Subject: SS welding

From: [email-masked] (Neil Holger Eklund)
Date: 24 Jan 1994 00:53:30 GMT

I may be opening a brewpub in the next year or so, and am wondering if
welding stainless steel is a skill that I could learn to do reasonably
well in a reasonable amount of time (e.g., 80 hours) or should I forget
about it and hire it out.

If I should hire it out, what kind of credintials should I look for, and 
how much does it cost (per hour?).

Thanks in advance!!!

-Neil
[email-masked]

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From: [email-masked] (Howard Anders)
Date: Mon, 24 Jan 1994 05:45:12 GMT

I'm sure you could learn to do it in a reasonable period of time, but the
problem would be that the equipment you need to do it "properly" is quite
expensive, i.e. thousands of dollars, for good quality TIG welding gear. 
You can do it with a "stick" welder, but on thin material, say #16 or thinner,
its harder to get a good result. Of course I'm talking Australian
conditions, where any of this sort of equipment is roughly twice the price
of the same equipment in the USA.

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From: [email-masked] (Dion Hollenbeck)
Date: Mon, 24 Jan 1994 19:22:01 GMT

>>>>> "Neil" == Neil Holger Eklund <[email-masked]> writes:

Neil> I may be opening a brewpub in the next year or so, and am
Neil> wondering if welding stainless steel is a skill that I could
Neil> learn to do reasonably well in a reasonable amount of time
Neil> (e.g., 80 hours) or should I forget about it and hire it out.

I began with good gas welding skill, spent $700 on a *good* MIG welder
(Hobart Handler 120) and with about 20 minutes of welding on steel
(needed to make some support cradles for 15 gal SS keg boilers) I was
ready to tackle SS.  I went down to the local recyclers and picked up
some 1/16" thick channel stock and some 1/2" water pipe, both in 304
stainless.  Loaded up the MIG with 316 SS .035" wire and went for it.
Did tolerably well right away.  Welding 3/16" stock to 1/16" stock is
always a little more tricky than welding all the same thickness, but
no more so in SS than any other metal.  Next step was to weld the real
nipples in the keg.  worked like a charm.  Just be sure to cool the SS
welds immediately after welding.  SS left at high temps for very long
will get brittle, brittle enough to shatter with a hammer blow.  Also,
you need to use one SS grade higher wire than you are welding (weld
304 with 316 wire).

With a little experience, the extent of my SS welding needs were
easily met.  You may have extra concerns with a much larger
application, but having no experience in large scale sanitary welding,
I cannot address this.

-- 
Dion Hollenbeck (619)455-5590x2814     Email: [email-masked]
Staff Software Engineer                       [email-masked]
Megatek Corporation, San Diego, California    ucsd!megatek!hollen

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From: [email-masked] (Richard Engelbrecht-Wiggans)
Date: Mon, 24 Jan 94 19:59:30 CST

>of the same equipment in the USA.
In the USA, you can get a 230 Amp welder, Argon tank, regulator,
TIG torch and related supplies for $600 to $800.  This will allow
DC TIG welding and will work fine on stainless (and regular) steel;
to handle aluminum, you need to spend a good deal more.
 
..Richard E+17