Welding Stainless With Stick?

[midnight]

hi guys, anyone have experience welding stainless with a stick / arc welder?

ive done tafe courses and can weld with MIG, Arc and Oxy, and was going to go on and buy and train to use TIG, but currently I don't have the space for a tig welder and bottle

I want to make a simple tyre rack from stainless box section, and have been reading its possible to get decent welds with stick?

would be good to also know if theres any special requirements for this, types of rod and current required.

cheers

[Ziller]

Yes you can, they weld beautifully in the flat position, just make sure you use safety glasses when chipping the welds, the slag can pop out and land in your eye if not cleaned and wire brushed properly.

[Mohsen]

Yes you can, they weld beautifully in the flat position, just make sure you use safety glasses when chipping the welds, the slag can pop out and land in your eye if not cleaned and wire brushed properly.

and dont get too close to it, slag got me on the nose!

[VB-]

easy to get nice welds with stainless rods. just be wary that stainless will shrink/move/pull when you tack/weld it ALOT more than normal mild steel

[ACTIV32]

ok are we talking about s/s stick welding or tig welding cause they are two completly different things stick weld looks similar to mig but tig welds are small and neat by the way why are you planing to use stainless steel anyway m/s is cheaper and will last unless u want to keep it for 20 years ?? thought youd like to know

[warps]

+1

Unless you want to polish it or keep it out in the salt spray, mild steel is heaps cheaper, and will still last. If you're worried, paint the welds with zinc-it, and it will last. I have shelves I built over 10 years ago, have lived in moist garden sheds for the last 6-7 years and have nothing more than surface rust on the welds (I was too lazy to even paint the welds). If rust concerns you, you can always make it out of duragal, and paint the welds. Looks pretty enough, and will last a lifetime (just make sure you weld in a very well ventilated area)

I made a nice tyre rack that holds about 16-24 wheels / tyres depending on tyre width. It bolts together so I can flat pack it for storage.

Oh, ALWAYS wear safety glasses when chipping slag. I wear them under my welding helmet (helps that they are prescription glasses, so I can actually see what I'm welding now)