I am making a 3" nipple that will go in a machine as a "clean out". So I prepared a bunch of stuff in my shop so I can mig weld it in the field later on and I don't have to bring a tig welder.
I never realized that stainless MiG welding was such a big deal. I did some stainless MiG several years ago on a parts washer tank that someone had built out of stainless. I added a stainless bung into the bottom for a drain, and a box made of stainless into the corner to mount a solvent pump into. I didn’t do anything really different than regular steel welding other than switch to stainless wire. I used the same C25 mix gas, and my old ordinary MiG welder. Seemed to come out okay from what I could tell, but then this was not anything critical either. I guess I learned something new!
V-Knurled drive roll is what you need to feed stainless wire. Same drive roll you use with flux cord wire. The drive roll used with solid Mig wire will crush the wire and it won’t feed through your gun properly you’ll hear it snap. That’s just from my experience and imo, correct me if I’m wrong and/or if you got more info on different SS wires and such. Thanks.
David Richards is right, passivization is a surface treatment to chemically smooth and polish the exterior and create a smooth oxide coating. It is commonly used in medical and food processing equipment to make it inherently sterile. The integrity of the weld has more to do with managing the heat affected zone, proper shielding, proper prep and cleanliness of the material before and during welding operations. Using grinders, files, brushes, etc dedicated to stainless helps a lot. Also a large contributor to weakness in those welds would be the lack of back purging or fluxing to protect the back of the weld from oxidation.
Would be worth saying that you welded it with Pulse Transfer, using a Synergic Pulse machine - not a regular MIG/MAG Machine. Also passivisation is only relative to surface corrosion, creating Chromium Oxide - it has nothing to do with the mechanical strength of a joint, don''t know where you got this from?
I will check into that ! thank you ! a guy who usually should know told me and I have seen stainless welds fail that looked adequate .... but I will be doing some more research and homework - thanks for the pointer
Love your videos, Zila............but I totally disagree on no passivation and the weld loses strength etc. I work with 304SS nearly daily (I certainly am not an expert though, just have some real world experience :) A wire brush on the weld after welding is all you need to clean off the heat tint mark and make it all pretty. Wire brush it while the weld is fairly warm still. I say within 20 to 30seconds after you've welded. Much easier/faster in my opinion and looks beautiful.......IF you overheat the weld,weld to slow,etc. you will for sure screw up the metal properties ,and all bets are off. It will have a bronze look in color once your overheating the material or starting to overheat. Black/gray colored welds means not enough shield typically. Stainless likes plenty of shielding argon so go with a gas lens for sure. If your welds get the rainbow heat mark, your in the zone (blues,purples,amber colors,etc). If the stainless welds rusts that usually means you've used tools that used also used on carbon steels to work the stainless and gets imbedded in the surfaces, but once it rusts away fully your good though and want continue. Use grinder wheels, wire brushes, etc. that are dedicated for stainless only for best results. I've done the above and has 304SS weld and material that never had any kind of passivation look the same for 10years and undergo wash-down treatment nearly daily. Stellar Solutions (Weld wizard) sells a cheap passivation weld cleaner, that has instructions so you can make a DIY cheap weld cleaner that's not bad for on the cheap. This can save time if your doing a lot of welds and cant get a wire brush into certain tight spots or prefer not to have wire brush marks that you may have to blend out with a scotch brite pad for cosmetics.
I also further apologize, as I was strictly talking in regards to TIG welding 304SS. You may have been talking in regards to ONLY Mig welding stainless. We don't Mig any 304SS, so I cant speak to that and will assume your are in fact correct that a Mig weld MUST be passivated for strength.
Jennifer Ratliff I agree with you besides one point I never wire brush my welds on Stainless I keep the colors on there so everyone else knows I didn't cook the nickel out of the puddle to make it rust.... on another note mostly TIG where I can but if it's big then I'll go MIG, Our machine is a Dynasty 350 my settings are 400pps 67% peak time 40% background amps usually works pretty damn good for doing pipe work IMO and it's almost always in the boat so you can hang out for a couple seconds to reposition yourself in tight spots, bench work is a breeze as long as your not standing on your head with T-rex arms in the bilge.😂
Very informative , so are you saying a gaped fit up is best welding vertical down ? i could totaly see that now that you said it , vertical down produces some of my best looking beads and i do have extreme control over the puddle .
