Stainless steel is one of the sturdiest metals (actually, a combination of metals) that we commonly see around us. Before you are going to weld a stainless still metal, you should keep few things under consideration.
For instance, it’s not a single metal, rather a family of metals. They are resistant to rust by an outer layer of chromium. So, you need to know the type of metals used in the stainless steel. It requires high heat to melt while wilding compared to other sturdy metals. There are several common ways of welding the pieces of stainless steel like Stick, Tig, and Mig.
However, a quality welder like esab (check this esab rebel welder review) is one of the most important pre-requisitions to weld a broken set of stainless steel effectively. If you have this, and you can comply with the considerations, then you can do your welding efficiently and safely. Let’s know the facts on how to weld stainless steel a bit detail.
Safety
Safety is always very important in welding, no matter what type of metal it is. When you use a welder, it produces sparks, smoke, fumes, and heat, which can be severely damaging to the body and/or stuff. Never skimp on safety measures, else you may regret it.
Keep any of the flammable things like oil, rags, scraps etc. out of your welding area. A simple ignition might bring catastrophe. The place, where you are going to weld the stainless steel metals, should be having decent ventilation. If you are new to welding, then understand each of the equipment and procedures well at first.
Advanced Planning
When you are sure about your understanding, you should check the stainless steel metals whether it’s clean enough. If not, then must clean it. Soon after this, make sure the type of welding you are going to follow the 5 basic types – edge, butt, lap, cornet, and t.
You can use a piece of aluminum or brass behind the weld as a clamp in order to prevent the heat damage. It works as a sink of heat and prevents overheating. If your welder specifies any significant instruction(s), follow it.
Practice
Welding is not that much easy as we think sometimes unless you are regular in this activity. It requires a clear understanding, proper use and precise safety. So, it’s better to practice before you go for a big performance like stainless steel welding. So, the best answer to the question “how to weld stainless steel” is “Practice, Practice, and Practice First”.
Stainless steel is clearly tougher and trickier metal than others. You need to note is that the experienced welders also do a prior practice before they start stainless steel metal welding. So, don’t go for the real task without enough practice.
Weld
If you follow the previous steps precisely, then it’s time to start welding. Place the metals perfectly and ensure that it doesn’t move around at the time of welding. If necessary get some of the clamps as fixer; perfection requires it.
If you don’t know then be informed that stainless steel metals scratch easily. So, be careful and never let it move or never keep it on any surface that allows it to be scratched. Now, start your welder. Keep it under control at a steady speed. This will help you to keep the welder and pieces of stainless steel uninformed.
Be cautious of high heat, even though there are preventive measures. The puddle (melted steel) should be watched very carefully unless it’s become cool to avoid any risk. High heat might discolor the pieces of steels, which you can prevent by minimizing the heat. When it’s done, make it cool either at normal temperature in general. You can use water for it, and that’s all.
Last Words
Welding requires enough knowledge, perfect skill and precise control. To do the best you can’t ignore any of these three. It’s more necessary when you are going to proceed with stainless steel welding. You need to be confident and courageous, otherwise, this might be accidental.
Plan well and work carefully according to your plan. Never ignore the quality of equipment (especially the welder) and safety issues. If you can do your task as said above, be sure that your project is going to be good looking and long lasting.
