# Ss Tig Welding



## slampt (2/11/11)

Hey All, 
Not sure if this is the right place to post this but I was curious as to how much power is required to weld Stainless Steel sockets to say a 50L Keg..
I have been hunting around in Perth for a reasonably priced TIG welder, but the cheapest I found was $60 per weld. Considering I want 11 sockets in total welded to various kettles it would be cheaper for me to buy an arc/tig which I could also use to build the frame. Obviously never have tig'd before I will need to practice  that said I was looking at just getting a yumcha spec 200Amp arc/tig, disposable argon bottles aren't very expensive and I have a dodgy back pressure chamber made up.. 

TIA


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## Crazy (2/11/11)

Not much. Usualy between 40 and 80A depending on thickness. Stainless is one of the easier metals to weld but true sanitary welding is an artform that is very difficult if you plan on welding anything on the cold side.

Cheers Derrick


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## slampt (2/11/11)

Cheers Derrick, 

I appreciate your feedback, I intend to back purge the welds with argon before I do them. 

Joe


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## seravitae (3/11/11)

unless you have previous tig experience (in which case you might not be asking these questions) you're probably better off just paying a tigger to do it for you. it'll be cheaper, and it will work, and there's at least some insurance.

unless of course you coincidentally want to learn tigging, in which case you probably shouldn't make your first attempt(s) on your precious kegs.




either way just keep your eyes on the prize - want a great rig so you can brew? outsource your work so you can get on with the job, and it'll be cheaper (consider labour time). want to learn to weld? buy a welder...




just sayin


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## Crazy (3/11/11)

I agree with getting any welds on the cold side not directly involved with the boil done professionaly however my Tig is one of the most used tools I own. Once you own a welder you can't live with out it.


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## Cortez The Killer (3/11/11)

I've have been looking at this combo welder/cutter/solder/brazer 

http://www.multiplaz.com/about

The videos are pretty cool and it runs on water or a 60% alcohol solution depending on materials, and doesn't require any other consumables

If I ever get into welding etc I think I'd look for something like this

Cheers


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## Malted (3/11/11)

Not forgetting the ethos of being able to acquire new tools that you 'need' and will make it 'cheaper'. :beerbang: 
So what if it ends up costing 3 times as much and you wreck multiple kegs etc and ends up half arsed? No seriously, I mean if you had fun and learning along the way, go for it. 
Chances are, you probably won't get it right but so what? Just be realistic in your expectations. 
Don't let lack of skill stop you bro! I don't let it stop me having a go. It's about fun in the shed and tinkering.


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## komodo (3/11/11)

$60 per fitting is a bit rich I would have thought. That works out at roughly 7 hours to weld 11 fittings.
Assuming its weld only (ie you will have marked out and drilled the holes and supplied the fittings) I would have thought 3 hours to weld and pickle.


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## altstart (3/11/11)

Cortez The Killer said:


> I've have been looking at this combo welder/cutter/solder/brazer
> 
> http://www.multiplaz.com/about
> 
> ...



Sigh I want one.
Altstart


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## slampt (3/11/11)

Hi Komodo, 

Everyone I have rung has quoted on a per socket basis. The cheapest being $60 per socket, as I am looking at 11 welds thats $660.... All holes are already drilled.
There appears to be a heap of people on this forum that have welded there own, I am curious at how sanitary their welds are?

Cheers


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## komodo (3/11/11)

Honestly unless its a fermenter I wouldnt worry. Unless you're welding was rough as guts with holes everywhere I cant see the average clean weld being less sanitary than a weldless fitting and plenty of guys are making good beer with weldless fittings.


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## slampt (3/11/11)

I have plenty of SS to test on, (tops of kegs) and some SS tubing which would easily simulate a socket, so I figure I will give it crack and see how it fairs. They are definitely not going to be used as fermenters. 

What is the size rod I should be using?

