Stainless steel welding repair- advice needed

[KYErik]

I am repairing some 1/8" stainless. It is an ear that holds the 7/8" pivot pin of a swinging auger on a fertilizer tender (so it will need to be fairly strong). The ear was damaged when the pin fell out while driving down the road and the auger landed on the ear and folded it over. I did my best to straighten it, but it needs some serious reinforcing and the hole is out of round.

My two options/ideas are:

1. Buy an extra thick 7/8" id stainless steel washer and weld it on/over the hole to tie everything together. I will have to order such a specialized part.

2. Buy a regular steel 7/8" id washer (easy to buy locally) and weld it around the hole.

Any advice or better ideas? I have an AC/DC stick welder. Would I use a standard stainless steel repair welding rod for either of the two above options?

 

[Shield Arc]

I would drill a 7/8-inch hole in piece of 1/4 or 3/8-inch thick mild steel flatbar. And weld it in the correct position.
If you have any 309 stainless steel welding rod, that is what I would use.

 

[mrmikey]

What he ^ said......Mike

 

[RNeumann]

If all I had was an AC/DC stick machine I’d de inclined to skip welding it.

My suggestion would be to laminate some steel to one or both sides of the existing plate and bolt it on in 3-4 spots.

Even with a tig welder, matching the types of stainless with a mail order washer and the existing part could prove tough. It may end up getting silicone bronze “brazed” anyway.

 

[KYErik]

Thanks guys- I was actually able to find a 1/4" thick 308 SS 7/8" ID, 2" OD washer earlier this morning for just $3.50 at a local store- but I see that the consensus would be to use a larger "patch".

I have some 1/4 mild steel flatbar and plate and though of making a patch out of it, but I was afraid that there would be corrosion issues welding or bolting mild steel and stainless steel together.

In terms of the bolt lamination method, I have tried to drill stainless steel in the past (with poor results) but now I have some cobalt bits on hand...

Thanks guys- I will make a good sized mild steel "patch" and then first try to bolt it to the mangled SS ear. If I have trouble drilling through the SS, I will weld the patch onto the SS with 309 SS welding rod.

 

[Shield Arc]

KYErik here is a picture of 309 stainless steel rod on mild steel.
If you are worried about the mild steel to stainless steel? just weld all the way around the mild steel, then paint the mild steel. Mild steel is welded to stainless steel every day.

 

[LouNY]

Thanks guys- I was actually able to find a 1/4" thick 308 SS 7/8" ID, 2" OD washer earlier this morning for just $3.50 at a local store- but I see that the consensus would be to use a larger "patch".

I have some 1/4 mild steel flatbar and plate and though of making a patch out of it, but I was afraid that there would be corrosion issues welding or bolting mild steel and stainless steel together.

In terms of the bolt lamination method, I have tried to drill stainless steel in the past (with poor results) but now I have some cobalt bits on hand...

Thanks guys- I will make a good sized mild steel "patch" and then first try to bolt it to the mangled SS ear. If I have trouble drilling through the SS, I will weld the patch onto the SS with 309 SS welding rod.

Just throw the washer on and weld it, that's not a high stress joint trying to make a sandwich bolted joint will allow fertilizer to get into the gaps and rust it out in a hurry.

 

[KYErik]

Shield Arc- thanks for the visual and for letting me know that mild and stainless are commonly welded together.

LouNY- Good point on bolting things together and fertilizer dust getting in between. I will skip the drilling/bolting and just weld.

 

[Shield Arc]

Here is a Tig weld, stainless steel on top, to mild steel on the bottom.

 

[Raspy]

Thanks guys- I was actually able to find a 1/4" thick 308 SS 7/8" ID, 2" OD washer earlier this morning for just $3.50 at a local store- but I see that the consensus would be to use a larger "patch".

I have some 1/4 mild steel flatbar and plate and though of making a patch out of it, but I was afraid that there would be corrosion issues welding or bolting mild steel and stainless steel together.

In terms of the bolt lamination method, I have tried to drill stainless steel in the past (with poor results) but now I have some cobalt bits on hand...

Thanks guys- I will make a good sized mild steel "patch" and then first try to bolt it to the mangled SS ear. If I have trouble drilling through the SS, I will weld the patch onto the SS with 309 SS welding rod.

309 rod is something you should always have in your arsenal. It welds mild steel to mild steel or mild to stainless, just fine on AC and will weld high carbon steel, like farm discs, without becoming brittle. I built a whole trailer with it and built some suspension parts for my Jeep with it. I have never had a crack. It's the correct rod for welding mild to stainless.

As far as drilling stainless goes, you must keep a high feed speed with a relatively low RPM. Don't go easy on it or it will work harden as you go and become too hard to cut. Don't let it get hot. Feed the drill in like you mean it. If you can, drench it with soluble oil, or plenty of lube oil