Subject: Re: Can I weld plain carbon steel to stainless?

From: PAUL <[email-masked]>
Date: Sat, 8 Apr 95 23:38:44 -0500

Steven J Orlin <[email-masked]> writes:
 
>I was just wondering what it is like to try to weld
>plain carbon steel to stainless steel (308 I think -the kind
>used for exhaust systems).
 
Steve,
You can do it, but in that application cracking of the weld material will be
your problem. Stainless is much more flexible than carbon steel. Also the lack
of ferrite in stainess and the presence in the carbon base filler mateial
causes hardening in the fi
ller. When trying to prevent the cracking of Carbon material based welds, the
reverse is true. The stailess is more flexible, and therefore resists cracking
better. Break down and spend the money for filler rod now. Stainless is a bitch
to grind, if you ha
ve to get rid of it later!
Paul