Cheers


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## yardy (3/11/11)

mate just get down to BOC and get a decent TIG, don't buy shit, practice your arse off on some scrap for a week and then weld the sockets in, don't worry about purging, you can always reach in with the torch and wash the interior welds.

btw, some BOC centres have a weld bay where you can have a crack and a quick rundown on the machine before you buy.

Yard


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## slampt (3/11/11)

Cheers Yardy, 
I might head on down to a BOCs tomorrow and see what they got and if they have weld days here. I am keen to give it a shot myself and the way I figure if I get a TIG I can use it for other things too (like building my frame)


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## yardy (3/11/11)

yeah just do it mate, it's piss easy, i taught a fitter to weld once :icon_cheers:


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## bradsbrew (3/11/11)

yardy said:


> i taught a fitter to weld once :icon_cheers:



C'mon Yardy, I call bullshit. I heard you cant teach em...........


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## yardy (3/11/11)

they'll learn anything if you threaten to take away their handbag and daiquiri.


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## bradsbrew (3/11/11)

yardy said:


> they'll learn anything if you threaten to take away their handbag and daiquiri.



:lol: . I just visualised that thought................not pretty


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## yardy (3/11/11)

oh, imagine the tears and foot stamping :lol:


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## slampt (4/11/11)

Just an update on this saga, I got a quote back from another mob in perth and they quoted $100 per weld (cash)....

I am totally going to do this my self!


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## slampt (10/11/11)

So I just bought a TIG, and I am going to head down to Weldmart and pick up some electrodes and SS filler, plus a few other bits and pieces.
Let the fun begin!!


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## pk.sax (10/11/11)

Slampt said:


> So I just bought a TIG, and I am going to head down to Weldmart and pick up some electrodes and SS filler, plus a few other bits and pieces.
> Let the fun begin!!



Good luck. Its not that hard to weld TIG. I did a 4 day course a while ago on how to TIG weld from the TAFE just to get myself some practical skills on the process. From not having any exp/knowledge of it to being able to successfully weld a clean straight bead in 4 days (over a month) was pretty cool. If you're going to do a heap of welding, I recommend u look up a little TAFE course like that if ur not having much luck gettign it right by urself, but seeing as u already have the machine, give it a go


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## slampt (10/11/11)

I will be practising on some scrap SS (the tops from my kegs) this weekend. I also grabbed a SS bowl from ikea which I will use for filling the back of the socket with Argon.
Hopefully it will work 

Cheers.


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## slampt (11/11/11)

Hey All, 

Just letting you all know I am all set to test my skills this weekend. 
What is the optimal amperage to tig the 50L Kegs. I am going to test on the cut offs of my kegs first.

Cheers


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## peaky (11/11/11)

Slampt said:


> Hey All,
> 
> Just letting you all know I am all set to test my skills this weekend.
> What is the optimal amperage to tig the 50L Kegs. I am going to test on the cut offs of my kegs first.
> ...



I've found some machines will weld the same material at different amperage. Put it at 50 amps and see how it goes. You'll be able to tell straight away if it's too hot or cold then adjust accordingly. I take it you are using 1.6mm filler rods? Some people have a preference to the way they sharpen the tungsten too, I always sharpen in the direction of the point rather than sideways. I also sharpen the point to about 5mm long, once again personal preference. Play around a bit and you'll get the hang of it.


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## ledgenko (11/11/11)

Joe .. I have a free week end in 2 weeks if you want to see if you can teach a paramedic how to do to TIGging ... cant be that hard ;-) 

Matt


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## slampt (11/11/11)

Hey peakydh 

Thanks for the info, I am using 1.6mm filler and 1.6mm electrode (2% thoriated) I am looking forward to giving it ago. I would be trying it out now, but unfortunately I have to head to work :/

Matt - no worries, but I am not sure if I will be able to teach you anything!  Welcome to come by when you can and give it a go!

