stainless steel butt welding

[D5meister]

I think those welds look really good. I cant do stainless at all currently.
Take a look a some I just tried. 309 and 316 filler on scrap 1.6mm unknown stainless.
Goes a bit crusty/ oxidey - clean tungsten, plenty of gas , range of currents, huge distortion.
(Ally is easier. This is a muck around on 1.2mm sheet.)

 

[Richard.]

This distance here between the two red arrows is miles too big.
Those welds represent a series of tacks spaced out too far apart. You will find there is very low fusion or mixed depths of fusion there.

It should be almost continuous and smooth flowing so that each dab blends nicely into the next.

 

[Brad93]

Max 1/16” between freeze lines on that thickness.

 

[w124]

i have seen you guys are helping other people in person, saw some major progress from them after one session. being so assertive all the time on the forum, i would be scared to come for a lesson. i imagine you holding a black and white rubber hammer and when i do something right i get hit with the white side, when i mess up things then comes the black on my head

 

[w124]

This distance here between the two red arrows is miles too big.
Those welds represent a series of tacks spaced out too far apart. You will find there is very low fusion or mixed depths of fusion there.
View attachment 143626
It should be almost continuous and smooth flowing so that each dab blends nicely into the next. View attachment 143627

are You referring to this thread Richard?
EDIT sorry didnt saw the previous posts

 

[w124]

I think those welds look really good. I cant do stainless at all currently.
Take a look a some I just tried. 309 and 316 filler on scrap 1.6mm unknown stainless.
Goes a bit crusty/ oxidey - clean tungsten, plenty of gas , range of currents, huge distortion.
(Ally is easier. This is a muck around on 1.2mm sheet.)

grab some thicker stuff and try on fillet joints. im just starting with stainless but it seems alot easier than aluminum. i would say aluminum is very hard to weld.
im learning aluminum by myself, its definitely hard.
heres some 1,5mm with an uneven gap. and i have 2+ years practice

 

[Richard.]

are You referring to this thread Richard?
EDIT sorry didnt saw the previous posts

Yes mate the post above mine.

 

[Richard.]

i have seen you guys are helping other people in person, saw some major progress from them after one session. being so assertive all the time on the forum, i would be scared to come for a lesson. i imagine you holding a black and white rubber hammer and when i do something right i get hit with the white side, when i mess up things then comes the black on my head

Brad hits people with hammers not me.
I just lock em up in the cellar for 3 days if they touch the tungsten down.
That reminds me I must go down there and release a few of them tomorrow

 

[D5meister]

I was after FB on the messy stainless - is my No7 cup too small? The ally was incidental.

 

[Richard.]

my No7 cup too small?

No.
Your stainless is going wrong because the arc length is too long and your current is too low travel speed too slow.
All together they equate too high heat input.
No 7 cup is spot on.
The alu welding is more serious with the way it was done which is why I mentioned that.

 

[D5meister]

It was 85 A on 1.6mm sheet/plate

So i need hotter and faster. Can you suggest a current please and I may try later if my youngest would actually get in bed!!!!!!

 

[Richard.]

It was 85 A on 1.6mm sheet/plate

So i need hotter and faster. Can you suggest a current please and I may try later if my youngest would actually get in bed!!!!!!

Really??? Well ok I’ve diagnosed you completely wrong then. Sorry mate.
Your way too hot then.
1.6mm you want about 50amps.

 

[D5meister]

Sorry richard, the welder was on 85A tonight, it was that for the fat weld on 2nd right where its blasted flat.
The two that are sitting up 3rd and fourth right were around 45 ish maybe.
I will try 50A -- it is the one on the RHS.

Plus the reverse side , clearer heat staining.

This weld lark is a bit like golf. Like doing 2 great shots per round. The rest of it toilet..

Stainless remains out of my grasp for now.

Looking at the bead form it does look like 50 is a good number, thanks.

 

[Richard.]

Sorry richard, the welder was on 85A tonight, it was that for the fat weld on 2nd right where its blasted flat.
The two that are sitting up 3rd and fourth right were around 45 ish maybe.
I will try 50A -- it is the one on the RHS.

Plus the reverse side , clearer heat staining.

This weld lark is a bit like golf. Like doing 2 great shots per round. The rest of it toilet..

Stainless remains out of my grasp for now.

Looking at the bead form it does look like 50 is a good number, thanks.

I can help get you off the starting point with stainless steel. It’s very difficult without seeing you in action. I bet you’ve got all the tools to do it but a couple of small bad habits are holding things back. You are quite local to me if you ever wanted to arrange this.
My thoughts are saying the bulk of it is arc length/torch angle and travel speed. You have got one of the best sets ever produced so unfortunately we cannot point the finger that way. I can set you up with some lovely pulse settings on that too which really get stainless looking great.
It’s got some lovely ac settings on that too which we can explore. If you find yourself in a rut where progression just stops then come and see me. Bring that wonderful bit of kit with you and we shall get it doing what it does best.

 

[D5meister]

Thanks again Richard.

I took this still from a vid.
My stuff is like 2nd from left.

 

[w124]

Brad hits people with hammers not me.
I just lock em up in the cellar for 3 days if they touch the tungsten down.
That reminds me I must go down there and release a few of them tomorrow

indeed, Brad is a tough guy
@D5meister i would say bring the stuff to Richard. you'll earn more knowledge in 1-2 hours of practice with this guy, more than you would by yourself probably in weeks or months spending the money on gas tanks and consumables.

 

[w124]

Thanks again Richard.

I took this still from a vid.
My stuff is like 2nd from left.

its not a gas lens that makes things pretty right from the start. things can be done without it.
anyways ill try a butt weld on 3mm stainless today at work, any tips on joint prep and amperage/travel speed would be welcome

 

[w124]

found a 5mm stainless flat bar.
waited too long, amperage was somwehere near 165, 2,4mm rod
but “This Is the Kind of Thing That Just Tickles My Balls”.

 

[Richard.]

found a 5mm stainless flat bar.
waited too long, amperage was somwehere near 165, 2,4mm rod
but “This Is the Kind of Thing That Just Tickles My Balls”.
View attachment 143820

It’s very tidy mate but it’s a backwards step for ya.
You’ve cracked 3mm so you’ve cracked everything above 3mm.
Now it’s time to get some 1.5mm and crack that.

 

[w124]

hold that for me (beer)
no doubt it can be done with a very tight arc, but tacking it is a pain. especially with aluminum where you need to put pressure on the material with a hand that is holding the filler rod. anyways a 10kg steel block which i used to pull off the heat fallen on the TIG torch cable and its out of cooling . but challenge accepted, ill try to crack it with 1,0-1,2mm MIG wire and 55-60A when i fix he torch or someone else before i go to work. anyways its friday why are we talking about welding

well, it will be friday after another 8 h at work so we can talk...