SS Welding for Dummies

[unbusted67]

If I am a guy who is crafty and good with his hands but who has never welded a day in his life, what is my learning curve like for welding stainless? I want to build myself a radar/ solar arc and some water tanks. Doable? I have a facility available with some welding gear, I think they have an arc welder and acetylene tanks.

Where's a good place to start to learn?

[Teknav]

Check your local Junior College, as it offers such a training. Good luck!

Mauritz

[s/v Beth]

You need a tungsten- inert gas setup. I went to a welding class and was doing stainless to my satisfaction by the second semester. You can have someone just say "here do this" but I think its more important to know what you are doing and the dangers involved.

[model 10]

Originally Posted by unbusted67

If I am a guy who is crafty and good with his hands but who has never welded a day in his life, what is my learning curve like for welding stainless? I want to build myself a radar/ solar arc and some water tanks. Doable? I have a facility available with some welding gear, I think they have an arc welder and acetylene tanks.

Where's a good place to start to learn?

You are going to need a TIG welder. Back in the day they did some stainless welding on thicker stuff with an arc welder and you see a little done with a MIG but for the most part it's all TIG. Perhaps is just me and the people I know but it takes years to become a good welder. On the stuff you will be welding it will probably be pretty thin and that takes even more skill. Pratice away but you will be wasting metal for quite some time before you get good enough to make nice boat parts.

[charliehows]

yeah - arc welding ss is not much harder than mild and acquiring a rig and tips is pretty cheap, you can do a lot with that without much training BUT... tanks are a bit more complicated in any material - usually easier with a shield gas rig of some sort and by the time you've gotten the gear and learned how to use it you're going to have paid for your tanks about 10 times over...

[Tristan]

From the all metals I've welded - stainless is the easiest one. Metal flows nicely and even a beginner can produce clean welds. I like to weld it with a MIG welder for the highest speed but a more precise work requires a TIG welding equipment and a little bit more experience.
Spend a day or two with some scrap stainless and you will learn it as I did.

[Boracay]

I brought a small DC welder a few years ago but only ended up doing one job. I found stick SS welding to be just the same as welding steel.

If you ask round your facility there may be an experienced welder available for not too much money.

In general I have found that for an occasional small job it is cheaper, quicker, easier and better to pay someone to do it for me.

Welding is a skill that needs continual practice.

[model 10]

Originally Posted by Tristan

From the all metals I've welded - stainless is the easiest one. Metal flows nicely and even a beginner can produce clean welds. I like to weld it with a MIG welder for the highest speed but a more precise work requires a TIG welding equipment and a little bit more experience.
Spend a day or two with some scrap stainless and you will learn it as I did.

Total BS. Actually, anyone who can weld would by offended by this.

[Tristan]

Originally Posted by Guy

Total BS. Actually, anyone who can weld would by offended by this.

It worked for me fine for the last 12 years and you right I'm offended by your comment

[model 10]

Originally Posted by Tristan

It worked for me fine for the last 12 years and you right I'm offended by your comment

As I said BS

[bobconnie]

Well fella, Ive been welding stainless for over 40 yrs, and I find it the easyest of all the metals to weld ! Ive bilt so many tanks of all types and styles in stainless, I could not even count them ! And most of the time I used a stick welder!! I save TIG for aluminum, and titainium. So I call BS on ya LOL all kidding aside, I do really find stainless very easy to weld to good standards, and I learned to weld on my own !

[model 10]

Oh, so you can weld a Pulpit of .065 wall stainless with a rod after 2 days of pratice? WTF?

[Teknav]

Hi Guy! No need to argue with anyone, on here. If someone claims that he/she can sail to the moon, be happy and wish him/her luck! Bon Voyage!

Mauritz
Going to behave now!

[model 10]

Originally Posted by Teknav

Hi Guy! No need to argue with anyone, on here. If someone claims that he/she can sail to the moon, be happy and wish him/her luck! Bon Voyage!

Mauritz
Going to behave now!

You're right I'm sorry.

[nimblemotors]

It takes a lot of practice to weld thin materials.
If you care how it looks, then it is particularly difficult.
I've welded a lot, and still don't make good looking welds.
I enjoy doing things myself and learning how to do things, but unless you plan
to do more than these three jobs, buying the welding equipment will cost more.

Might consider doing them in fiberglass instead, no real equipment to buy.