Cheers
Joe


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## peaky (11/11/11)

Also, see if you can get a chuck of copper. Any bits around 100x50x10 aprox will be good for sinking some of the heat out of the weld once you've finished. I usually finish the weld then lay a bit of copper on it to sink some of the heat out. Stainless can warp to buggery if you put too much heat into it and then let that heat disperse into the object you are welding. As a newbie, there will definately be times where you put too much heat into the material 



edit: spelling etc


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## amiddler (11/11/11)

Slampt said:


> So I just bought a TIG, and I am going to head down to Weldmart and pick up some electrodes and SS filler, plus a few other bits and pieces.
> Let the fun begin!!


Got a picture/make and a price handy there Slampt? I'm a busted arse sheety, left the game 7 years ago but would love to build myself a brewery from the ground up. Would like to know what model you have and how you think it rates (after some practice  )



peakydh said:


> I've found some machines will weld the same material at different amperage. Put it at 50 amps and see how it goes. You'll be able to tell straight away if it's too hot or cold then adjust accordingly. I take it you are using 1.6mm filler rods? Some people have a preference to the way they sharpen the tungsten too, I always sharpen in the direction of the point rather than sideways. I also sharpen the point to about 5mm long, once again personal preference. Play around a bit and you'll get the hang of it.



Bits that I do remember peakydh were as you stated, sharpen the point length ways rather than around to give yourself a sharper/straighter arc and your further quote about copper being good to disperse conductive heat produces a neater job especially when joining benches which *was* my speciality


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## Thefatdoghead (11/11/11)

Mate do you have a finger slide to adjust amps on your TIG? You should get one if not. Also get some chemical sharpening powder.....heaps easier if you dont have a bench grinder. If you have a finger slide to adjust AMP's you want to set the AMP's to about 60amps and just move the slide up to start an ark, then you can slide it further until you just see a pool. Keep the heat more on the socket or the thickest material and get the heat into that first. So once the pool is going then dip the rod in and off you go moving and dipping the rod in sync. 

The biggest thing you will have to worry about is your preparation. Make sure you have no gaps, make sure everything is spotlessly clean and make sure the electrode is nice and sharp with the flow of electrodes going lengthways down the electrode. Welding thin s/s to a thick socket is very hard if your prep is no good. Oh and don't worry about purging the back of the weld if you do it right the weld will be nice and neat on the other side ready for the next one. Hope this helps ya mate. Good luck

Gav


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## slampt (12/11/11)

Hey Gav, 

I don't. All i have is an on/off switch.. This will most likely prove more challenging then? 
I am only planning on welding one side of the socket so from what I have read/seen on youtube flooding the back of the weld site with argon seems to be the way to go..

If I don't have to do that then I won't but I want these to be as good as they can be given a complete noob is welding them 

Thanks


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## Thefatdoghead (12/11/11)

Well if you dont have a slide it will make things harder. What you can do if you have a benzo torch you can heat the thicker piece of steel first then weld. You can set your amp's by practicing then you will have the right amp's for your job. But without a slide if you blow a hole in the keg you won't be able to back of the amp's straight away and it will be really difficult to fill. 
You can use inert gas on the back of the weld if you want but I think it's a fair bit of trouble for nothing. I've welded a lot of s/s with GMAW and never used gas to purge and I still get really neat welds. You really only want to purge when your welds are being X-raye'd for use with gas etc. Just make sure everything is clean and the sockets fit in the holes nice and neat with no gap and you might just get it.
Cheers

Gav


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## slampt (12/11/11)

So i did a few practise welds today, 50Amps seems a little to high, I managed to blow a few holes into the SS.
I also tried back purging the weld to see how that went and it appeared to make it more susceptible to blowing holes int the SS too.
To summarise I currently suck at TIG, but my mate who came over and gave it a crack seemed to be pretty darn good at it. I have enough steel to do a few more tests so will keep going until I am confident!

Thanks to everyone for all the advise.


