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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Dec 2007
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    Default Can I weld stainless sheet with a stick or gas welder

    I'm making a device called a Smokenator for my Weber kettle, they are are available online but at around $300 they are a bit out of my price range just to see if they are any good. The pics shown are of the factory unit, mine looks decidedly home made but should work just as well assuming they do indeed work as promised.
    I've bent up a piece of stainless and cut it to fit inside the kettle and now need to weld two tabs on to hold it in position, I don't have a tig just a gas and stick welder not wanting to make a hash of it and make it look even more home made my question is will either of my two welders do stainless, if not then I don't even want to try, the stainless is 1.2mm thick.Smokenator 2.JPGSmokenator.JPG

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Oct 2011
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    Norwood-ish, Adelaide
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    Default

    You can get stainless rods for a stick welder but they are expensive and would be difficult to use on 1.2mm I suspect.
    Stainless steel rivets are readily available though. Is the design flexible enough to allow you to use a couple of those?

    Michael

  3. #3
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    Aug 2008
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    Adelaide
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    Whereabouts in Adelaide are you? Would it be easier if one of us with TIG welded it up for you?

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Nov 2017
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    Geelong, Australia
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    Default

    I've successfully used 1.6mm stainless rods on 1.6mm stainless exhaust tube, and I reckon if you're reasonable with your stick welder you'd be OK to use them for small welds on 1.2 - assuming your design can take a lapped joint. I definitely wouldn't be keen to butt weld with them.
    You can get small packs of stainless rods with a few assorted size rods in them, maybe 8 or so total. Pretty sure even Bunnings has them. I can't recall the price but from memory it worked out a couple of dollars per rod so expensive in per-rod terms, but for the occasional small stainless bracket etc quite cheap.

    I'm sure the pro's have a better suggestion or skills, but here's what I'd do in your situation:
    Make the bracket up with a tab that laps over the other part, and drill a couple of holes about a 3mm (guessing size...) in the tab that's underneath/behind - ie out of sight.
    Grab a lump of copper or aluminium to use as a backing bar to resist blowing a hole straight through, and then give it a very quick tack in the hole, basically creating a miniature puddle weld.
    Hopefully you've got a couple of bits of scrap to practice the technique on before letting loose on the real job.

    If that's too scary, I'd second Michael's suggestion to rivet them on.
    Even better if someone local volunteers to TIG them for you.

    Steve

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Dec 2005
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    South Australia
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    Default

    If by "gas welder" you mean oxy/acetylene yes you can

  6. #6
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    Dec 2007
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    Adelaide
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    Default

    Yes I have oxy acetylene. Is stainless fusion welding the same as mild steel fusion welding, possibly I could cut some thin strips of the stainless from the offcuts and use this as filler, will I need a flux ?

    Rivets are an option - I can turn some up from a few of the stainless screws left over from the deck.

    Before I had the Oxy set I had successfully arc welded exhausts in the past by "pecking" or stitching the weld (only way I can describe it) - and if stainless rods are available in small quantities (5 or 6) could give this a go - is stainless arc welding the same as mild steel welding ?

  7. #7
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    If you need some SS filler rods to play with the oxy/acetylene I can supply some for nothing as I have plenty here. I'm at Aberfoyle Park if that helps.
    Alternatively, bring the bits up here and I'll glue them together with the TIG.

  8. #8
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    Dec 2007
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    Adelaide
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    Default

    That is a kind offer Gavin I'll send you a private message.

  9. #9
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    No problems, reply sent.

  10. #10
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    Feb 2015
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    Default

    You can also weld stainless with ordinary rods. If rust isn't a problem, this is the cheapest way around it.

  11. #11
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    Dec 2007
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    Adelaide
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    Default

    It will go inside a BBQ kettle so decided to use stainless like the commercial version, I did cut a small 1mm wide length from one of the offcuts and tried it as a filler - went just like normal mild steel fusion welding, seems I was concerned about nothing, the only drawback here is that I can only get short bits around 50mm long to use as filler and need to hold with pliers.

    Thanks to Gavin's kind offer I now have a couple lengths of stainless rod, I'll post a pic once done.

  12. #12
    Join Date
    Jan 2004
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    Default

    A concern I would have would be warpage of your stainless steel sheet . I would be inclined to use lots and and lots of tacks.

    Use as few KPAs on the gauge( 30 Kpa on both Oxy and Acet) as you can get away with and weld with a nuetral flame and flux if you can get it

    Also go down a size in the nozzle diameter to what you would use for steel.


    Avoid a full weld as in a complete pass. Do 25mm then go to somewhere else and do a bit there.You don't want to concentrate the heat in one spot.

    I saw a sheety cut slivers with a sheet guillotine to use as filler when he he could not get a hold of filler wire.

    Best of luck as this can be a difficult process on this material.

    Grahame

  13. #13
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    Aug 2010
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    Near Bendigo, Victoria, AUS
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    If you have oxy, then silver soldering would be my choice of process. Stainless silver solder beautifully and a Weber won't be hot enough to melt it.
    Cheers, Joe
    retired - less energy, more time to contemplate projects and more shed time....

  14. #14
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    Dec 2007
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    Adelaide
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    Default

    Thanks for all of the replies and encouragement.

    Pic of welds attached - I bent the sheet with my folder so the welds required are only short where the tabs are attached - around 20mm long, so no issues with warp, the commercial version is all in one piece which would have been nice if I could have done it. I'm a bit hampered as I now need glasses but they won't fit with my goggles so had to weld with either no glasses or no goggles - I chose no glasses - it's a PIA when your eyesight starts to go south, weld looks ok me I tried to break it off but just bent the tab. Used a carburising flame, the only flux I have is for bronze welding and also silver soldering so did not use any.20171215_110650.jpg20171215_110704.jpg

  15. #15
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    Nov 2007
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    melbourne australia
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    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Grahame Collins View Post
    Use as few KPAs on the gauge( 30 Kpa on both Oxy and Acet)
    Easily done on the acetylene reg. Not so easy on your standard 1000kPa oxy reg. It's barely off the stop and the reg can sometimes pulse because it's working at the very bottom of its range.
    Chris

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