Thread: Welding stainless

I'm thinking TIG....

It will probably weld with normal mild steel wire, but of course it will rust eventually. I've not tried MIG with SS wire, but it sounds possible!

Any chance you can cut it all to size /make it fit and just take it somewhere to get it TIGged?

Originally Posted by spudboy

I'm thinking TIG....

The one thing I can't do in my shed currently...
It almost seems like an excuse to buy a TIG...

Recommendations???

Hello,
You can get s/s wire but need a bottle of argon. welding with gasless not recommended it would crack it not hold for long but not for long and, the best bet is to get S/S 316 stick rods (arc welding) work great but wear glasses as the flux does fly off once the welds cools. TIG is the best but again you need a bottle of argon. Any welders on ebay are pretty good value for the home user. A couple of hundred dollars if serious then something other than a BOC as they are Chinese as ebay is better. Are you far from Perth ??
Ian

I sourced some gasless st stl wire out of the states. For a MIG. Not used it yet. But it is available.

Not all BOC are Chinese, my 230 elite is a rebranded EWM (French).

If possible go to a welding store where you can try before you buy. I bough a Chinese TIG and it was horrible to use. No idea if i was just unlucky or spoilt with the other tigs i use but it was crap and then died. And it wasn't cheap either! (200AC). If i had tried it before i handed over my hard earned i wouldn't have bought it.

Originally Posted by justfishing

Are you far from Perth ??
Ian

Cheers Ian, only a measly 700km South East of Perth. Not far really
I'll look into the rods, I've got the trusty old arc here gathering dust.
Cheers

Done heaps. depending on the wall thickness of the rods.

2.4 ss rods are easy to get, in NZ i could get 1.6 rods but have been unable to get them here.
smooth rods to use to nice hiss but a bit wet so you will need to weld on the bench and roll your work,
fitt and tack up on the top is ok