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## Spoonta (12/11/11)

if you want ss of cuts let me know I have heaps laying around


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## slampt (12/11/11)

Spoonta said:


> if you want ss of cuts let me know I have heaps laying around



Hey Spoonta, 

If you don't mind that would be great, I was using some old SS pipe to try and simulate the sockets.
Got an ok weld done now, but must of been a little too hot as the are globs of SS on the inside of the tube!

Cheers
Joe


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## DUANNE (12/11/11)

never tiged out of a factory setting but,dont buy rods just guillo some sheet that matches and pump up the heat but move more quickly.


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## slampt (13/11/11)

Ok more practising today and it is official.. I suck ass at this 
I think i have the heat right, I am just way to slow at moving the tig, and getting the filler in. (Lots of big holes to prove it too!)

I need to sharpen my drill bit before i can drill more holes to test welding "sockets"


Some how I don't seem to be able to get the knack of it, but I will keep trying.


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## pk.sax (13/11/11)

Make sure you are holding the torch at the correct angle and try to move from socket to plate, i.e. thicker to thinner. I find it a bit tricky to do fillet welds as well but with enough practice you will be able to form a little weld pool on the socket and move the heat to the plate while dipping the filler rod on the socket first in one motion. Then its just a matter of moving the filler on to the weld pool you just created on the plate fast enough so that you are heating the filler rod and avoid blowing a hole in the plate.

If I had more practice at it I'd be able to explain better perhaps, by the time I finished my short course I'd managed to weld one tube to a plate. Mig welders excel at this fillet welding stuff. Butt welds and sheet joining is really where Tig is easier to use.

PS: Try cutting a hole in the plate first and then positioning the socket inside the hole. Then do a butt weld from the 'inside' of the keg/plate. Once that is done - far easier to do - you can do a careful fillet on the outside to close it up, not like its required. I'd just use some sort of cement, like JB weld on the outside or strength.


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## peaky (13/11/11)

Slampt said:


> Ok more practising today and it is official.. I suck ass at this
> I think i have the heat right, I am just way to slow at moving the tig, and getting the filler in. (Lots of big holes to prove it too!)
> 
> I need to sharpen my drill bit before i can drill more holes to test welding "sockets"
> ...



Cut some scrap and try fusing them together without using the filler. If you're having trouble so far, forget the filler rod.

Some of the welds we do at work are done without the use of a filler rod. The material is just fused together. The melting of the material into the weld pool can provide enough filler to complete the weld. Just make sure you have NO gaps, or else you'll blow a hole. (Sockets aren't welded this way but it's good practice for newbies). Get this right first and then introduce the filler rod to your welding.
Fusing without filler can help you get a feel for the speed you should traveling at for the heat you're putting into the material.

Also, if you get molten material on the electrode or if it touches the work, stop and re-grind it immediately. Don't try to keep welding with crap on the electrode tip. Even if you have to grind the thing every 3 minutes, make sure it's spotless.

How are you holding the torch? I usually hold it with the hose going over the back of my hand, like I'm throwing a spear. I find I get better control of the torch this way.


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## peaky (13/11/11)

It's a shame you don't live in Chelsea, Vic. I'd just pop round to your house now and weld the bloody socket in


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## slampt (13/11/11)

Thanks peakydh, 

If I could find someone locally to do it without charging an arm and a leg I would of got them in, 
I appreciate the help!
I will keep practising.

Cheers
Joe


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## peaky (13/11/11)

Yep, keep practicing. Once you've got it sussed you'll be looking for all sorts of stainless brewing equipment to weld up :super:


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## slampt (13/11/11)

I will, but I dunno if I will get better, I am running out of things to test on and I do suck pretty hard at it! 
Also another question some of the holes I drilled do have some gaps (i.e. they are fairly loose fitting). The reason for this is because some of my sockets are actually 1-2mm thicker than the others, which unfortunately I did not take into account. How would I approach this, assuming I can weld 

Cheers


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## peaky (13/11/11)

Slampt said:


> I will, but I dunno if I will get better, I am running out of things to test on and I do suck pretty hard at it!
> Also another question some of the holes I drilled do have some gaps (i.e. they are fairly loose fitting). The reason for this is because some of my sockets are actually 1-2mm thicker than the others, which unfortunately I did not take into account. How would I approach this, assuming I can weld
> 
> Cheers



Forget about welding sockets for now. You will go nuts. Just practice welding plate together with a fillet weld.

