Arc Welding Stainless Steel

[Danno1]

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Has anyone arc welded using 308 SS rods? I have some Blue Demon 308 I got from McMaster-Carr and have a very hard time getting the bead to look nice. It doesn't seem to wet out the base metal very well. And yes, I have tried turning up the heat. It ends up being lumpy and porous looking. The slag is tough to remove also. I saw some threads on Welding Web, Everlast, and Hobart (maybe) where the guys had bad things to say about Blue Demon 7018.

A guy at work gave me some Blue Lightning rod to try. It's listed as a rod for joining dissimilar alloys. The MSDS lists it as having Iron, Chromium, Nickel, and Manganese in it. So it's kinda like stainless steel. This rod runs easier than the 308 I have. The beads end up looking really nice and smooth and the slag chips off easily too.

https://www.partsmaster.us/SitePages/Products.aspx?Code=02010311





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[Shield Arc]

You are welding on DC, or AC?

 

[Mark @ Everlast]

Are you joining steel to steel, stainless to steel, or stainless to stainless? If its stainless to stainless, do you know the classification?

I've just picked up an unopened 10 lb can of Lincoln red baron 316L MR...for........let's just say cheaper than I should have:shocked Pays to keep your eyes open.) Still not sure what to do with it.
Need some stainless worth joining now. But the point is, every can of Red Baron I have used (mostly 309L) the slag has chipped or slid right off. I've never tried blue Demon. The only time I had a problem was when I forgot to reset the polarity...and it acted similar to what you describe.

 

[Shield Arc]

When I first got my PA-200 I tried some 316L-16 that I've had for around 38-years. Before I could get my hood up the slag was jumping off the weld.

 

[Mark @ Everlast]

Can't tell as the brush marks are camouflaging the metal, but is that stainless or were you simply playing around on some less expensive steel?

 

[Shield Arc]

Grind marks?:confused3: I have no idea what type of stainless steel that is, came off a luggage carousel conveyor.

 

[Mark @ Everlast]

Sorry, I was looking at it on a smaller screen size. It's brush marks. But it is stainless...

 

[Mark @ Everlast]

Sorry, I was looking at it on a smaller screen size. It's brush marks. But it is stainless...

Here's my 20.00 find.

 

[Shield Arc]

Sorry, I was looking at it on a smaller screen size. It's brush marks. But it is stainless...

Nice try! But you're getting up there to the age where the eyes are starting to betray you a little bit.:laughing:

 

[Danno1]

Are you joining steel to steel, stainless to steel, or stainless to stainless? If its stainless to stainless, do you know the classification?

I've just picked up an unopened 10 lb can of Lincoln red baron 316L MR...for........let's just say cheaper than I should have:shocked Pays to keep your eyes open.) Still not sure what to do with it.
Need some stainless worth joining now. But the point is, every can of Red Baron I have used (mostly 309L) the slag has chipped or slid right off. I've never tried blue Demon. The only time I had a problem was when I forgot to reset the polarity...and it acted similar to what you describe.

I was using DC. But now can't remember if it was straight polarity or reverse.

I laid beads on A36 for practice and filled countersunk holes on 303/304? stainless.

The Blue Lightning rods laid down on A36 looking like ShieldArc's #4 post.

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