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ss will not work for mig welding without the tri mix gas....u need the helium to help increase the temp and burn it into the metal....as far as i know...seems ever time i try and weld ss with mig process usin no tri mix it doesnt work right....and im usin an ln 25 so i got plenty of power behind it...go ahead and try....im telling u use tri mix

i didnt write this but this is what u get when u google it

Answer to mig welding stainless steel
A lot of stainless steel mig welding tests are set up using Tri mix shielding gas (90 helium - 7.5 argon-2.5 co2) and .035" 308 stainless steel mig wire.



try these settings for a start and adjust from there....

20 volts

300 inches per minute ( if the machine does not read in ipm, just pull the trigger and count to 6 seconds. then measure the wire that came out and multiply by 10..in this case , 30 inches of wire in 6 seconds)

One suggestion if you use tri mix gas....., Old timers believe you should roll the bottle on the floor to mix it up, at the very least you should probably remove the gauge and crack the valve to blow some gas out let it churn a bit inside the tank.

I took a stainless steel mig welding test years ago and the shop inspector insisted I let the bulk tri mix tank run wide open for several seconds before welding..It made a huge difference as opposed to welding after the tank has sat unused for a long time

Yes tri-mix is the best solution but, remember this is a hobbyist project.
More than likely the welds are gonna have to be cleaned up anyway because an in-experienced person is doing the welding.
The other thing to consider is tri-mix costs about three times what 98-2 costs.
Helium prices are through the roof these days.

Yeah...I heard it was running out or something like that

I work for an aerospace company that builds LTA (lighter than air) systems, and a "skid" which contains 16 bottles of Helium costs about $2000.
When we do demonstrations it takes about 30 min and when the demo is over we release the Helium from the aerostats and there goes two grand up in the air. What a shame.
As a matter of fact we've got 48 bottles sitting on the apron ready to be set free next week.

Thanks for the replies guys. I went to Airgas at lunch and picked up a bottle of 98% Argon and 308L .030 wire (before I had seen all the replies). I asked for Tri-Gas, and he said for what I was doing I needed the Argon. So I just went with that. We'll see how it works out.

I do usually end up cleaning up my welds, because I haven't got the best control (really don't weld all that much).

Moose

MenkeMoose said:

Thanks for the replies guys. I went to Airgas at lunch and picked up a bottle of 98% Argon and 308L .030 wire (before I had seen all the replies). I asked for Tri-Gas, and he said for what I was doing I needed the Argon. So I just went with that. We'll see how it works out.

I do usually end up cleaning up my welds, because I haven't got the best control (really don't weld all that much).

Moose

Click to expand...

What's the going rate for a bottle?

cheers! i hope it works out well for ya :rockin:

MenkeMoose,
Do you have .030 tips or remember to get them?
Using an oversize size tip will usually give you problems with the wire not feeding straight out of the gun.
Because your using a different filler wire that you may not have used before I suggest getting your parameters dialed in on some scrap metal before you start your project.
Try to make the joints fit as close as possible. Measure twice, cut once.
If you do happen to have a loose fitting joint, don't try to fill it all up with one big pass. Run a small fast bead on one side of the joint, let it cool. Repeat.
Do this until the weld almost bridges the gap. Then weld a quick pass to join the two sides of the joint. This method will look and work much better than trying to fill a gap like using a caulk gun.

JonW said:

What's the going rate for a bottle?

Click to expand...

50cf Ugly as **** Cylinder $148.84
98% Argon gas to go in it $32.92
2lb Spool of 308L .030 stainless Wire $40.79

Spending more money to make something myself, than having it professionally done...

Priceless

JonW said:

What's the going rate for a bottle?

Click to expand...

I just (today) bought a 125cf bottle for $185, Argon re-fill $36.
Shop around... I heard prices up to $300 for a 125cf bottle.

Be careful if you decide to buy one from an individual. One company told me they will not fill a bottle larger than 80cf unless you have a receipt from the company that sold the bottle.

Ed

dmfa200 said:

MenkeMoose,
Do you have .030 tips or remember to get them?
Using an oversize size tip will usually give you problems with the wire not feeding straight out of the gun.
Because your using a different filler wire that you may not have used before I suggest getting your parameters dialed in on some scrap metal before you start your project.
Try to make the joints fit as close as possible. Measure twice, cut once.
If you do happen to have a loose fitting joint, don't try to fill it all up with one big pass. Run a small fast bead on one side of the joint, let it cool. Repeat.
Do this until the weld almost bridges the gap. Then weld a quick pass to join the two sides of the joint. This method will look and work much better than trying to fill a gap like using a caulk gun.

Click to expand...

dfma200, thanks for the advice. I have both .035 and .030 tips. I'm using .030 wire in it now. This one's a simple project, no tight tolerances. Since my conical has two flat sides, my plan is to make two upside down T's and connect them at the bottom to keep the weight from forcing them outward. I'll use a couple stainless bolts through the sides of the conical and into the tubes at the top.

Now I just have to hope my steel supplier gets the tube in by tomorrow.

Moose

If I have an 8-10 year old 50# argon tank that is half full, is it still good to use?

edit: the gas in the tank is 8-10 years old - not just the age of the tank.

If you attach a regulator to it and it still has pressure then it should still be good.
I've never heard of welding gases having a shelf life.
The only thing I can think of being an issue is if it was stored outside fluctuating from hot and cold. That could cause condensation inside the cylinder and some rusting. Be sure to give the valve a quick open and close to blow out any debris before you attach a regulator to it. Even small particles can cause a regulator to malfunction.