Try fusing plate together with a fillet weld, once you get that sussed then start fillet welding plate together with filler rod. Then once you have that down, start practicing with sockets.

If you have gaps, that is why you are blowing holes (assuming you're not running too hot). It takes a fair bit of practice to get good enough to TIG weld with gaps. You have to be able to adjust the amount of filler you are adding quickly and precisely and also adjust speed if you have gaps between the materials.


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## slampt (13/11/11)

Thanks, 

Hopefully I will be able to grab some scrap SS of Spoonta and give that a crack, there are some gaps (very small mind you with the sockets I need to weld). So best leave them till last 
I will do what you have suggested once I get some more SS 

Also what size ceramic shield should I be using with 1.6mm Filler and how far out from the shield should the electrode stick out?

Cheers
Joe


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## peaky (13/11/11)

Probably a no.5 or 6 if I remember rightly. Don't quote me, I'd have to check that, I normally just grab what I think I need without looking at the No. What size are you using?

I usually have the electrode sticking out about 7mm or so for a fillet. And I have the gas flow at about 15-20 cfh. It also depends on the conditions and the weld. Grind the tip of the electrode to a taper about 3 times the electrode width. (A lot of this is personal preference)


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## MHB (13/11/11)

This isnt OT, might sound like it but it isnt.
How well can you see what you are welding?
If you dont have one of the modern auto-darkening hats thats suitable for sub 40 Amp TIG there is a good chance that you got sold a shade 10 or 12 (should be written on the dark shade) not being able to see clearly makes life very difficult, for low amp TIG a shade 8 helps heaps.
Even with the auto darkening hat, there should be a control for how dark it is, turn it all the way down.
MHB


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## peaky (13/11/11)

MHB said:


> This isnt OT, might sound like it but it isnt.
> How well can you see what you are welding?
> If you dont have one of the modern auto-darkening hats thats suitable for sub 40 Amp TIG there is a good chance that you got sold a shade 10 or 12 (should be written on the dark shade) not being able to see clearly makes life very difficult, for low amp TIG a shade 8 helps heaps.
> Even with the auto darkening hat, there should be a control for how dark it is, turn it all the way down.
> MHB



Certainly not OT. And well worth considering. If you can't see what you're doing you're screwed right from the start. A shade 12 you would be TIG welding almost blind. My auto shield is turned down to 9.


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## slampt (14/11/11)

Thanks for all the tips, mine was set higher so I will drop it down to about 10/9 and see how I go, another mate of mine came over and gave it a crack and he did a pretty good job considering it was his first attempted. Way better than all my attempts! The only thing we noticed with his welds is that he was causing lumps of SS on the underside of the weld, but on his actual weld it there was no visible joins. How would one prevent these lumps of SS on the underside? Is he using too much filler?

Thanks
Joe


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## peaky (14/11/11)

Slampt said:


> Thanks for all the tips, mine was set higher so I will drop it down to about 10/9 and see how I go, another mate of mine came over and gave it a crack and he did a pretty good job considering it was his first attempted. Way better than all my attempts! The only thing we noticed with his welds is that he was causing lumps of SS on the underside of the weld, but on his actual weld it there was no visible joins. How would one prevent these lumps of SS on the underside? Is he using too much filler?
> 
> Thanks
> Joe



Put a chunk of copper on the back of the join before welding. Works well for me :icon_cheers:


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## Vanoontour (14/11/11)

Just to confuse the issue, I'm gonna stick my oar in with some advice that was given to me that helped lots. Get the hang of fusing (no filler) for a while, practice looking at the pool of metal and using the TIG torch to push the pool and pull it (you dont need two pieces, just put the torch into the middle of an offcut). This will give you a feel of what the metal is doing and how you can manipulate it. From here, just try laying a bead on sheet, again, not joining any thing together. Lay beads side by side, this saves wasting all your off cuts. When you can then lay a nice consistent bead, try sticking some stuff together. Seems at the moment you have jumped in with both feet.