I do a lot of 14ga and 16ga stainless mig at work you get a lot better results with much higher wire speed. I usually run upper end of 17 volts and closer to 300 ipm the start can spit and be a little rough but the beads arent so discolored once you get the puddle going. The bottles we use are argon c02 but its a proprietary blend from our supplier so not sure if its 98/2 or a little varied. If your wire speed is too low itll spit real hard once you start doing out of position welds.
powerstroke0459 we currnetly run 95/5 on 316 and 308 stainless, thinking of switching to 92/2%. Would you recommend? Any thoughts? Thanks. Run 16 and 18 gauge
At my work it's almost all stainless. I have really struggled with tig, so I bought myself a little mig welder and took it to work. I have done lots of jobs there with it but always been disappointed with the spatter and grey colour. I learned recently that our gas is shyte. Argon and CO2. I saw a guy on RU-vid welding SS with 90% helium, 7.5% argon and 2.5% CO2. His welds were awesome. I can't wait to try some out.
i mean that is nothing yet ... fixing those aluminum tanker trucks putting all that handrail on ... all with the little machine .... 2 years of hell it is been through so far .... ! and it is still holding up .... at this point there are over 1000 lbs of wire that ran through it ....
Should definitely do more vids on stainless I feel like its some magic voodoo thing that most welders dont have as much experience with... at least in my area that I've found so far
Stainless is something i really dislike .... the hexavalent chromium that deposits in your body and crates accumulative damage - the way stainless cuts, the way stainless welds (heat input is very critical) the amount of "clean up" stainless takes afterwards, back purging .... etc .... it is a really labor intense deal ... i have a much better knowledge about aluminum - but i will make a small stainless series and share whatever knowledge i have - although i personally do not consider it being comprehensive - but like you said - there are a whole bunch of guy or even shops out there who know even less about it .... I am ok with information in my videos not being 100% complete - as long as it is not wrong
then I cant make a pulse mig video .... pulse mig is MUCH faster in a production environment than tig is especially if you dont need Instagram quality welds ... this part is a wash out port for a salt auger ... nothing critical ...
I was under the impression that the weld should stay shielded until it changes from glowing red hot to normal color.TIG machine would have post flow, but not sure how the MIG machine will keep the shielding gas coming out of the nozzle once the weld ends?
there is a post flow option on the mig as well ... up tp 10 sec .... however - the torch moves so fast on mig that you do not get perfect coverage all the time - gun angle is important ... and the welds are not rainbow color they are more dark pink or light grey in color
First off there’s no way that piece being that thin of material should’ve looked that bad coming off of a cnc plaz! Knock the dross off with a wire wheel instead of butchering it with a flap disc or stone and you definitely should’ve tigged it cause you just fried that piece and I guarantee it will rust if it gets anywhere near moisture
@@davidwhite9906 even a tig welded joint, with a back purge needs post weld cleaning ie wire brushing and polishing, or pickling to remove any colouration, or it will eventually corrode.
I didn't have any - and the application did not require it ... it is for a salt auger .... no one cared if there was a little sugaring on the back ,,,,
That weld sample at the beginning looks fantastic. Was that 3/16" pulse solid wire wire or flux cored? How's that passivation video coming along? *hint *hint... ;-) If you run some passivation tests, toss a piece outside for the winter in the wettest nastiest place you can find. Maybe tied to a sign post along some road that gets salted. :-O We don't get much snow here. Thanks schatzi ! lol
yes - that will be a separate video .... I have a machine .... look up a video Surfox (from Walter surface technology). I bought one of those 3 years ago ... like 1800 bucks ... but there are cheaper once out there ,,, and there is some paste that does not require a high $$$ machine ....
