Stainless Steel again.

[BarryH]

I've been playing with the welder over the past couple of weekends. The quotes that I got for various bits if fabrication work had my bank manager quivering in his air conditioned cocoon.
So, after wrestling with benders and venting various mixtures of gases into the atmosphere I've ended up with a few bits of stainless work at a fraction of the cost the fabricators quoted. Now I know why they're called fabricators!
Now I've ground down the welds and need to polish them. The usual soaps and mops that I use on other metals have very little effect on stainless. Is there a secret soap and mop supplier that I don't know of. I went to the usual place I go to but they say they don't do anyother soap/mops apart from the ones I've got.

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[gonfishing]

Hi Barry
now did you use T.I.G M.I.G or Stick????? UUUUmmmm guess if you have a messy weld it must have been stick???

julian

<hr width=100% size=1>If it can, It will.

 

[BarryH]

Changed the gas and the wire in the M.I.G. The welds weren't messy or splattery. I just want them polished to give a better more professional finish. I done a few test welds on scrap bits of stainless. Had to crank up the ampage to the max and flow loads of gas to give a good shield.

The usual soaps dont touch it. Got to the stage where I need to put the finish on the welds. I used a carbarundum (sp) to get to this stage. Its looking good apart from the dull finish round the welds.

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[gonfishing]

Not sure you can do a lot with that ,amps may have been a tad too high, I can give you a definative answer later today!!!

PS have you got sunburn ?????

julian

<hr width=100% size=1>If it can, It will.

 

[BarryH]

No sunburn, bit of arc eye left. These flash self dimming masks aren't all they're cracked up to be. The welds are fine. They're not blue'd. I just need the soaps to finish the polishing off.

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[bountyboat]

It seems a good moment to ask if anyone knows how they get the mirror finish on the 'real thing'

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[martynwhiteley]

Try <font color=blue> <A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.mboat.org>http://www.mboat.org</font color=blue>

 

[itsonlymoney]

Bravo for attempting stainless welding.If the end result is something like, you have done well. To get a profesional finish on any metal is comendable but stainless is a BITCH. There is a chemical product that we have used on Catering equipment that has brought all manner of imperfections/stains up a treat called "Ali-one" trouble is I dont know were you would get it. It is a mixture of Hydrofluoric and Sulphuric acid. Just had a word with my Fabricator who suggests a Brick cleaner, available local builders merchant. It has same / similar ingredients apparently. I know I dont need to tell you but if you decide to try it do a test area first.

Hope this is of interest Ian

<hr width=100% size=1>I'd rather have a bad day boatin, than a good day workin ! ! !

 

[jfm]

Barry, I have done this too, even using just sticks rather than TIG/MIG (though mostly I have used TIG).

The only way imho to get the mirror finish is to take them to an electro polisher. They dunk it in a tank and kind of plate the s/s with more s/s. Gives mirror finish. If you just use abrasives, you can get an ok finish and clean up the weld, but you wont get mirror finish. The electro polishing is quite cheap anyway. In most places there are plenty of suppliers in yellow pages

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[penfold]

Attack it with emery cloth or wet and dry paper of successively finer grades until you've got to the 1200 grit, then try your polishing compounds again.

cheers,
david

<hr width=100% size=1>This candidate works well when cornered and watched like a rat in a trap.

 

[ROCKETSHIP_11]

what you need is called pickle paste this acid compound is brushed on and left to work for half an hour then scrub the weld with a Scotchbrite pad ( 3M PRODUCT ) then wash off with plenty water a hose is best, result good shiny weld, wear gloves and eye protection as pickle is VERY corrosive. your local engineering supply shop will have these products for about £40 in total, good luck and be careful.

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[BarryH]

Thanx for the replies chaps. So basically I've got to stick it in a vat of something and electrocute it again. Then rub it raw with various sheets of emery cloth then subject it to a chemical compound that no man made container can contain while it "Pickles".

Like the sound of the chemical Pickling stuff. I'll see if I can get hold of some. If you don't hear from me for a while, you know I've disolved

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[Strathglass]

Pickling is the way to go. Should be available from most welding suppliers.

It is a jelly like substance and you paint it on. Leave it for about half an hour then hose it off.

It is an acid solution and is great when used with care on stainless sinks.

It is also amazing what can be achieved using an orbital sander with progressively finer paper.

Iain

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[jfm]

are you sure pickling produces mirror finish?

I've never tried pickling, but I hear it cleans up welds but it doesn't produce the mirror chrome-like finish that you get on pro pulpits etc. To get the mirror finish I think you need electropolishing. That's AFAIK, someone might know better.....

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[Dave_Snelson]

What about jewellers rouge?

Years ago, I used to make things out of stainless (welded as well) and to clean and shine I used jewellers rouge. Its a red ultrafine compound that can be put on a soft cloth or preferably a power mop. Then buff. I think you can get this stuff from any good engineers supplies.

Sounds like the pickle with JR would do a great job.

By the way, I may be having a go at making SS davits. Time to practise what I preach - and it was years ago!!

<hr width=100% size=1>Madoc Yacht Club
<A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.madocyachtclub.co.uk>http://www.madocyachtclub.co.uk</A>

 

[dickh]

When I had some welding done on stainless, he just put it on his polishing mop and it came up great, As far as I know he didn't put anything on it, but there was probably residual'polishing compound' on it.
RS does a kit of polishing compound for stainless - no 240-3827 @ £17.12 or you can buy the SS 'Sovereign' compound stick no 240-3726 @£5.63

<hr width=100% size=1>dickh
I'd rather be sailing... /forums/images/icons/smile.gif

 

[jon_bailey]

Barry,

Agree with others. Either mechanically abrade then finish with fine grade or else electro-polish for a high gloss finish.

What ever you do, do not use anything that has been previous used for non-stainless steel, e.g. emery, mops, etc. This will just contaminate your stainless and you'll get lovely rust marks. This contamination can be very difficult to remove!

You could gold plate of course?

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[sealine]

Hi
Electro-polish is the best way to go, if the hand/machanical polishing does not do the trick, Passivation is only good for removing steel or iron contaminates from stainless, this will not improve the finish of the stainless. Cromwell do a wide range of polish soaps, including two for stainless, and they do the mops for not to bad a price.
john

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[Birdseye]

stainless steel work hardens. in grinding the surface to get where you are, you have hardened up the surface and so it takes longer / requires more work to get the final polish. however, you will get there just the same as long as the grinding/polishing medium you use is harder than the steel itself now is on the surface.

pickling will not polish the surface.

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