Mig welding stainless steel!, joining rice-pipes...:) Options

[fiid]

For the WRX engine - I bought a couple of aftermarket (read: RICE) exhaust components for cheap that I could modify to fit on the 914.

I remember reading (I think on here) that it's possible to weld stainless using a regular MIG welder and mild steel wire. Of course the weld will rust, but thats not too much of a concern. Will it actually work? What problems will I encounter. Should I just find someone with a tig and get them to do it?

Thanks in advance...

(IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/welder.gif)

[Engman]

Yes - you have it right. It will work/rust. Best to use SS wire.

M

[fiid]

Can I run SS wire in my Home-Depot welder (that has a mig kit)....? Does SS require more juice..?

I'm such a noobie.

[nebreitling]

lincoln makes a mig wire, "Blue X" or something, that is specifically for SS. a buddy has good results w/ it.

don't breathe the fumes. really.

[Engman]

Yes you can run it - get the right dia. wire. You will have to set it a little bit hotter (more juice) but that is dpendent on the thickness of what you are doing.

M

[nebreitling]

edit: "Blue Max"

[Mueller]

(IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/hijacked.gif)

has anyone successfully MIG'd with aluminum wire with a pusher type MIG rig?

I "think" my welder (a Lincon) has an optional electrical setting inside....do I need to change it?

[bondo]

Your welder will work, it will just need a little more juice than normal. Use stainless wire if you want reasonable results. It's best to use pure argon, but you can get by with 75/25. For the absolute best results, back-gas it with any inert gas. (plug the ends of the pipe except for a small hole at each end, and run the gas through it)

[bondo]

QUOTE (Mueller @ Oct 18 2005, 12:54 PM)

(IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/hijacked.gif) has anyone successfully MIG'd with aluminum wire with a pusher type MIG rig? I "think" my welder (a Lincon) has an optional electrical setting inside....do I need to change it?

I've never tried aluminum mig welding. Been wanting to try it though.

The only reason you ever need to change the polarity setting is if you're using flux core wire.

[fiid]

Flux core wire sucks my balls.

I tried aluminum with my welder - had no luck at all - wire was difficult to feed. I think that it's harder to work with because aluminium conducts really well - so theres lots of heat dissipation - and I'm also not sure it gets red hot like steel does so it's harder to see. I may have just f***ed it up tho... always possible (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/smile.gif)

My new muffler should show up this week, so look for upcoming pictures of a 914 with a rice exhaust (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/smile.gif).

Getting close to being able to back it out the garage (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/smile.gif)

[Rand]

Welding stainless is no problem. Cutting it on the other hand... (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/dry.gif)

[Brett W]

I am not sure about MIG welding stainless but When you TIG stainless you don't run that much juice. Usually much less than for mild steel. I was welding some stainless this weekend. Man I love how stainless welds.

Yes you should back purge the weld if at all possible. Otherwise you will develope "sugar" on the back of the weld and it will crack.


If you are just welding those two pipes together you may be better of having someone TIG it. What type of stainless are you dealing with? 304, 321, or some shitty low grade factory stainless.

[fiid]

QUOTE (Brett W @ Oct 18 2005, 12:13 PM)

If you are just welding those two pipes together you may be better of having someone TIG it. What type of stainless are you dealing with? 304, 321, or some shitty low grade factory stainless.

The respective vendors say it's like 304... but we're talking RICE here - so probably the shitty stuff (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/smile.gif)

Will I still get sugar if I do it with mild steel wire?


LMAO: Can you get stainless wire at home depot? (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/smile.gif)

[Mueller]

QUOTE (bondo @ Oct 18 2005, 12:59 PM)

The only reason you ever need to change the polarity setting is if you're using flux core wire.

really??? I've never changed it and just this past weekend I did a bunch of flux-core steel welding...the welds appear to be okay (I made a metal gate for a co-worker)

one thing I did do differently was use the anti-splatter spray...smells like burnt fish scales but made the cleanup so much easier since I didn't have to spend any time removing the little splatter-balls from the metal....

I use to not like flux-core wire, now I dig it depending on what I am welding....

[Demick]

QUOTE (Brett W @ Oct 18 2005, 01:13 PM)

What type of stainless are you dealing with? 304, 321, or some shitty low grade factory stainless.

For the most part, you can tell if it is good quality stainless with a magnet. If the magnet sticks to it, it's crappy stainless. If it doesn't, then it's a quality grade of stainless.

Demick

[fiid]

QUOTE (Mueller @ Oct 18 2005, 12:16 PM)

I use to not like flux-core wire, now I dig it depending on what I am welding....

Hmmm. Perhaps I should give it another shot. I've also gotten a lot better idea of what welding should be like when it's going right - so I might have better results with it now.

[Mueller]

QUOTE (fiid @ Oct 18 2005, 01:33 PM)

QUOTE (Mueller @ Oct 18 2005, 12:16 PM) I use to not like flux-core wire, now I dig it depending on what I am welding.... Hmmm. Perhaps I should give it another shot. I've also gotten a lot better idea of what welding should be like when it's going right - so I might have better results with it now.

it gets really windy at my house and the last few things I welded outside, the flux-core wire worked better than using gas in the wind

[Sammy]

With 300 series stainless we usually use 308L wire, with 400 series we run 309L.
Unless it is duplex stainless or something exotic, then all bets are off.
Is the pipe magnetic at all? If it's not or just barely magnetic, it's 300 series and easier. If it's strongly magnetic (but not as strong as steel), it will prolly require stress relieving to make sure it doesn't crack.

[Brett W]

Mike, you can use WD40 as antisplatter spray. It doesn't smell near as bad. Most Ricey stainless stuff is probably 304. If you are welding 304 to 304 use the 308 rod. If you are welding 304 to 321 use the 308 for 321 to 321 use a 347 rod. To weld stainless to mild use a 309 rod. You can't weld stainless to stainless with a mild steel rod or wire. It will break.

In the end if this is the only stainless piece you weld, buying the stainless wire and the purge bottle will cost you more than getting some one to weld the two pieces together. You will probably pay something like 20$ ro have it done.