Nathan Owen you and me also could have totally tig or stick welded it .... Especially in my shop ... part 2 the install will be airing later today ... it was pretty convenient to use mig for the install .... as long as it gets the job done, customer is happy, it holds up and makes you money - any process that meets the criteria will work. And any brand of machine too....
it can be - but this is a non critical application ... see it being installed in the salt auger in the next video ..... it is overkill for what it is ... NOW being installed in a salt auger - the MUCH bigger issue is not the lack of back purge amore so that 316 should have been used not 304 .... but ... i am preaching against the wall here - customer says : "this is what we want " .... so i said i will be happy to take your money now and in 3-4 years from now when i come and fix it again .... LOL
yes and no - with mig you get pink/grey welds not the rainbow colors like tig - they can still be sound welds and when you you passivate them they all look shiny
TheJmk416223 it all depends. On stick aluminum sucks big time, carbon steel and stainless ( in thicker stuff 3/16” and thicker) are very similar. Tig aluminum is “way different” than steel and stainless Steel and stainless are similar Tig pretty much all metals use ( or can use) the same gas (100%argon) Stainless flows nicer than carbon steel but you have to be careful not to overheat it ( and on thin stuff you have to worry about the backside to eliminate “sugaring” you have to back-purge with argon Mig is similar to tig. Aluminum ( at least the set up of it) is the hardest Steel and stainless are similar ( if you consider using both in spray arc. Now on mig alu ss and carbon steel all 3 use different gasses .... And if you weld thin stuff back purging and “sugaring” are concerns just like tig Does that answer help you anything ?
So I have a lot of experience mig welding steel. Do you think I can teach myself mig welding aluminum with the htp pro pulse welder? And would you say that’s a good starter machine for aluminum welding before I go to tig welding aluminum? Thanks!
Gerard, here is what i have seen the last 2 years. there are guys who buy the Pro Pulse 200 that have several decades of steel welding experience and they try to weld aluminum. Some guys catch on to it in a matter of hours and other guys give up after a few weeks and send the machine back. then i also see beginners, some can weld aluminum in a matter of days and others dont ..... so besides that there is some amount of (lets call it talent) involved - which i am pretty sure you wave that - aluminum welding is lets say "finicky" what i mean by that - everything has to be "right" the right tips, liner, drive rolls, drive roll pressure, shielding gas, gas flow rate ..... just to name a few. now when you add pulse to it it can be a beautiful thing - but if you have a "problem" in your setup - the pulse will amplify that problem .... so that being said if you are the methodical guy, who has a great attention to detail, does his "research" and can follow instruction (at lest some of them) .... this can be a very good machine for you. HTP did a nice job putting a nice package together with all the right parts and a very brief but useful manual (you really only need to read about 6 or 7 pages out of the 20 pages .... and you could be welding aluminum in a matter of hours. if you are the kind of guy who like manuals because they make good kindling for your wood stove and you rather figure it out the hard way all by yourself .... ( and i am smiling while i type this because i know a guy like that .... he is typing this response right now) then you learning curve will be somewhat steeper ..... now the last part pulse mig you really cant compare to tig. tig is slo much cleaner, more controlled , much harder to see the puddle and slower. but there fore it can look a lot better. so it all depends on what you want to do with it. if you want to do cosmetic welds - get a tig - if you want to do some general fabrication without breaking the bank, or fix stuff in tight spots where you weld with one had laying on your back and reaching in something - get the mig ..... if you have any other questions just ask .....
Hank Trill the gas. If you read a spec sheet on wire it tells you what your gas options are.... besides the tri mix you typically also see an option with a high argon content (95-98%) And the remaining 2-5% are typically either co2 or o2 .... those gasses are used for spray arc.