Sorry for the double reply my computer froze and I hit the post button again.
Someone please delete the copy.

If you attach a regulator to it and it still has pressure then it should still be good.
I've never heard of Argon having a shelf life.
The only thing I can think of being an issue is if it was stored outside fluctuating from hot and cold. That could cause condensation inside the cylinder and some rusting. Be sure to give the valve a quick open and close to blow out any debris before you attach a regulator to it. Even small particles can cause a regulator to malfunction.

dmfa200 said:

Monti, don't mean to call you out but high frequency does not provide the cleaning action while welding aluminum.
It happens during the electrode positive cycle of an AC sine wave.
High frequency is used to initiate the arc, and stabilize it during welding.
Because AC current alternates back and forth from the positive to the negative state at some point the current is at a zero state which causes the arc to become unstable and possibly extinguish during welding.
High frequency overcomes this problem.

Click to expand...

You are right.

JonW said:

GreenMonti & Tigmaster - thanks for the tips on the Miller HF. I'll do a little more research on the machine itself and see if I can do some test welds with it.

Thanks guys!

Click to expand...

Your welcome.

Also, I asked a guy at work today about our welders running a wire unit. He said, it should run a suitcase wire feeder but not the constant current ones. IMO you don't want a suitcase unit.

Monti,
I'll give it to you. You do slick work.
I hope no one gets offended by my replies. I, in no way think I'm one of the best welders out there just merely very experienced.
Although I can hang with the best of'em
Tigmaster, you also do very good work. I like to hear that you have that passion I once had. Don't get me wrong I still like what I do, I don't have that fire in me like I used to.
Never settle for the level your at. Always critique your work and think of what you can do next weld to make them all look like their picture perfect.
Also be humble, share your experience with others don't hoard your knowledge.
There's a shortage of welders these days, and with your talent and a good attitude you'll never go without work.

dmfa200 said:

Monti,
I'll give it to you. You do slick work.
I hope no one gets offended by my replies. I, in no way think I'm one of the best welders out there just merely very experienced.
Although I can hang with the best of'em
Tigmaster, you also do very good work. I like to hear that you have that passion I once had. Don't get me wrong I still like what I do, I don't have that fire in me like I used to.
Never settle for the level your at. Always critique your work and think of what you can do next weld to make them all look like their picture perfect.
Also be humble, share your experience with others don't hoard your knowledge.
There's a shortage of welders these days, and with your talent and a good attitude you'll never go without work.

Click to expand...

I'll drink to that. Cheers

Thank you for the kind words. I know I'm not offended in any way. In fact, thank you cause, I was under the impression the the newer welder with the option for more or less "cleaning" action. Was controlling the HF. I'm glad that I learned that its in fact adjusting the "time" frame at which you are either + or - on the wave. My old welder is just the plain old 50/50. Good thing I'm anal about cleaning my weld joints.

Use these charts and your welding projects will not be a problem at all;
http://www.projectrho.com/rocket/calculators.php

WTF!
That's pretty funny!

I like this one the best, were're all going to die!
http://simulator.down2earth.eu/

BrewBeemer said:

I like this one the best, were're all goning to die!
http://simulator.down2earth.eu/

Click to expand...

Ha,Ha. Its about time you join in here. Then again, with this addition..........oh never mind. LOL.

Cheers buddy.

I am working on my electric brewery setup and luckily have a nice Lincoln Precision Tig 185. I am getting really good welds on the outsides of my keg, but am still getting a bit of sugaring on the insides. I am backpurging but have not been sealing the purge setup with tape. I was using aluminum foil on the end of the purge can and "crushing" that to form the seal. Definitely better than nothing at all. However, I do have a couple of questions:

1. Are you guys doing multiple passes on the couplings? I tack in 3 spots and then fully weld the coupler in place.

2. Are you guys chamfering your couplers at all? I seem to be also getting some molten filler flowing through to the back side in certain spots. I think my unibit is making some slightly oblong holes that are producing gaps in some spots.

I am hopelessly over my head here, but is it possible to do good work with the Lincoln 225? My stepdad has had one of those forever and used it on everything from the earth mover to the rack for his fishing boat. If I can use an analogy, I just need to do some extract brewing and I want a 3 gallon pot to do a partial boil. I'm not after a 30 gal mash tun w/ a RIMS module. Any thoughts?

Just looked at my community college to see if there were any Saturday welding classes. They're all Monday-Thursday 3hr classes.... brutal. No thanks.

Old thread I know,

Pinging Tigmaster. I have a welding job for you if your available.
Check your PM

tia

Is this weld ok for my boil kettle or should I take it back and have him try to fill it in???

Here's the outside

That looks good man. If it doesn't leak you should be fine.

Too bad he didn't hit it with a wire brush while it was still hot... would have cleared up the discoloration. If no leaks, you should be fine for a boil kettle.

Sent from my SCH-I535 using Home Brew mobile app

Ok, so my brew stand will be my first welding project. Practicing on a bunch of scrap material, and seem to be getting better at laying down a decent bead and getting decent penetration. I keep seeing stuff about how you should bevel the edges that you are welding for a cleaner lower weld bead. Do I really need to grind a bevel on every edge of the tubing that I am welding? Is it more of an asthetics thing than anything? I haven't tried it yet in my practicing, just curious what everyone's thoughts are.

Thanks!
Craig

My thoughts: You get better penetration, and should you wish to "dress up" your welds, there is less chance of you "compromising" your welds.

Plus, it's just a good practice in the art of welding.