Stainless steel arc welding

[Garry D]

Hi all.

I use to do a lot of welding 20 years ago and have just started welding again working in a theatre in Australia doing repairs. For years I was always told you can't weld stainless steel with an arc welder yet after a quick search on the internet I've been told you can with stainless steel rods. Just wanting to know if anyone here has done stainless steel welding with an arc welder before. I literally need to do a tack weld to fix a handrail and don't want to to hire a welder with a TIG to do 7 seconds worth of work and charge hundreds of dollars if I can do it myself. Would really appreciate if anyone who had had the experience can confirm if it can be done.

 

[tom2207]

Welcome to the forum

 

[Hitch]

Can definitely be done.

Depending on the rail and your skills, you may want to polish it out after.

 

[BrokenBiker]

It can certainly be done. Weld.com on youtube have a video specifically on it i think, as well as body at weldingntips and tricks, possibly the fabrication series as well but can't be certain on that one

My experience of it is it's get bloody hot, more so than say a 6013 or 7018, the slag can and will ping off when you aren't expecting it and I think there is a slightly different approach regarding setting and speed etc

If you know the composition of the handrail, great, if not get some 309l rods, practice on a bit of scrap first, mild steel will be fine for practice material.

 

[Tigman]

I've welded pipe flanges with stick , just be wary of the slag it leaps off !

 

[addjunkie]

I've welded pipe flanges with stick , just be wary of the slag it leaps off !

And down your neck, or in the top of your boot!

 

[Garry D]

It can certainly be done. Weld.com on youtube have a video specifically on it i think, as well as body at weldingntips and tricks, possibly the fabrication series as well but can't be certain on that one

My experience of it is it's get bloody hot, more so than say a 6013 or 7018, the slag can and will ping off when you aren't expecting it and I think there is a slightly different approach regarding setting and speed etc

If you know the composition of the handrail, great, if not get some 309l rods, practice on a bit of scrap first, mild steel will be fine for practice material.

thanks, yes that was my plan I just wanted some feedback from people with experience before investing time and money going to the hardware shop etc.

 

[Hood]

Do it all the time, depends on the thickness but I have even welded down to 1.5mm with relative ease using 1.6 electrodes when access for tig has been poor.
I tend to use 2.5mm electrodes the most ,usually go one size down from what I would normally use when welding steel as the molten metal is more fluid and also you usually need less current than you would use for steel..

Some pics of stuff I do with stick

 

[Erie Fred]

Do it all the time, depends on the thickness but I have even welded down to 1.5mm with relative ease using 1.6 electrodes when access for tig has been poor.
I tend to use 2.5mm electrodes the most ,usually go one size down from what I would normally use when welding steel as the molten metal is more fluid and also you usually need less current than you would use for steel..

Some pics of stuff I do with stick




View attachment 494045





View attachment 494048


View attachment 494052

OOooooh.....shiny !

 

[BrokenBiker]

Do it all the time, depends on the thickness but I have even welded down to 1.5mm with relative ease using 1.6 electrodes when access for tig has been poor.
I tend to use 2.5mm electrodes the most ,usually go one size down from what I would normally use when welding steel as the molten metal is more fluid and also you usually need less current than you would use for steel..

Some pics of stuff I do with stick




View attachment 494045





View attachment 494048


View attachment 494052

Those are possibly the prettiest stick welds I've seen

 

[Onoff]

I've welded pipe flanges with stick , just be wary of the slag it leaps off !

But it does leave a lovely vapour trail on a cold, misty day!

I weld, then if a small part turn it over so the slag pings off and hits the ground.

 

[BrokenBiker]

But it does leave a lovely vapour trail on a cold, misty day!

I weld, then if a small part turn it over so the slag pings off and hits the ground.

When I was an apprentice we had an amazing welder who used to use 309l for virtually everything maintenance related...he always used to lay an old glove down over the weld to catch any energetic slag deposits

 

[premmington]

Only thing I gotta add to stainless steel - MMA welding is...

Watch out for the "self releasing slag"....

It will have you the second you lift your mask up boy....

 

[Mark 2]

Only thing I gotta add to stainless steel - MMA welding is...

Watch out for the "self releasing slag"....

It will have you the second you lift your mask up boy....

Ping, ......ping,

 

[Mark 2]

There is such a thing as gasless stainless for mig, as a matter of interest.

 

[Hood]

There is such a thing as gasless stainless for mig, as a matter of interest.

Yes, never used it though so can't say if it is any good.
I have used flux core that still required gas but couldn't get along with it, likely because I was using the wrong gas

 

[Hood]

Those are possibly the prettiest stick welds I've seen

The make of rods go a long way towards that, I have found I really like Esab rods but currently my local suppliers don't stock them so I have been using Magmaweld and Nikko rods, the Magmaweld are ok and the Nikko I like but the Esab were still the nicest.

 

[Mark 2]

Yes, never used it though so can't say if it is any good.
I have used flux core that still required gas but couldn't get along with it, likely because I was using the wrong gas

Well it works, not particularly pretty but trustworthy.

 

[premmington]

The make of rods go a long way towards that, I have found I really like Esab rods but currently my local suppliers don't stock them so I have been using Magmaweld and Nikko rods, the Magmaweld are ok and the Nikko I like but the Esab were still the nicest.

I bought some Magmaweld 312's and 309Ls - I getting on with them OK.

Was buying ELGA's for last 10years plus - but local stockist can't get them at "right price now"...

 

[Hood]

Well it works, not particularly pretty but trustworthy.

Sorry I read your post wrong, I thought you were asking if there was such a thing instead of you were actually saying there was