Tig Welding Stainless - Project #1

Yep, on the back. Although, I've had some practice runs where the resemblance to toffee is everywhere.
While an Argon dam is helpful, it is not essential to doing a good SS/Aluminum weld.
The poormans way would be to plug the ends and attach a fitting. Also, outside my budget. Especially at the price of argon!
Nothing wrong with these welds. Likely more than strong enough, and certainly better than some of the stuff I've done.
But, then it depends on the application. Near as I can, welding and machining are all about tolerances. My welding and manual machine tool instructors taught: "is the part fit for use on the intended application?".
If full penetration is required, then some additional experimentation may be helpful.

Daryl
MN
 
Uglydog said:
Very nice welds! Seriously, nice. Size and overall shape is great.
It's difficult to see what you have for penetration. You might want to turn up the heat just a little and use more filler. They should all be convex. The little holes at the ends could also use a little more filler in order to ensure that they are not weak at that point.
Caution: if you turn up the heat on SS you risk "caramelization". It will look like melting brown sugar for toffee.

Daryl
MN
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Hey Daryl, yeah any hotter and it was...what's the word for it...basically the tubing would melt above the weld and fall into the puddle there's a welding word for it but I can't remember just now. I guess the fix for that would be more filler, faster. How the heck the pro welders control 3 feet of welding filler rod swaying back and forth like a tree in the wind and feeding it with one hand with a glove on no less...I may have to invent an auto rod feeder. lol

No carmelization/sugaring yet, I argon flood the mother with a gas lens I dare it to try!! (Coolidge puffs chest out)

Did you guys notice how I avoided welding all the corners and just stuck to straight lines like a gutless amateur...:D
 
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mhagadorn said:
Well, your water cooled torch will earn its keep when you do try it. Clean clean clean is one of the keys to preventing "bloop into a puddle". I even clean my filler rod.
You will begin to care more about some of those welder settings. My Lincoln has none of that fanciness, but it seems to know what to do.
Click to expand...

From what I read this welder is the bomb for aluminum, it has a hybrid AC/DC cleaning action pulse hyper warp drive thing that's bad ass, there's a video of a guy welding like 3/4 inch thick aluminum plate and burning holes through it.
 
What are you using for tungsten?
Diameter?
I prefer 2% Lanthanated. For just about everything.
1.5% doesn't work.

Nothing wrong with staying away from the corners!
Most fun I had was clamping welding dangling scraps to hung from the garage trusses standing standing on one foot and reaching. What a hoot!!
Practice only. Well, and amusement.

Daryl
MN
 
I'm using Radnor 3/32 purple do it all tungsten.
 
a few pennies under the middle joints can help..stainless will do what its going to do...but with a tig you can always heat up and rebend..

as for aluminum...if it is shiny it is melting
 
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