Stainless Steel Cleaning

[Big Hank]

I'm welding huge amounts of 10 gage Stainless Steel, probably 400 to 500 feet of weld.

Do any of you know the best way to go back and clean up the surface browning that appears on and around the weld. I'm pretty sure its the very small amount of carbon coming to the surface.

Sanding discs, flapper wheels and such are all way to agressive. I'm looking at about 40 sheets of stainless, so i really dont want to give them all the brushed aluminum look.


Good cleaner for this exact task?

Possibly change gas mixtures?

I can post pics of the situation, but my assumption is that if someone knows the correct answer, they will know exactly what I am talking about without pics.

Thanks,
Gene MJ

 

[old_man]

Scotchbrite. It even comes mounted like a flapper disk.

 

[Captain Ron]

CRES 101.

First, this assumes you are not using MIG. If you are, stop here, grind your welds, forget about a "clean" surface on 10 GA sheet. Maybe tube... butt welds, but anything else without pulse MIG is a mess.

TIG. This is what it should look like...

#4 finish, welded.

Same, different joint.

#8 finish, mirror, welded.

Same, different joint.

2B, finish, welded.

#4 finish tube, welded.

Scotchbrite. It even comes mounted like a flapper disk.

This problem with this is you'll never, ever, match the finish this way. Might as well grind it with 60 grit.

--ron

 

[Captain Ron]

So how to "clean" a welded CRES joint? Well, you don't clean it. You "passivate" it.

So what this is, is a DC power source with a ground, and an "anode". The positive side is the anode which we will call the wand.

You can pick one of these up pretty cheap, or you can make one using a 9 volt battery, some wire, and a piece of copper tube. Flatten one end of the tube, fix up your wiring, and wrap some 1" wide fiberglass cloth around the flattened end, not too thick, and secure with masking tape.

For the secret ingredient, go to a resturant supply house and get a quart of 5% solution phosphoric acid. Mix 75/25 with water, and dip the fiberglass in it, and wipe the weld.

Sheesh. Have to show you guys everything.

--ron

 

[C85D4x4]

Just wondering.....but would this work with Aluminum?

 

[Captain Ron]

Just wondering.....but would this work with Aluminum?

No!

Don't try it. Bad JuJu.

Although, dipping aluminum in just the phosphoric acid etches nicely. We do it all the time before welding, just don't use current.

Did I ever post the poor man's Ano and Chem Film?



--ron

 

[Kaczman]

Sheesh. Have to show you guys everything.

What happened here? Too much coffee?

 

[Big Hank]

Captain Ron,

Really great info.

I am sure this is the route we will go. I know one of the owners purchased a product that appeared to be a two part deal that required a wand. But the directions also said we could use a welder to charge the stuff. <----scared the heck out of me. I figured they would destroy one of our welders. He tried it after hours yesterday with no luck, it worked but he said it looked very corrosive. I was to busy to check it out, so I'm going to look much closer at the issue tomorrow.

We are dealing with way to many feet to TIG. We are using a Miller 350p on pulse. My best welder has ten years fab shop and ornimental welding experience, but never a situation that has required so much stainless and the need for it to be clean.

This information is very appreciated

Gene MJ

 

[corbinafly]

Very interesting Ron. Thanks.

 

[Captain Ron]

What happened here? Too much coffee?

Nope, Chris used some very sticky 304L rod.

...

... We are using a Miller 350p on pulse.

...

I have one too. It's a great machine for CRES, that's what I got it for. Try running 308L wire, and a bit more gas pressure than called out. As long as you have good fitment, you'll get TIG quality welds from it.

For that much work, getting a unit from Magic Wand is well worth it, they are really inexpensive.

--ron

 

[Ramsey]

My mom had a magic wand, but I doubt its the same thing.

 

[corbinafly]

My mom had a magic wand, but I doubt its the same thing.

Hitachi?:roflmao:

 

[mud1059]

Briggs & Stratton