Welding Thin Stainless Steel Sheets

Say if you are welding an 18 gauge stainless steel sheet that is 2 2 feet in size to repair the side of your tank start by creating a weld that is 1inch long then skip 6 inches and then create a 1 inch long weld.

Welding thin stainless steel sheets.

This is the number one most crucial thing every welder must do before beginning to weld. Carbon steel and 18 ga. But in the case of 316l stainless you will need to incorporate a 316l wire. For these types of materials a tri gas mixture is recommended which consists of 90 helium 8 argon and 2 co2.

But in comparison welding mild steel to stainless steels or high carbon tool steels really. Many welders struggle with stainless sheet less than 2mm thick. Put on your safety gears. Most of the thin gauge sheet metal are made from steel stainless steel aluminum or galvanized.

Continue the same way along the sides of the piece of sheet metal. At first you need to put on. Try applying that technique to steel less than 1mm in thickness and you are likely to blow a hole in the metal. With these materials use a tri mix gas 90 helium 8 argon and 2 co 2.

To weld sheet metal with solid wires use electrode positive ep or reverse polarity. The step by step process to weld stainless steel both mig tig welding so now that we have all the pieces in place let s combine them and get the actual job done. The butt weld page showed how to do a seam weld using a continuous torch movement. It is imperative you consider the shielding gas welding process and electrode before welding 20 gauge sheet metals.

When welding 304 stainless steel er308 er308l and er308lsi wires are compatible but for welding 316l stainless you need a 316l wire. Remember that you won t be able to weld thin sheets of stainless steel. You also have to avoid excessive heat affected areas while still ensuring the weld is strong enough. Stainless steel are used in applications such as hvac automotive mobile machinery guards and cabs and small parts as well as stainless steel food service and processing.

The photo is 1mm steel welded at a power setting normally reserved for 2mm steel. Furthermore if you plan to weld stainless steel er308 er308l and er308lsi welding wire are best used.