OhioPipeliner
New member
Looking into buying one to build all my intercooler piping. New to tig welding. Just want a decent one for the garage but want clean nice welds. Any suggestions tips and tricks?
School me on stainless tig welding and welders
- Thread starter OhioPipeliner
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Skill_Kills
Member
its been a while since i tigged any stainless but from what i remember its like mild steel but with more heat. I plan on buying a lincoln tig for home with my tax return this year
OldschoolPSD
New member
Stainless falls out really bad, a lot tougher to hold a puddle with. The higher the nickel content, the more watery the puddle. Fitment should be perfect or it will fight you the whole way. Takes a little practice and a real steady hand to make it look good.
What type of machine do you have for your rig? You don't need high frequency to weld stainless so you can just get a tig torch and a regulator and run it right off the truck. I had a scratch start setup on an SA200 when I first started out 13 years ago.
What type of machine do you have for your rig? You don't need high frequency to weld stainless so you can just get a tig torch and a regulator and run it right off the truck. I had a scratch start setup on an SA200 when I first started out 13 years ago.
C'roy78stroker
Member
I use a large diameter gas lense with glass cup and a sharp taper 1/16 quad element tungsten. Gas coverage is key, start around 15 cfh flow on the outside of the tube. Purge the inside with 3-4 cfh. The purples and blues with give you an idea how much heat is put into the metal. Use around 1 amp for every .001 thickness. I use 70 amps on .065 wall.
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psduser1
Well-known member
3/32 tungsten.
Heat will depend on travel speed. Back purge is what keeps the puddle supported, as well as driving off the oxygen. You'll have to play with that to find the right cfh.
Don't worry about filler wire if you are using tube or schedule 5 pipe. Square cut, butt tight, and weld.
If you go sched 10 or thicker, multiphase with filler material is easier to control. Let the weld cool between passes, as well.
Heat will depend on travel speed. Back purge is what keeps the puddle supported, as well as driving off the oxygen. You'll have to play with that to find the right cfh.
Don't worry about filler wire if you are using tube or schedule 5 pipe. Square cut, butt tight, and weld.
If you go sched 10 or thicker, multiphase with filler material is easier to control. Let the weld cool between passes, as well.
OhioPipeliner
New member
I don't have a rig. Was a laborer but since moved on. Just looking to get a nice tig machine to do personal fab but not break the bank.
OhioPipeliner
New member
I've herd purge for 3-4 mins before welding?
psduser1
Well-known member
Roughly 10 seconds/ft/in of diameter.
cbking
New member
i would look into the newer lincoln squarewave 200. should be plenty of machine to weld the thinner stainless that you are talking about. get a stubby gas lense kit as well it will be a huge improvement over standard collets and collet bodys. i know a lot of guys who have also had good luck with the everlast brand as well.
White_monster
Active member
Miller Diversion 180 is a great machine and not to expensive. It also can tig aluminu. It has plugs for both 110 and 220. That's my suggestion for a basic machine.
Dirtclod
New member
Any stock machine @200 amps DC . Reverse polarity with a scratch start rig. And purge it. Or else you'll sugar it inside. Hell schedule 10 stainless you pretty much fuse it together
psduser1
Well-known member
You and I can do that, but for a beginner, multipass is easier, lol.
ja_cain
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Joe is right about just butt welding thin walled tubing. The swagelok orbital welder does autogenous with a backside purge. Get a dual outlet regulator if you plan on doing a lot of stainless. Money well spent. I'll try to post up some pics of half purge and half no purge on some pipe to illustrate how bad the sugaring can be.
Stubby gas lens is also a good upgrade and I like the flex head torches from CK. I also have a nice water cooled swivel head from them too.
Also, stainless has lower thermal conductivity than steel. In other words, you want to make sure you aren't lingering or it will get too hot quick on thinner parts. I have a hard time with this sometimes. Male sure you know how to read your colors.
I use 2% lanthinated for both dc and ac welding. You can weld aluminum with it sharpened and a slightly balled tip on an inverter machine. Very versatile tungsten.
Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk
Stubby gas lens is also a good upgrade and I like the flex head torches from CK. I also have a nice water cooled swivel head from them too.
Also, stainless has lower thermal conductivity than steel. In other words, you want to make sure you aren't lingering or it will get too hot quick on thinner parts. I have a hard time with this sometimes. Male sure you know how to read your colors.
I use 2% lanthinated for both dc and ac welding. You can weld aluminum with it sharpened and a slightly balled tip on an inverter machine. Very versatile tungsten.
Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk
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