You will get there in the end but it took me around a month of practicing before I would be trying to weld anything food grade.

Dan


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## slampt (14/11/11)

Not confusing, 

It is all helping. I figure TIG welding is something you either can or can't do!  But I will keep practising.
One thing I am noticing is a lot of crap around the weld (discolouration/black etc) I thought with the argon shield this should be reduced. Is that not the case?

I am also going have to get the back purging going as this is much works on the underside of the weld too.

Cheers
Joe


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## Vanoontour (14/11/11)

Wouldn't waste your argon back flowing until your welds are good. All it really does is helps stop the penetration burn thru oxidise, if you have the right heat you won't get burn thru, just a raised bump which is perfectly sterile.


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## slampt (14/11/11)

Cheers Vanoontour, 
I only did one to see what it was like. Watching some vids of people SS weld they seem clean at the end of it, mine seem to have a lot of black...

Joe


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## Vanoontour (14/11/11)

What's your argon flow rate? I used to TIG inside with about 10litres/hr


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## slampt (14/11/11)

The Flow rate was set to around 20 iirc, too much?

Joe


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## Vanoontour (14/11/11)

Depends where you were welding, if the garage door was open, prob not, if it was closed, maybe. Too little Argon is the killer, to much, meh...


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## slampt (14/11/11)

Good point had the Garage door open.

Wanna say thanks to Spoonta for offering up some SS scraps, I will definitely be going over there to pick it up tomorrow arvo/evening 

Cheers
Joe


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## amiddler (14/11/11)

Black, is it sooty like carbon on you exhaust or a black stain that can only be removed by scrubbing? Black/Blue/Purple heat marks are left even on very neat welds, nothing you can do about it except polish or pickle them. Black soot is caused when you accidentally dip the electrode in the pool and some of the metal sticks to the electrode. When this happens time to re-sharpen your electrode or have a sharp one ready to change over.

Drew


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## slampt (15/11/11)

Cheers Drew, 

Will hopefully have another play with it tonight after I pick up some scrap! 

Joe


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## ledgenko (15/11/11)

Joe ... I may have a simple solution to this ... just spoke to my mates wife .. she said she is pretty sure he knows how to TIG weld ... will get back to you once its confirmed .. 

Matt


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## slampt (15/11/11)

Cool, 

I will keep practicing as I want to get good at it anyway


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## ledgenko (22/11/11)

Mate ... I have gotten hold of Mike finally .. He has confirmed he can TIG .. note this is relayed through his wife .. bloody busy man !! He is happy to do some welding for me .. and I can say I am sure he will do what you need too . perhaps him showing you may just help enough ?? 

Let me know when you are free .... Weekends obviously work best from this end.. 

Cheers 

Matt


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## slampt (4/12/11)

Just a quick update, found a mate who did the big welding for me. He did a pretty good job (he's a boiler maker).
All I have to do is clean them up a little whats the best way? I am thinking dremel with a sanding wheel or a small SS brush wheel, will this also get rid of the discolouration?

Thanks heaps to every for there advise and thanks to Spoonta for the scrap, I am still practicing as there are other things I need to weld 

Cheers
Slampt


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## Thefatdoghead (4/12/11)

Slampt said:


> Just a quick update, found a mate who did the big welding for me. He did a pretty good job (he's a boiler maker).
> All I have to do is clean them up a little whats the best way? I am thinking dremel with a sanding wheel or a small SS brush wheel, will this also get rid of the discolouration?
> 
> Thanks heaps to every for there advise and thanks to Spoonta for the scrap, I am still practicing as there are other things I need to weld
> ...


