Welding stainless steel

[branimal]

A friend needs me to weld some stainless steel together. I have a Lincoln 180 MIG running flux core and a Lincoln 225 stick welder. I'd prefer to use the Lincoln Mig welder b/c I have more time on that machine.

Can I use the Blue demon stainless steel .035 flux core wire spool with my Lincoln MIG? Do I need a special tip?

Link below for the Blue demo flux core:

Blue Demon 308LFC-O X .035 X 1# Spool stainless steel flux cored gasless welding wire - Brazing Rods - Amazon.com

Blue Demon 308LFC-O X .035 X 1# Spool stainless steel flux cored gasless welding wire - Brazing Rods - Amazon.com

www.amazon.com

​

 

[rustyjames]

As far as I know no special tip required as long as it's the right size.

 

[IndyGarage]

I can't tell you anything about the wire. I've TIG'd stainless successfully, but never MIG.

FYI Many welders require you to reverse the polarity for flux core wire. I would assume your Lincoln 180 is one of them. You might check that.

 

[branimal]

I can't tell you anything about the wire. I've TIG'd stainless successfully, but never MIG.

FYI Many welders require you to reverse the polarity for flux core wire. I would assume your Lincoln 180 is one of them. You might check that.

I reversed the polarity when I got the machine to the flux core setting.

 

[dr_clyde]

Tell us more about the application. Welding brackets for a dock is a totally different animal than sanitary tubing for beer making or exhaust on a car. Counter tops for a restaurant or parts for a boat require different welding techniques. Not all stainless is the same.

 

[Walkers]

Also need to know the alloy of the SS you are welding. 308 wire is what you use for welding 304 SS. If he has 316/316L then surprisingly you use 316L wire (not sure if the later comes in a flux cored wire.)

For not a great deal of money you may be able to set up your stick machine to do scratch start tig.

BTW, welding SS is more difficult than welding mild steel. Lots of warpage, easily burned through. If this project is something expensive or appearance matters pass on it.

 

[DeeKay]

Another option is solid SS wire with tri-mix gas, I had good results with that at the brewery I worked at (brackets, guarding, etc. no tube or anything like that ) If I remember correctly tri-mix is pretty pricey though. 75% of whatever heat I used for mild steel worked well for that setup as a starting point, can't speak to flux core SS though...honestly didn't realize that was a thing.

If it's nothing critical you can use C25 and still MIG stainless, but the tri-mix will give you better looking results.

Only difference between a flux core tip and regular mig is the flux core will block off your gas ports and it's a lot smaller compared a regular MIG nozzle. Which can be nice if you have to squeeze in somewhere tight.
As mentioned above, knowing the alloy of what you're welding on is a must for SS.

 

[ez-duzit]

A friend needs me to weld some stainless steel together. I have a Lincoln 180 MIG running flux core and a Lincoln 225 stick welder. ...

Tell him to have someone tig weld it.

 

[Mr_fixit]

there's several flux core wire types that's used for ss with regular mig gas. I haven't used any but will at some point. I'd ask at welding web. e309lt1-1/4 , 316FC-O, 308LFC-O

 

[branimal]

Tell us more about the application. Welding brackets for a dock is a totally different animal than sanitary tubing for beer making or exhaust on a car. Counter tops for a restaurant or parts for a boat require different welding techniques. Not all stainless is the same.

He needs a stainless steel table top welded to what I assume are stainless steel legs. He's making a smoothie stand for his deli and had these parts laying around from when his store was used as a deli in the past.

I asked for pictures. Maybe that can help ascertain what type of SS he's dealing with.

I am not investing in a gas cylinder at this time. If there's a flux core wire that can be used with some success, I'll ask him to pay for the roll.

The weld doesn't have to be pretty, just functional. I doubt the welds will ever be seen. Again waiting for pictures.

Thanks guys.

 

[welder4956]

A friend needs me to weld some stainless steel together. I have a Lincoln 180 MIG running flux core and a Lincoln 225 stick welder. I'd prefer to use the Lincoln Mig welder b/c I have more time on that machine.

Can I use the Blue demon stainless steel .035 flux core wire spool with my Lincoln MIG? Do I need a special tip?

Link below for the Blue demo flux core:

Blue Demon 308LFC-O X .035 X 1# Spool stainless steel flux cored gasless welding wire - Brazing Rods - Amazon.com

Blue Demon 308LFC-O X .035 X 1# Spool stainless steel flux cored gasless welding wire - Brazing Rods - Amazon.com

www.amazon.com

​

Short answers:

Can I use the Blue demon stainless steel .035 flux core wire spool with my Lincoln MIG? Yes

Do I need a special tip? No

Just be aware that the manufacturer recommend this gasless wire should be used with DCEP (electrode positive), so check your machine to make sure the leads are on the right terminals. Most carbon steel gasless wires are recommended for use with DCEN, so your Lincoln may need the leads swapped so that the gun is on the + terminal.

Also, as others have mentioned, this is a 308 wire intended for use on 304 stainless. If you are welding a different grade of stainless, you may need to use a matching grade of wire. A word of caution - don't use 308 or 309 wire on 409 stainless exhaust tubing. The 308/309 has a different themal expansion rate and the welds will eventually crack.

 

[dnschmidt]

Call HTP and ask for Peter Zila. He's THE DUDE. If such a wire exists, and you need to know what version of stainless steel you have as others have mentioned, He'll hook you up. Pete's a fellow German and he's an expert on all things welding. Why guess when you can get the right information from the best.