# Forum Home Renovation Metalwork & Welding  what gas do i use for stainless steel MIG welding??

## wozzzzza

looking at doing some stainless steel mig welding soon, what gas can I use for this??
going to be welding 5mm plate and 10mm rod to the plate.

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## ringtail

There are some tri shield gases out there. Contact your local gas supplier. Personally I wouldn't bother as it will look like rrse. Tig it.

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## wozzzzza

oh, don't have a tig

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## Marc

What kind of stainless and for what purpose? Before you fork out money for fancy mixtures, try using the argon mix you use for steel.

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## Whitey66

I've successfully welded stainless exhaust pipe with normal wire and gas. The only issue is the weld itself is not stainless, if this isn't a problem for your job (ie. painted) try this first.
It won't be as strong as doing it the right way (more brittle) but depending on the application it might be ok.

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## phild01

Boswell -  Stainless, Gasless Flux Cored,MIGWELDING WIRE | eBay

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## wozzzzza

want to build a bike rack, stainless steel. flat plate along the ground level with a triangle of round bar welded to it to lock the bikes to.

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## commodorenut

By the time you source the steel, fluff around practicing the welding, and eventually get it right, you'll invest a lot of time for little, if any saving, over a commercial unit you simply dyna-bolt in place (which you'd have to do with yours anyway). 
As an example, here's some commercial units with prices (AU site):  Parking Stands – Bike Stands 
These are a bit more pricey, but if you don't undersell your own labour time, cost-effective compared to the hours you'll spend on a DIY: Cora Bike Rack - Bike Parking Rails 
And some very economic ones - although most are for internal home/garage use: https://www.cyclingdeal.com.au/shop/...ks-stands/1301
But this one looks more commercial (stainless too): https://www.cyclingdeal.com.au/buy/b...s-racks/JE-001
(Probably made in China, so the stainless may be questionable). 
If you're game, you can probably find something quite cheap and order it directly online from China, but the quality aspect will be a risk.

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## Marc

Ok, easy enough project. My question was directed more towards what kind of SS. 400 series? 300 series? 
Anyway ... your bike rack requires the rods to be bended. To weld round rod to plate, the best way is to have a couple of inches welded flat on the plate and then going up to form the arch or whatever way you want to make it. SS does not like to be bent cold. Do you have an oxy torch? 
As far as buying one ready made, that is a strange comment to make. Anyone can go and buy things, not everyone has the desire to make things. After all the whole drive in this site is towards DIY. Good for you wo5za for wanting to have a go. 
I never used SS gasless wire but ringtail is the king of gasless wire so may be he can tell you how good or bad it is.

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## PlatypusGardens

> try using the argon mix you use for steel.

  I tried that with SS wire and found that while the welds themselves were ok, the steel around the welds rusted.
Yes, stainless can and does rust under certain circumstances. 
This was food grade stainless, whatever number that is. 
Maybe I could have played with the settings, turned the gas up more etc, who knows.

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## Marc

Polishing off the rust and the top layer of metal should bring the SS back to rust free. Food grade would be either 316 or 304, both overkill for a bike rack. But I think that in this case it is more a matter of what you can source more than what is the best or the cheapest for the job. 430 would be probably the choice if you had to manufacture it in numbers. 400 series is cheaper and some can be hardened, that is what you use for cheap cutlery and sinks and washing machine drums etc.

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## PlatypusGardens

> Polishing off the rust and the top layer of metal should bring the SS back to rust free. 
> .

  
So I'm told....
But only if using a SS wire brush or a soft polishing disc/pad which hasn't been in contact with mild steel, correct?

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## PlatypusGardens

Mmmm stainless... 
.....there I was....poking around the salvage yard this morning.
Always have to stop and look at all the stainless stuff even though I have no use for it 
I'm like a magpie....attracted to and distracted by shiny stuff   :Biggrin:

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## Marc

Wow ... got that sinking feeling haha

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## PlatypusGardens

I like the one on the right....in the middle... With the round tub.

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## Marc

Yep, best of the bunch ... however who needs two tubs today? I have one large and deep tub, high mixer to wash veggies and fill up big pots ...  and everything ends in the dishwasher anyway.

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## PlatypusGardens

Dunno....different strokes and all that...
I've never seen the point of the big tub and half tub setup, like the ones in the left row
I'd rather have two big full size tubs then....
or at least make the half size one full depth

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## Uncle Bob

> Wow ... got that sinking feeling haha

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## ringtail

> I never used SS gasless wire but ringtail is the king of gasless wire so may be he can tell you how good or bad it is.

  Never tried it. Hmmmm. Get some pickling and passivating paste and polish and have a crack 
Looks easy enough  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=io9xwz9t6tA

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## Wood Butcher

If it is 5mm why not stick weld it? You can buy S/S arc welding rods.

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## manofaus

I second stainless rods. Satincraft stainless rods are a beautiful thing to work with. Pickling paste to remove any discolouration. Mig means uncontrolled splatter.

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