You can get some acid called pickling paste. It's looks like a jelly, just put it on with a paint brush and leave it for half an hr and hose it off. Comes up so nice but the only problem is you will see all the imperfections in the welds. The welding should really be good enough you dont have to sand it or anything. If there are lumps and you sand them you might uncover a pinhole and have to weld it again. My 2c


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## slampt (4/12/11)

Cheers, 

They came up fairly shiny with the SS brush, just mainly discoloured.
I read Bar keepers friend can remove that. There are a few lumps in the back which I will sand down and see how I go.
I also noticed the kegs are fairly dirty inside still (i.e. when I run my finger across the SS I get a grey finger. What would be the best way to give these kegs a good scrub prior to using them?

Slampt


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## Thefatdoghead (4/12/11)

Slampt said:


> Cheers,
> 
> They came up fairly shiny with the SS brush, just mainly discoloured.
> I read Bar keepers friend can remove that. There are a few lumps in the back which I will sand down and see how I go.
> ...


I use PBW for cleaning just about everything now. Makes cleaning really easy.


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## slampt (5/12/11)

Will this get rid of the discolouration from the welding?
I think I will just take to it with some scotchbrite and then give it a good clean/boil with some PBW

These are by no mean sanitary welds so fingers crossed they will be ok 

Slampt


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## newguy (5/12/11)

Pickling paste will get rid of the discolouration. From the reading I did, the discoloured portions can rust. Pickling paste will restore the chromium oxide layer and render the SS impervious to rust.

Pickling paste can be purchased at any welding supply store, and it's pretty cheap. Just read the MSDS carefully, use a respirator, full facemask, and gloves made for the task. Ordinary rubber or latex gloves aren't adequate - can't remember which type of glove is okay, but I do know that they were available at any home improvement/hardware store. Have plenty of baking soda available to help neutralise the acidic runoff once you rinse the stuff off. A pressure washer makes this task much easier.


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## slampt (5/12/11)

Where does one get this pickling paste in Perth?


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## slampt (5/12/11)

So I spent a large chunk of today cleaning these welds up, the inside of them aren't the greatest and still appear to have some pitting after I huge sanding.
I used some bar keepers friend to give them a good clean and removed the discolouration. I am now just heating up some water with some PBW via the element and not so safe wiring... *cough*

Here are some pics, (Full link to pics here : http://www.slampt.net/2011/12/05/keg-tig-welding-kettle/) yes they are shitty, and I should of back purged them  

http://www.slampt.net/wp-content/gallery/k...le/img_0517.jpg

http://www.slampt.net/wp-content/gallery/k...le/img_0519.jpg

http://www.slampt.net/wp-content/gallery/k...le/img_0520.jpg

http://www.slampt.net/wp-content/gallery/k...le/img_0522.jpg

http://www.slampt.net/wp-content/gallery/k...le/img_0523.jpg

http://www.slampt.net/wp-content/gallery/k...le/img_0524.jpg

Cheers
Slampt


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## Josh Allen (5/12/11)

You can get the pickling paste from BOC and it's called (weld guard) it works really well great for cleaning anything SSteel


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## mika (5/12/11)

I wouldn't feel comfortable brewing in pots with those welds. If your external welds were your inside welds, you'd probably be fine. A bit of ripple in the weld pool isn't going to harbour anything whereas the unsealed spigots could potentially harbour something between the skin of the pot and the weld. More than fine for HLT, probably allowable for the rest given it will get boiled, but not great practice.
I'm sure there's plenty of stainless welding joints that would do you a reasonable deal on a cashie, The Foodline Group down in Welshpool spring to mind, know they used to do a fair bit of food purpose welding. Or I could chat to my bro and see if he's able to help you out, he's down in Bunno, so makes things a bit hard.

