Weld Stainless Steel
Welding is the process of permanently joining two metals together through the application of heat, and it can be utilized in everything from home, boat or auto repairs to craft projects. Welding is slightly different for every metal including stainless steel. Read the following article to learn the specifics of how to weld stainless steel successfully.
Steps
- Put on proper protective equipment.
- Wear full-length shirts and pants with as little skin exposed as possible. Always wear full protective eyewear, gloves, and if desired, ear protection.
- Determine the best joining method for your base metals.
- The most common methods are T, edge, lap, corner and butt.
- When choosing a joining method, take into account the thickness of the metal to be welded, joint accessibility and the required strength of the welding job.
- Secure your metal with fixtures and jigs.
- Choose the most appropriate process to weld stainless steel for your project.
- Shielded metal arc welding is also known as SMAW, or stick electrode.
- Gas tungsten arc welding is also known as GTAW.
- Flux cored arc welding is also known as FCAW.
- Gas metal arc welding is also known as GMAW. This process is divided into two differing methods: short circuit transfer and spray transfer.
- Choose a compatible inert shielding gas.
- In some instances, such as SMAW, an inert shielding gas isn't necessary. The other methods vary from argon to helium to a combination of gases in varying proportions.
- Choose a filler metal to use in stainless steel welding.
- If both metals to be fused are the same, the base metal should mirror the composition of those base metals. If the metals differ, the filler metal will have to be picked according to which is least likely to crack and which is most compatible with the base metal.
- Clean the stainless steel base metal.
- The cleaning process eliminates the chance of oxides forming on the base metal. The entire base metal should be gently brushed with a stainless steel wire brush, removing existing oxides and burrs.
- Wear gloves so you don't transfer oils from your hands onto the stainless steel.
- Bring your stainless steel to room temperature.
- If the stainless steel is austenitic, preheating is not necessary. Preheat when dealing with martensitic or ferritic stainless steel. Also preheat if the stainless steel is particularly thick or high in carbon.
- Apply welding torch.
- Apply post-heat after welding stainless steel.
- The rapid cooling down of the stainless steel can cause a lot of internal stress, which contributes to cracking. Post-heat is particularly necessary when joining thick pieces of metal.
- Remove slag on the weld spot, if necessary. Remove by grinding or using a chipping hammer.
- SMAW and FCAW are both prone to leaving slag residue.
Tips
- Always move the welding torch at a constant speed to ensure the metal is joined in a uniform manner.
Warnings
- Never work in a closed-off or non-ventilated area. The fumes created during the welding process can be very harmful.
- For your first several welding projects, don't attempt to weld without the supervision or direction of somebody experienced in the practice. This greatly diminishes the likelihood of either getting injured or unsuccessfully welding the materials.
Things You'll Need
- Protective eyewear
- Gloves
- Long-sleeved shirt and long pants
- Stainless steel
- Inert shielding gas
- Filler metal
- Stainless steel wire brush
- Fixtures and jigs
- Welding torch
- Grinder or chipping hammer (if necessary)
