I cannot figure this out. I can weld any other stainless just fine, but when it comes to welding this stuff for manifolds and what not, i cannot get a good looking weld to save my life. It seems that it always turns out too hot. But if i try to go colder, i cant keep a steady puddle. what is the secret? Im wire brushing and wiping it clean, good tungsten prep .. etc.... But if i weld it to a flange or something it turns out great. But when i do a butt weld its horrible.

miller 180
3/32 2%
.045 , 1/16 filler (tried both)
.045'' gap in pipe, beveled of course

Are you guys doing this in one pass? backpurging with full penetration? amps?

I see guys llike turbojesse making these gorgeous manifolds and i for the life of me cannot get the welds to turn out worth a damn.

 

Move faster maybe? and tone down the heat just a little? Will stop your problems of to much heat. Other then that, not sure.. -=P

 

backpurge double pass around 85amps heat.

 

make sure you are using 316 filler rod if the pipes are 316, sometimes using 304 rod is harder to use.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by .john. &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">make sure you are using 316 filler rod if the pipes are 316, sometimes using 304 rod is harder to use.</TD></TR></TABLE>
The SCH10 pipes I've seen are all 304L. 304 rod should work just fine.

Buy some spares from ACE, and practice. I ordered 6 when I needed 2, just for this reason.

 

It just takes practice. are you sure it's not just gray from contamination instead of too much heat? It's really hard to tell what you are talking about without pics.

 

Read any pipe welding book.

It takes more than one pass. There is a root pass that it always without filler and a cap pass with filler. Then depending on thickness there be more passes.

After each pass the welds are brushed to remove contamination before the next pass.

 

seriously dude, who gives a expletive if the passes are grey, you need the high heat to fuse such large pipe and get heat into the pipe fast.

when you done u run a "fancy" pass over the last bead to make it look all rainbow colored like everyone likes here.


i have food grade welders teaching me how to weld pipe, and i asked them about the grey weld. and they told me you will never get full penetration on a pipe and get that "gold" looking weld.

gl.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by sharkytm &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">
The SCH10 pipes I've seen are all 304L. 304 rod should work just fine.

Buy some spares from ACE, and practice. I ordered 6 when I needed 2, just for this reason.</TD></TR></TABLE>

im just saying that because i use 316 sc10 pipes and had the same problem until i switched

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by shortyz21 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">seriously dude, who gives a expletive if the passes are grey, you need the high heat to fuse such large pipe and get heat into the pipe fast.

when you done u run a "fancy" pass over the last bead to make it look all rainbow colored like everyone likes here.


i have food grade welders teaching me how to weld pipe, and i asked them about the grey weld. and they told me you will never get full penetration on a pipe and get that "gold" looking weld.

gl.</TD></TR></TABLE>

You know putting too much heat into the work piece is a bad thing, right?

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by shortyz21 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">seriously dude, who gives a expletive if the passes are grey, you need the high heat to fuse such large pipe and get heat into the pipe fast.

when you done u run a "fancy" pass over the last bead to make it look all rainbow colored like everyone likes here.


i have food grade welders teaching me how to weld pipe, and i asked them about the grey weld. and they told me you will never get full penetration on a pipe and get that "gold" looking weld.

gl.</TD></TR></TABLE>

when you burn the hell out of stainless like that it is no longer 'stainless'. You are turning it into some new, shitty alloy.

 

I would tell my settings and all...... but then I would have to kill you

I never run over 80 amps when I am doing sch 10 if there is a gap I never go over 70 amps

Beveling is the key, dont trust the crappy bevels the pipe fittings already have, bevel to where there is no land left and you will find yourself getting decent color and great penetration all in 1 pass once you get it down

In all reality dont even worry about the color
as long as you are not burning the metal (going to hot and actually weaking it) then you really have nothing to worry about

All the fancy pretty welds in the world on a stainless manifold will all turn to a nasty black/grey after a couple heat cycles with full boost.

-James

 

Torch angle is very important to, You have to know how to make the puddle do exactly what you want it to do, turning up the amps is the easy way...

 

JG FAB could you please elaborate on the beveling a little more? And i still havent got a clear answer on if you guys are gapping them or not. And TURBOJESSE i have messed with different torch angles from 90 deg. down to roughly 45deg. Maybe i just need to practice on them more.

 

Can you keep that same angle consistent as you go around the pipe?

 

Welding that thick sch. 10 stuff has been like butter after welding 16ga. tubing for the longest time.
-Michael-

 

I use a 4.5" angle grinder with a zirconium 80 grit flap disc (this lasts about 2 x longer than a grinding wheel, doesnt leave burs, and doesnt heat the metal like a grinding wheel, ohh yah it is 2x faster at removing the material )
I have been doing it for 4 years so I am like a robot on it now just takes a bit of time man

-James