Welding Tips and Tricks

Good Morning from Wisconsin. I am new to the welding tips and tricks community, I have visited the website in the past a lot to get information and it has worked great! I recently started tig welding with no formal training. I recently purchased a Lincoln Square Wave Tig so I can weld Stainless, Steel and Aluminum.

I am looking for some information on TIG Welding Filler rod together. What I want to do is make stainless baskets out of 1/8” 316L filler rod, I was wondering what I should use for amperage to weld these together so I don’t melt the rod much, and what I should use for Tungsten and filler rod. I have also attached a picture of a basket that I would like to make except the whole thing would be 1/8” 316L.

Thanks in advance for the advice.
Joe

I’d be using under 90 amps for 1/8 filler. A quick tack should bind them together nicely. A 3/32 or 1/16 tungsten is all you need. A #8 or #12 cup with a gas lens for certain. A ceramic 12 Fupa cup would be my choice.

The trick though: you want some type of Argon purge box to help protect the welding area when you stick these filler wires together. Else, all the tacks will have the potential for a crappy side. You could fashion one quickly and easily from some aluminum angle bar. Even lay the filler wire against the internal angle, then tack it. Brush it promptly with a stainless wire brush. Should be fine.

I’d try it even lower starting out around 35 amps.

Thanks fellas for the advice. I was thinking about getting a Furick Ceramic cup, you convinced me! Now I just have to buy it without my wife finding out!!

If your only welding on 1/8 filler wire you might try just a standard 8 cup. It should be fine if you keep your cfh around 20.