going for the stack O dimes I guess look you can just make a puddle then add a big blob obviously not too big, then move like a quarter of an inch or a little less and repeat.

One thing I read about stainless was to keep the filler close enough to be in the gas envelope so that it doesn't oxidize in between dabs.

I welded up a stainless exhaust manifold for a friend, I sealed it off and back purged it to prevent it from oxidizing on the inside.

[Brian Ski]

Nothing like practice... I am the newbie also... Haven't tried TIG yet... Maybe some of the experienced guys could chime in, isn't the #12 nozzle very large for normal welding??? I was told the standard was around 6 or so...

Just a heads up... Don't use brake clean for cleaning metal for welding. Not sure if you knew... It can kill you.

RKIs???

[sportbike]

wow, that is a HUGE cup. I usually use an 8 or so with a gas lens.

Looks like you need to put more head into teh thick flange in order fo rthe bead to wet out more It is tough learning on thick material. I'd try to track down some .080-.100" thick stuff to practice on.

How do you like the Nomad table? I have one and it seems to work pretty well. Could be a little heavier material on the top though.

[Vinhtec]

Blue does look cool.

Welds don't look bad to me might be a little on the surface but they look adhered.

If you were going for the stack O dimes I guess look you can just make a puddle then add a big blob obviously not too big, then move like a quarter of an inch or a little less and repeat.

One thing I read about stainless was to keep the filler close enough to be in the gas envelope so that it doesn't oxidize in between dabs.

I welded up a stainless exhaust manifold for a friend, I sealed it off and back purged it to prevent it from oxidizing on the inside.

Thanks Great, Ill try that out next time. I tend to compile ideas for a while and try them out systematically. What works stays what doesn't goes.

I tried to keep the filler close to the bubble of gas but it kept balling up at the end and melting off into a blob in a random place. The filler material was super thin too that might have something to do with it. (had to have been doing something wrong)

I cut bend all my pipes at angles so back purging is hard for me with just one bend. I use solar flux type b it works too. I just need more practice. Yeah Sportbike,

Nothing like practice... I am the newbie also... Haven't tried TIG yet... Maybe some of the experienced guys could chime in, isn't the #12 nozzle very large for normal welding??? I was told the standard was around 6 or so...

Just a heads up... Don't use brake clean for cleaning metal for welding. Not sure if you knew... It can kill you.

RKIs???

Brian Tig is not hard although I did read about Tig welding for like 6 years before actually getting money and knowledge enough to try.

#12 probably too huge for normal welding, but I wanted good shield coverage and its really easy to hold. I grab the torch by the cup not sure if this is bad practice but I feel like I have more control. Sure if it was smaller it get really hot but this big A 12 cup stayed cool the whole time. Reminds me of using that really really big pencil when your a kid, but that was just about useless! All I know is that if the cup is bigger you can get the electrode to stick out super far. I am going to weld in between some stuff so I wanted to be able to maximize that. Not sure what other benefits it has besides better cooling?

Yeah I didn't use brake clean, I used some tar remover should be fine well I am not dead.............yet.

wow, that is a HUGE cup. I usually use an 8 or so with a gas lens.

Looks like you need to put more head into teh thick flange in order fo rthe bead to wet out more It is tough learning on thick material. I'd try to track down some .080-.100" thick stuff to practice on.

How do you like the Nomad table? I have one and it seems to work pretty well. Could be a little heavier material on the top though.

Yeah Sportbike, I just got that cup on a whim and didn't know it was that big. I used a size 7 cup and didn't like how it welded, I am pretty sure its because it wasn't a gas lens type. So I said what the hey get the biggest lens and see what it does?

I just noticed that after inspecting it that my beads kind of bubbled up on top might be too cool and not getting enough heat in. This was mainly for practice I was trying to get familiar and comfortable with filler metals. Your right I probably need to use a bigger electrode and crank the amps up more for better penetration on this piece.

Ill have to get a hold of my buddy at the machine shop for some free or cheap thinner scrap.

I actually love the nomad table its awesome. Only thing I don't like is it's a little tall in my opinion I am kind of short like 5-7 (sitting in a patio chair while welding maybe I need a stool). Yeah the top is kind of flimsy but it is zinc plated so its not going to get all nasty and rusted. Cant complain overall. Thanks for the tips !

