SS advice needed...

I'm working on designing a small project, a tamale extruder. The design is mostly tube and sheet, with the need to roll a couple funnel shapes and TIG weld everything together. I need advice on a SS alloy to use that is relatively easy to cut and machine and to weld, the best filler to use and suggestions on what I need to do for back purging or perhaps making a simple little purge chamber. None of the parts are very big as it's designed to attach to an existing feed auger setup.

Thanks,

Pete C.

Reply to
Pete C.
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From "welding engineering" viewpoint 316L TIG's really easily - so long as the weld looks right it is right. Can say that also from experience practicing / playing around.

304L is same for welding(?) - TIG it - looks right is right.

Matching filler. No reason not to TIG 304L with 316 filler.

The "L" is for (very-) low-carbon. These days thermodynamics has revealed a method of blowing down the carbon level in the melt in the steelworks so low there are no metallurgical complications welding stainlesses any more at all at all.

Rich S

Reply to
Richard Smith

304 is your best option.
Reply to
Ernie Leimkuhler

I should have added that you can back-purge with Nitrogen or Argon, but never CO2.

Reply to
Ernie Leimkuhler

I have both available. Since I don't have a dual argon regulator using nitrogen from my LN2 dewar would be convenient.

Reply to
Pete C.

What do you actually get if you feed pure 100% nitrogen into a TIG torch? (if it works at all!) what weld do you get with austenitic like 304L? (difficult to confidently guess from science because lots of things would happen - eg. could end up with 100% austenite (no residual ferrite to mop us Phos and Sul) so get solification cracking like

310-series are supposed to be prone to...)

Different thing but...

Ar/2.5%N2 balances the nitrogen level when TIG'ing superduplexes (which have Nitrogen as a necessary alloying element) - neither gain nor loses Nitrogen when TIG'ing superduplex. Meet it on WPS's. Anyone comment about it in practice?

Ar/around 1%N2 recommended for (22%Cr) Duplex - which also "balances" Nitrogen - neither gain nor lose... Also meet on WPS's

There's Ar/5%H2 for austenitic stainless... Anyone comment on that? Tempted to get a bottle delivered to a welder Coding place I go to and have a play with it - see what it really does and get a feel for it...

Rich S

Reply to
Richard Smith

The torch still gets Argon, but since I only have a single Argon regulator, back purging with nitrogen from my Dewar will be convenient, requiring nothing but some hose from the 10 PSI gas outlet.

This is just a tamale extruder, not a space shuttle part so I think I'll be ok :)

Reply to
Pete C.

Nitrogen is fine cold, but in an arc it becomes an active gas, and has very different properties.

Reply to
Ernie Leimkuhler

I have yet to run into the Argon/Nitrogen mixes, other than reading about them.

The Argon/Hydrogen mixes have been around for a while for welding sanitary and marine stainless with less problems with chromium carbide precipitation.

Reply to
Ernie Leimkuhler

So nice and cold from the dewar it should work fine for the back purge.

Reply to
Pete C.

"cold" as in not in the arc!!! Nitrogen would become active pulverised by the arc. But as N2 gas, is very inert (?). Up to a few hundred Celsius?

Have I got that right?

Rich S

Reply to
Richard Smith

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