Welding 304

[Thrashsmith]

Hello, I've just been doing a bit of welding with 308 rods on 304 stainless & I intended to manual wire brush (stainless) and then pickle after.
I don't need to do anything else, do I? I'm not fussed about colour matching, just want to prevent rusting.
Thanks

 

[chrismac]

I doubt you would need to wire brush if you are pickling, I'll wait and see if I am corrected on that though.

 

[hotponyshoes]

Wire brushing helps remove the worst and makes pickling easier/quicker.
No real need to brush if it's welding up nicely though.

I'd passivate after picking for the best corrosion prevention.

 

[Thrashsmith]

Wire brushing helps remove the worst and makes pickling easier/quicker.
No real need to brush if it's welding up nicely though.

I'd passivate after picking for the best corrosion prevention.

I bought some citric acid granules the other day. The thing I've been welding can't be immersed, at best I could spray on citric acid solution or paint it on with a brush. Would it still be worth doing after pickling?

 

[Munkul]

Generally nitric acid pickling paste also does the passivation. At least, we never bothered doing another step after pickling, and that was pipework and vessels in pretty corrosive atmospheres.

 

[Hood]

If you are close to the sea then the 304 will discolour no matter what you do and not just at the welds.

 

[chrismac]

you could get one of these,

STAINLESS STEEL WELD CLEANER. TELWIN CLEANTECH 200. 230 VOLT | eBay UK

IT IS 230 VOLT SINGLE PHASE. The efficiency of Cleantech 200 action is given by the combination of specific cleaning liquids and cleaning accessories. (Accessory & liquid not included). Use of a brush (T-Brush) with the green Brush-it liquid is indicated for delicate cleaning of vast surfaces.

www.ebay.co.uk

Our safety guy was less than impressed with death being a possibility/side effect of using pickling paste.