And for Polkin-whats-his-face who deleted his post, for TIG you'd be better with this course as long you've got a basic understanding of welding principles and a bit of experience with oxy welding.


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## slampt (5/12/11)

Hey Mika, 

Yeah I'm trying to clean them up as much as I can given I rang 4 different places to get the welds done and the cheapest was $60 per weld (in the perth metro area). I have a friend who said he would give it a crack, mind you for the tools he had (my tools) I think he did an ok job, though we were a bit lazy and should of back filled the site with argon (i even made a chamber to do this but we were just lazy) WHOOPS...

I have also been sanding away at them and they look a lot cleaner than the photos I have posted. 
If we could get into the back of the sockets would it be worth cleaning them up with the tig or not?

** Just added a few more photos **


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## Back Yard Brewer (5/12/11)

Malted said:


> Not forgetting the ethos of being able to acquire new tools that you 'need' and will make it 'cheaper'. :beerbang:
> So what if it ends up costing 3 times as much and you wreck multiple kegs etc and ends up half arsed? No seriously, I mean if you had fun and learning along the way, go for it.
> Chances are, you probably won't get it right but so what? Just be realistic in your expectations.
> Don't let lack of skill stop you bro! I don't let it stop me having a go. It's about fun in the shed and tinkering.



Don't post to much these days but I do agree with your comments. A couple years back I managed to acquire enough secondhand 40mm SS tube to make my brew bench. I borrowed a Tig and away I went. Tigging aint the easiest thing for a novice and I had some trials and tribulations but finally I got there. Not the most fanciest smickest welds on earth but good enough for me. For those who know me and have seen the end product...... I could not be happier.





BYB


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## Vanoontour (6/12/11)

As stated above, I wouldn't brew in that, just asking for trouble.

For the backs of the welds that are pitted, just wave the TIG torch over the back of them and it with smoothen out (remember my earlier post about practising on a plain sheet to see the metal pooling). Have the torch about 35-40 amps, 10l argon, and just gently re-melt the surface, effectivley re-fusing it. The other side (outside) weld will still hold the nipples in place and act as a heat sink so you can't risk burning through. Surprise your mate welding didn't do this.

Post a pic and show us how you get on.

Dan


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## bigfridge (6/12/11)

vanoontour said:


> As stated above, I wouldn't brew in that, just asking for trouble.



Isn't this a boiler ?

So sanitary welds are not required FFS - just as long as they don't leak (too much).

Small pin-holes will fill with wort and then caramelise to seal solid - just like nature's filler metal.

HTH,
Dave


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## Zizzle (6/12/11)

bigfridge said:


> Isn't this a boiler ?
> 
> So sanitary welds are not required FFS - just as long as they don't leak (too much).



+1

Jeez, have you seen some of the weld-less fittings? I'd be more worried about the internal threads etc. on most setups. Especially the ones further from the heat source.


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## Vanoontour (6/12/11)

If that is the case, and like you both so kindly put it, your right. However, if it is only for a boiler then why was the OP carrying on about back purgine for sanitary welds? You can use this for more than just boiling....


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## Zizzle (6/12/11)

Good point vanoontour - the OP said 11 sockets in kettles, but there is talk of sanitary welds. My assumption was that Slampt was perhaps a little pessimistic on where sanitary welds are needed. If that is a fermentation vessel it would indeed cause problems.

But if you look at the photos, it looks like a pretty typical 3V system - so think they will all be good enough.

The suggestion of welding on the inside is a good one if you can get in there.


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## slampt (6/12/11)

I would like to say thanks to everyone giving up their time to post replies, everyones input on this has been very valuable and appreciated!
Getting on the inside will be achievable on some of them but not all. The Vessel in the pictures will be used as a kettle (water) and will only reach mashing temps, do you guys see any issue with this? 

The other welds are very smooth and if we can't get in to fix them up I am sure I can sand it down, the newer welds are much better (practice makes perfect) 

Cheers
Slampt


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## Spoonta (6/12/11)

thay look ok to me


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