Screwed up welding

[Islandboy85]

Yeah, they were SS. My welder had them cherry red for a loooonnnnggg time. I told him how screwed up it is, and he told me he would "reweld it with more gas this time to stabilize the chromium." He had prep sanded it with a really old jacked up pad...probably was contaminated with steel from his kid's car project.

 

[bbbrew]

You can take a look at the section on passivation and select the link for how to do it.

http://brewingtechniques.com/library/backissues/issue2.4/millspaw.html

Let us know how things come out for you.

BB

 

[Islandboy85]

Well, I cleaned up the welds. I still. Need to passivate them. In the mean time, I bent up my pickup tube. It looks like crap. I filled it with glass sand blasting media, capped it, and lubed it before I bent it, but it still kinked on the inside of the bend. It may just be too hard. I may have to aneal it before I bend it. I thought .5 x .020 stainless tube would be ok on a 1.5 in radius, but not quite. Ill probably just live with it. I think it will still be ok, and I can get a brush in it to clean it.

 

[Islandboy85]

Forgot the link.
http://emob924.photobucket.com/albums/ad81/islandboy85/SU1HMDAwODgtMjAxMDA1MjAtMTcxNC5qcGc.jpg

 

[bbbrew]

Boy, you've just haven't had much luck with stainless. I bent a 0.500" O.D. x 0.06" wall last week but it took alot of heat. I just happen to have one of those propane + oxygen torches laying around (nothing fancy I think Home Depot sells them). And when you're done with it, you can use the oxygen tank with valve on your wort. I picked up a disposable aquarium filter for the end of the hose. Anyhow, heat that thing up until it cherry red and slowly work it around some type of form.

Your tube should work. One other suggestion, you might want to grind out a U section in the end just in case it does hit the bottom of your pot, you'll will still be able to draw through the opening.

BB

 

[Islandboy85]

I was worried about corrosion if I heated it up in an unknown tempurature such as a torch. If it doesn't work out, a guy at work in our hydraulic shop said he would bend one up for me from stainless tube he has that isn't quite as hard. I think mine was just too hard to begin with. As for cutting the end, I was thinking about that, or flaring it.

 

[Islandboy85]

Well, I was able to clean out the threads. One of the contractors at work lent me a pipe tap. I will tell you what, that took some effort and a lot of tapping compound to get it cleaned up. It's not perfect, but I was able to get my fittings installed with little fuss.

 

[GreenMonti]

I'm glad things are coming together for you on your build. Your right about the heat issue and SS. Bending it cold is a much better way as you wont loose the corrosion resistance. I would be interested in knowing what SS tubing he has that isn't as tough. If the grade of it is a higher number then 304-304L then it is better tubing. If its a lower number, then it is just a low grade SS and that's why its easier to bend. I wouldn't use it if that's the case.