another stainless MIG question

[JordonMusser]

I would like to weld a customers header together with my HH175, however, I have only used a TIG on stainless in the past.

I attempted to run some beads on some scrap stainless(304) with 309wire(its what I had around..) and although the bead looks "ok" i got some splatter, and the process didn't have that smooth sound I am used to when all is going well when MIGing mild steel. I was using 75/25, I am hoping that a switch to the proper 100% argon will be the fix..

any comments? it is on 16gauge stainless tubing, 304. probably pick up some 308 wire when its time to weld this header.

I plan to either use Solar B flux, or back gas when I actually do the header.


I was using heat setting 2, and i played with the wire speed from like 8 on up. same result.

[Scott V]

First off on the gas you are using,I doubt you will have that good of luck.I would change to a tri-mix of 90 he/7.5 ar/2.5 co2.I also would use 98 ar/2 ar for spray-arc or for running tiny little short-arc beads.Then after buying all that gas I would tig it together.

[Guest]

Ed Craig, one of the more opinionated welding engineers on the web says the tri-mix gas is entirely over rated, and that the 75/25 is sufficient for ss mig welding. I have always used tri-mix myself, and would like to try the 75/25 to see how it works. What ever you use, stainless mig is not going to sound like anything else you have ever heard, though, so don't worry about the sound. His credentials do cover welding gasses to a great extent, so I think his advice is sound.

[JordonMusser]

is this "splatter" normal? I dont mind if it isn't super pretty, but it has to handle many heat cycles (abient to 1500+ and back again, many times a day). I have access to a TIG, but man am i SLLLLOW at the TIG. I have very little seat time behind a TIG, because I dont own one

[Guest]

We do this extensively in hot forming aircraft parts. Ths best material for that job is RA330. All other materials we have tried will not stand up to that kind of heating and cooling cycles. While you can mig it, it welds nicely with stick, too.

[Gary Patton]

I Migged stainless tanks together for about a year. I always used the Tri-Mix (Helium, Argon, Co2 and with practice, the welds can look great. Use anti-spatter and the junk will wash right off. I prefer the Weld Aid brand 'cause it don't smell bad.
To clean your welds off & make it look good, we used "Pickeling Compound" which is just some mild acid, ask your welding supplier about it.
Hope your project goes well, let us know.

[Guest]

Originally posted by Gary Patton
Use anti-spatter and the junk will wash right off. I prefer the Weld Aid brand 'cause it don't smell bad.

Yeah, I had some that smelled like fish...real hard to get used to..

[kf1128]

in my experience, tri-mix is overrated. it may give a slightly better color match and may be necessary/beneficial for multi-pass, never really noticed a reduction in spatter. unless your going to be doing a lot of stainless mig, you should do just as well with c-25.

[Jerry]

I just finished welding nieghbors custom made headers and collectors for 65 or 66 montecarlo. I would advice to weld with Tig as Scott spoke to do, the weld will be more controlled and look so much better and if you plan on cleaning weld off it will be so much less work.

If you do use mig , its a must to use anti-spatter spray on stainless for those bb's stick like nothing you ever seen buddy.