Welding Stainless

ogberi

ogberi

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Hi All,

Doing a bit of welding today, and have a question.

I've got a little Lincoln flux core wire welder. Works a treat. But the wire I have is for plain steel, not stainless.

I want to weld up a degassing wand for my aluminum melts. It's pretty simple, just a handle with a small stainless steel bowl on the end of it. Maybe a 3' long handle. Can I use this to weld stainless to mild steel, and get a solid bond? The usage is that you drop a packet of degassing agent (either commercial degas tablet, or granular pool shock) wrapped in aluminum foil into the melt, then push it to the bottom with the wand. The degasser decomposes, and reacts with the entrapped hydrogen in the melt to remove it. Creates hydrochloric acid, which bubbles out of solution, in a rather volatile fashion. Definitely stand up-wind, a distance off from it.

I figured that as long as I was welding lugs to the crucible (steel pipe crucible), and welding up a new pouring shank, I might as well make the wand while I had everything out. It doesn't have to be structural, but I don't want it to fall off, either. Trying to fish that out of a pot of 1400 degree molten aluminum wouldn't be easy, and I wouldn't want to screw up a pour by it tumbling out and obstructing the sprue while pouring. Molds have to be poured in one go, as fast as it'll take the metal. Stopping and starting is sure to generate a short pour at the very least, and a poorly-bonded nearly-two-piece casting at best.

Ideas? I'd hate to have to buy a roll of stainless wire (and a piece of stainless for the handle) just to weld a couple of tacks.
 
I have successfully welded mild steel to stainless doing what you describe. It won't be x-ray quality, but it will hold. A couple of passes would be helpful for strength.
 
While it may not be kosher, I have welded stainless with mild steel rod in the past. I have also welded stainless to mild steel with success. The welds appeared to be OK.
I would expect potential corrosion issues but that shouldn't be a problem in your application.
 
Could the end of the rod be drilled and tapped? A bolt and washer would be sure to hold, and give the benifit of servicability when the bowl needs replacement.
A stainless sink drain stopper/strainer with the center knob and rubber removed, instead of a bowl, would let the degaser out faster.
Just my ¢.02.

Sent from somewhere in East Texas Jake Parker
 
they aren't going to be "good welds" but it will work for sticking 2 parts together
if you have the ability to add shielding gas to your mig while using FCAW, you could make the weld stick a lot better
 
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This will work fine, stainless is steel with chromium added as an alloying element at 10 to 15%, all steel is by definition an "alloy". If you would like a better looking weld choose a gas appropriate for this purpose, mostly helium. this works well.
As far as flux core is concerned I have zero experience so have no advice to give. Good Luck
 
The correct wire would be 309, with shielding gas, it's made for joining dissimilar steels, like cold rolled to 304 or what have you. But you will be fine making a puddle, you will probably get "sugaring" but who cares for what it is. Here's a proper stainless weld, tig using 308 wire, 304 stainless part about 3x2 solid.
20151001_193500.jpg
 
It works I've done it. I had to do some better welds on 2 stainless parts and found a roll of flux core stainless wire once. It did ok on heavier welds but not thin stuff. I still have it around if you want the info off it but i wouldn't buy it for what your doing.
 
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