I dont believe so. Text book is calling for either a tri mix 90%helium 7.5% argon and 2.5% co2 or alternatively 97-98% argon with 2-3% co2 In europe you can use 95-98% argon with 2-5% o2 ( not co2) I have seen guys do some “non critical” stainless with 75/25 but i would NOT recommend that!! 100% co2 is definitely a no go - even with dual shield stainless
@@ZILAwelds thank you for an extensive answer. Do not have budget for argon... looks like I will have to resort to stick welding using special electrodes for stainless, hope it works
honestly - I am not sure - this here is a non-critical application .... when i so stainless where it matters I typically tig weld this or I dual shield flux core it and both of those processes work excellent!
DKTAz00 it ran pretty nice .... it even ran nicer when i installed the part - that video i am editing right now ... hopefully it will post tomorrow - otherwise sunday for sure
Insert typical: "I'm a welder and youre doing this wrong even though there's also another guy who says hes a welder and is saying the exact opposite thing I'm saying" comment
lol - isn't it exactly like that... it's sooo easy to weld that from behind a computer screen ... and yes - faster travel speed and less dark weld, light grey or pink would have been much better
if i had to buy one today - menards $289 if it is not on sale.... i have 4 or 5 different brand boxes - they are pretty much all made out of the same thickness metal, the handles and the way how they lock is different ..... and price wise - the times that you could get one for $199 those times are over - that was 10 years ago ... now the "standard" size box 24x24x28 starts at $249 and goes to $499 .....
there will be another video on stainless - a little bit more in depth. the shielding gas i used was within specs. on stainless mig you have several options, tri mix or high argon content 95-98% and the balance either co2 or o2 .... now even if you tig weld stainless (and you have seen the ice and rainbow color welds .... even those are a "problem" the stainless properties are disturbed or diminished during welding and can only be restored through passivation ... even grinding them "clean" is not good enough
I'd always thought 100% argon. I'll be honest, most of the stainless I've welded has not been critical to be stainless, mild steel wire has been good enough.
100% argon on tig mig is a little different - if you want to look at this www.lincolnelectric.com/assets/US/EN/literature/C64000.pdf www.lincolnelectric.com/assets/global/Products/Consumable_StainlessNickelandHighAlloy-BlueMax-BlueMaxMIG308H/c61058.pdf the second link shows you the mig stainless wire ... 98/2 gas and i know exactly what you mean -and i am way better and have more knowledge on aluminum welding than stainless welding ... but i know where to look most of my stuff up ....
ZILA I really like your approach with Aluminium. I'd never considered MIG as an option, but I'm thinking of buying a new torch and a roll of wire and giving it a go. I don't have pulse though
sidewaysdanny if you weld 1/8” and thicker .... you will be just fine. Aluminum wire, if you cant get aluminum drive rolls stick with 5356, 10ft gun or shorter, nylon, teflon or graphite liner .... 100% argon gas 40 cfh .... and you are in business!!! What machine do you have?
Heavy Metalworks maybe. I dont know for sure. From what i have seen mig stainless welds when properly executed are pinkish/grayish.... they never have rainbow colors like tig does. And for mig - stainless is a pretty hot process at least hot enough to be spray arc. And from that occasional crackle you can tell that i was a little bit too cold still.... that is my take on things - but again - i am not a real expert on stainless - i know something but not everything - personally i know a lot more about aluminum , steel, high strength steel and cast iron.... stainless is my weak spot - however i think for the most part i can hold my own .... maybe not?
pin head , and you would have taken a great deal more time doing it. I love to TIG, I love MIG, stick is good, too. Heck, I even enjoy flux core. My point is, the OP used MIG. There is no reason to interject a comment on what "we" have done.
12345 market thanks. I know i got a little carried away ..... A buddy of mine told me :” good welders weld hot” and i thought i was s good welder and so i welded it hot .... lol But all kidden aside. Thank you for the comment - and yes i did get carried away a little bit .....
Chetan Kulkarni i think so - if you have a pulse mig. However the procedures have to be clearly specified. www.lincolnelectric.com/assets/global/Products/Consumable_StainlessNickelandHighAlloy-Excalibur-Excalibur316316L-17/c64000.pdf There are a few angles to it. I dont know all the ins and outs to tell you exactly how to do it snd what to watch out for in detail - but from what i could find it looks absolutely doable