[Rodsmachineshop]

big problem with welding stainless steel people use to large a rod start smallest then work up till best to weld with to big a rod will kill the puddle to me welding stainless it sorta like welding with a gas torch acetylene and oxygen a good chart on drilling speeds http://www.ollivier.nl/html/drillspeedchart.htm its amazing on stainless steel it love a real slow speed just like drilling butter on slow speeds

[jakeru]

Thanks for the drilling speed chart, rodsmachine! Wow, 1/2" stainless calls for only 114 rpm? I wish my drill press went that slow.

[Paul Moir]

That's a little extreme. Perhaps with no coolant (oil).

For high speed steel tools you can go to 60 or 80 SFPM with stainless (depending on the tool) and get good production with minimal wear. That works out to be 450 RPM for 60 at 1/2". Good cobalt drills definitely make a difference.

Always push really hard with stainless. If you're not producing chips, you're wearing the tool and hardening the stainless. Just always be cutting.

I made this years ago for my minilathe, maybe it's some help though it's for bigger stuff:
https://docs.google.com/open?id=0Byv...ZkODMyNGRjMTJl

Use a good smelly cutting oil as these have the EP additives you need. Plumbing department pipe threading oil works, as does hypoid gear oil like you would use in a differential. I used to use old outboard motor lower unit oil 'cause you can mix it with water for better cooling. Now I just buy water soluble cutting oil.

EDIT: But yeah, when drilling stainless there's really no "too slow". Especially hand drilling where you will sometimes be rubbing.

[burner]

I'm still learning myself but I weld stainless a lot at work... that cup is huge. I prefer smaller cups, 6 is as big as I go up to say about 100 amps, with a gas lens. I find it easier to see whats going on with the weld. It can be a real PITA to find the right size rod but if you keep balling it up I'd move up. If your more comfortable holding the cup maybe you want to look at pencil torches? I haven't tried them yet myself but I like to hold my torch "up high" so I've been meaning to get one at work.

[burner]

big problem with welding stainless steel people use to large a rod start smallest then work up till best to weld with to big a rod will kill the puddle to me welding stainless it sorta like welding with a gas torch acetylene and oxygen a good chart on drilling speeds http://www.ollivier.nl/html/drillspeedchart.htm its amazing on stainless steel it love a real slow speed just like drilling butter on slow speeds

Thanks! Any other good info like that send it my way. I'm in the process of reconditioning a couple mills at work, we haven't used them in years. None of us have any machining experience so I've been gather up anything I can.

Getting oil and cleaning up an Enco RF-30 drilling/milling machine. If that goes well I'll either get moving on the lathe (another Enco) or an old CNC.

[Rodsmachineshop]

slower the better drilling stainless steel what works good my friend that works a lot and welds it showed me how he drill stainless he grabs a garden hose and has it at a slow drissle run across were he is drilling keeps the bit cool while drilling at a slow speed he told me its not the lube it keeping the bit cool

[Rodsmachineshop]

are they Bridgeport mills

[Rodsmachineshop]

what sucks i have a really nice low speed magnetic drill press wont work on stainless since not magnetic lol

[Rodsmachineshop]

mills clean up good with marvel mystery oil a scotch brite pads and lots of elbow grease when i got my Bridgeport it was a big hunk of rust now its all shiny and clean

[burner]

I'm not too sure how slow our mill will turn. I know the company has made stainless parts on it so I'm sure it will do. I just have to track down all of our end mills and hope they aren't trashed. Most of them should be okay but I'm not sure... I probably have 2 dozen or so I know are okay and maybe another 75 in storage I'll have to take a look at.

[Rodsmachineshop]

mills can turn real slow the great for hard metals to drill . mine go to 67 rpm that's slow lol have a good mill vice or it will be hell when it locks drilling and starts spinning what you are drilling

[burner]

are they Bridgeport mills

Knock offs... The mill/drill is just like this guy here exepct Enco branded and much older http://www.use-enco.com/CGI/INSRIT?P...&PARTPG=INLMPI

Our CNC's are also knock offs, Supermax Titan VST 1.5 with an Anilam 1100m controller and servos, and a Supermax Titan "I forget the model number" with an Acurite III power feed.

[Rodsmachineshop]

there a good little mill drill i had one before i got the bridge port . only thing you dont have much up and down travel i used it to do vw case and head fly cutting i buy stuff from grizzly good stuff http://www.grizzly.com/products/category/480000|700002