want to weld my own exhaust HELP!
04-15-2010, 11:49 AM
#21
Oh, yeah, you need a special gas for 309. It makes it more controllable, and gives a sounder weld. It is tri-mix. It has mostly argon, with a little CO2, and a very small amount of oxygen. The welding supply house will advise you what gas is ideal for your situation.
04-15-2010, 06:55 PM
#23
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Ive never mig welded stainless, so no advice from me. Ive only tig and stick welded the stuff. Stick welding stainless isn't too bad, but the filler does weird things just like you were talking about if you have the heat or travel speed wrong.
04-15-2010, 07:41 PM
#24
Don't you mean Helium not Oxygen?
04-15-2010, 11:30 PM
#26
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Oxygen is used as a low percentage shielding gas in spray arc configurations like cladding something using a powdered metal filler. I have never used or seen a tri-mix that contains oxygen in any kind of welding that is done with a solid wire filler. I have used a 65% Ar, 33% He, 2% CO2 shielding gas for some things but I prefer to use 100% argon or 100% helium for my TIG rigs and 75/25 for my wire welders.
04-15-2010, 11:46 PM
#28
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OP.....The main thing is to be patient. It isn't gonna be perfect the first time. It probably won't be perfect the 100th time but practice helps. Just try not to get frustrated. There seem to be a few people on here that know a good bit about welding. If you have any trouble just take some pictures and I am sure several people here can help you.
04-15-2010, 11:59 PM
#29
Oxygen is used as a low percentage shielding gas in spray arc configurations like cladding something using a powdered metal filler. I have never used or seen a tri-mix that contains oxygen in any kind of welding that is done with a solid wire filler. I have used a 65% Ar, 33% He, 2% CO2 shielding gas for some things but I prefer to use 100% argon or 100% helium for my TIG rigs and 75/25 for my wire welders.
I guess the reason I gave for oxygen was wrong except for the other post where I stated it is more controllable, but I was using this tri-mix in just such a situation. Joining thin SS to thin mild steel with 309L.
04-16-2010, 04:09 PM
#30
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i agree, the O2 could be beneficial in smaller gauge metal, but i've never tried it. The only 1-8 welding i've done is where i currently work, and it's all for the most part VERY heavy duty, thick material and we only use 75/25. The main reason i suppose is because it's a code shop and we can only run procedures that we've had qualified. Changing the shielding gas wouldn't be allowed. On our military coolers, we'll use 90/10 on the 1-1 spray arc hardwire, but everything else in the plant is straight argon or 75/25.
04-16-2010, 06:15 PM
#31
04-16-2010, 06:24 PM
#32
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Just for your info, this is an excerpt from this page: On thin gauge base metals, the oxygen constituent assists arc stability at very low current levels (30 to 60 amps) permitting the arc to be kept short and controllable.
I guess the reason I gave for oxygen was wrong except for the other post where I stated it is more controllable, but I was using this tri-mix in just such a situation. Joining thin SS to thin mild steel with 309L.
I guess the reason I gave for oxygen was wrong except for the other post where I stated it is more controllable, but I was using this tri-mix in just such a situation. Joining thin SS to thin mild steel with 309L.
The difference in the weld would have to be rather substantial if the tri-mix gas was a good bit more expensive. A majority of what I do is pretty thin stainless and aluminum with the occasional titanium, inconel, and hastelloy.
And I see that the tri-mix is used for GMAW without a mention of TIG. All of the welding I do is TIG so that could explain why I hadn't heard much about it prior to now.
05-01-2010, 06:20 PM
#37
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for what its worth ,i suggest on thin material you should only tig or a .035 or smaller solid wire with the proper gas.Self-shielding wire looks like **** on thin material,hard to do a continuos bead on thin material and a flux-core wire assited with gas burns a little too hot to make a continous bead like the self-shielded wire,and another thing most exhaust shops that use self-sheilding wire are just cheap s.o.b.s,its about the cheapest wire you can buy and they dont have to buy gas.
05-01-2010, 06:37 PM
#38
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actually a solid wire with gas splatters just as bad as a 6010 stick IF YOU KNOW WHAT I TALKING ABOUT.and you use a mig to weld flux-core wire assisted with the proper gas,solid-core wire with the proper gas,self-shielded wire.and in my opinion a flux-core wire with the proper gas is probably the smoothest wire you can weld with,and if your talking about the self-sheilded wire that requires no gas it is a bb throwing motherf.....
