"Blueraven" wrote in message
oups.com...
I currently have switched over to a gas. 100% argon. I have a Lincoln
Pro-Core 100 Mig that I just switched over to the gas. I'm using a
.023" SS 308L wire and trying to learn to weld SS. The settings on this
machine are A-B-C-D for voltage and 1-10 for wire speed.

Last night I tried many many settings in push and drag styles. Most of
the time the bead layed on top or was too hot. I finally found settings
between B-2 and B-3 that make a decent looking bead. The push style
seemed better. I was depositing the bead on a .043" SS beer keg top I
had cut out.

Anyway there was much popping and hissing during the trials and it was
frustrating. Then when i tried to fillet-weld two pieces (thicker
stock) it didnt work..

Pretty agravating I must say..

Blueraven..


Stainless steel is a bear to weld with the process you are supposed to use -
TIG. Just like aluminum. You CAN do it with MIG wire, but it just doesn't
do as good a job as you can do with TIG. Some people become proficient with
a MIG on stainless and aluminum, but reach a point where that's as good as
it gets.

If it is important for you to weld SS, get the right gear, take lessons, and
do it right. If not, you are playing with some highly pricey consumables
with dubious results.

Just my two cents, and I've been welding for 31 years now. Others will tell
you it can be done. Yes, it can. But, it looks like "gorilla welds", the
stuff you are looking at. It might even hold.

But, you have seen real purty welds, and you know what TIG can do. When it
comes to SS and Al, MIG doesn't even come within a block.

Steve