How can I tell if my flange is stinaless or mild steel
12-14-2012, 11:52 PM
#1
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How can I tell if my flange is stinaless or mild steel
Basically I have a few standard T3 5bolt outlet flanges in my hand and I am unsure if they are stainless steel or mild steel.
I have had them a few years and they are not surface rusted, but they dont look new either or maybe they have a coating on them.
I only have a fluxcore welder to make the downpipe and Im pretty sure I can only weld mild steel with it successfully so Id like to be sure I dont need to order a downpipe flange aswell.
How can I tell? Thanks guys
I have had them a few years and they are not surface rusted, but they dont look new either or maybe they have a coating on them.
I only have a fluxcore welder to make the downpipe and Im pretty sure I can only weld mild steel with it successfully so Id like to be sure I dont need to order a downpipe flange aswell.
How can I tell? Thanks guys
12-15-2012, 12:00 AM
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Re: How can I tell if my flange is stinaless or mild steel
easy way to tell rub a small area with sand papper then wipe over with vinegar n salt
if it rusts its mild if not stainless
you can weld stainless with a flux core welder just need a little higher heat for better penitration to the weld you can also just use mild wire or rods
you just need to treat the weld after the jobs cooled
with high temp paint
if it rusts its mild if not stainless
you can weld stainless with a flux core welder just need a little higher heat for better penitration to the weld you can also just use mild wire or rods
you just need to treat the weld after the jobs cooled
with high temp paint
12-15-2012, 06:57 AM
#3
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Re: How can I tell if my flange is stinaless or mild steel
Yeah as mrgrim said you can weld stainless. If you weld it with a mild steel in your welder though the welds themselves will rust. If you have some stainless welding wire that would be ideal.
12-15-2012, 07:05 AM
#4
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Re: How can I tell if my flange is stinaless or mild steel
Don't waste your time with a chemistry test. Stainless is not magnetic. Hold a magnet to it. If the magnet sticks then is not SS.
12-15-2012, 03:18 PM
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Re: How can I tell if my flange is stinaless or mild steel
^this
Stainless contains such small amounts of carbon steel that its non ferrous I.e. non magnetic
Stainless contains such small amounts of carbon steel that its non ferrous I.e. non magnetic
12-17-2012, 07:09 PM
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12-18-2012, 09:01 PM
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Re: How can I tell if my flange is stinaless or mild steel
Actually, I've worked with some types of stainless that are magnetic. But they probably won't be used for a flange like this.
At the very least, if it's not magnetic it's definitely stainless.
At the very least, if it's not magnetic it's definitely stainless.
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12-18-2012, 10:31 PM
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Re: How can I tell if my flange is stinaless or mild steel
Some stainless is magnetic, mostly food grade iirc. If someone ever used food grade stainless in an automotive application I don't know what I would do lol. Although it'd look really good
12-19-2012, 01:57 PM
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Re: How can I tell if my flange is stinaless or mild steel
It depends on the alloy of stainless. Adding chromium is what makes it stainless steel. The addition of nickel is what takes away it's magnetic properties.
12-23-2012, 09:34 PM
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12-23-2012, 09:46 PM
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Re: How can I tell if my flange is stinaless or mild steel
99.9% of all flanges are 304, the rest are normally 321.. no off the shelf flange will be 409
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