weld test coming up on 316 stainless

ajlskater1 · Fri Apr 20, 2012 6:58 am

Hey guys. So I have a weld test coming up and the material will be 316 stainless. I have never welded 316 before, but I have welded a lot of 304 and 400 series. Also the shop does a lot thicker stuff than I am used to and the welds have to be x ray quality. I currently work at a sheet metal shop so the only stainless I have dealt with is like 24 ga to 16 ga. I am kinda nervous about this test but I have been practicing a lot during breaks on some 304 and everything is looking really nice. I guess my question is how different does 316 weld compared to 304? And what do I need to look for when doing x ray quality?

RedIron881 · Fri Apr 20, 2012 10:11 am

304 and 316 weld about the same. I'm sure there is a difference but nothing overly noticeable. With dealing with X-Ray parts make sure EVERYTHING is CLEAN (Gloves too)! Make sure to wipe down the wire and plates with acetone or alcohol on a clean white cloth and place them on something clean. Really, just pay attention to all the little details and you'll be fine. Check the gas lens for any balls of crap on the screens, or a pinched/twisted collet, and ask for a different one if it looks roughed up. I've had shops give me crap parts just to see if I would ask for the right things. I'm sure they will have a nice weld fixture for a purge, again just look to see if its clean. Any little thing can pop up in your weld and Fail. Don't let the X-Ray part freak you out. Just relax and weld the best you can. I've seen some really bad looking welds pass x-ray and beautiful beads fail, so you never really know till you get the results back.

Best of luck and let us know how it goes.

Fri Apr 20, 2012 5:58 pm

RedIron is right, you probably won't notice any difference between 304 and 316 as far as weldability (They're both ausinitic alloys), although 316's properties are more easily affected by overheating.

If you're welding heavier sections than you're used to, be sure your tungsten is big enough for the job. If the tungsten "pukes", (or if you stick it), you'll have to grind it out. A tungsten inclusion will look like someone dotted the film with a Sharpie.

Steve

ajlskater1 · Sat Apr 21, 2012 4:27 am

Thanks for the advice guys. My buddy works at the shop now so he gave me a little inside info on the test. He said it will be on 1/4 material and the welds will be a t joint, butt and socket. The socket will be done on a turn table. I am guessing that I should run a 3/32 tungsten, but he also mention that everything will be set up for me and I will not be allowed to change anything. Hope this goes well, I would really like to get this job and get into place like this. Would be fun to learn how to do high quailty welding vs the welding I do in the sheet metal shop, where things are not as critical and speed is more important.

Sun Apr 22, 2012 4:18 pm

My preference would be 1/8" tungsten, simply because you can point a larger tungsten for lower amps, but you can't fatten a smaller one for higher amps.

Welding on a turntable is a joy. You can make it look like a machine did it!

I relate to quality over quantity. After a year on the road, working shutdowns and contract projects, I've returned to a shop I've worked before where the nature of the work makes quality so high a priority you probably would have to be caught sleeping to be told to work faster.

Best of luck! It feels good to have the quality of your work appreciated over the quantity.

Steve

ajlskater1 · Mon Apr 23, 2012 4:03 am

I bet it does that is why I am so excited for this oppurtunity.

RedIron881 · Mon May 07, 2012 8:49 am

Have you taken the test yet??

ajlskater1 · Wed May 09, 2012 6:32 am

yes I did sorry for not posting sooner have been really busy. I passed the test and they told me I was in the top 3 as far as appearance of weld and weld quality. I went for a second interview and now I am waiting to do a physical and drug screening, once all that is complete than they will make their decision. The test was super easy considering how nervous I was.

RedIron881 · Wed May 09, 2012 9:29 am

Great Job! You'll really enjoy working with more intricate parts. As Steve said when you have to pay attention to quality you'll be amazed how much better you'll become. Plus, don't be afraid to talk to the older guys that have been there for years. Ask questions they'll have a massive amount of information. You might have to prove yourself to them but they'll open up. Now the crappy part... Waiting to hear if you got in...

ajlskater1 · Wed May 09, 2012 2:00 pm

ya waiting is the crappy part of things. My buddy said the other two guys that are in consideration for the job did some really nice tests and they are old timers with a lot more experience on stinless than I do, so I am just keeping my fingers crossed and hoping I get it.

ajlskater1 · Sat May 26, 2012 3:08 am

I got the job

I sit down with the hr lady next tuesday to fianlize pay and my start date. I am pumped!!!!!!!!

Sat May 26, 2012 5:25 am

Congratulations!

Tell us what you think once you're settled in.

Steve

ajlskater1 · Sat May 26, 2012 10:32 pm

I will definetely do that

RedIron881 · Sun May 27, 2012 2:40 pm

Congratulations!! Welcome to a new world of welding, you'll never want to go back to a normal shop, ha ha!!

ajlskater1 · Sun May 27, 2012 4:08 pm

I hope not lol. I would like to learn how to weld some of the more uncommon metals and this company does some titanium nad magnesium so it should be fun.

ajlskater1 · Fri Jul 06, 2012 3:03 pm

Well I have been at the new job for three weeks now and so far I am loving, although there has definetly been a big learning curve. Some of the stuff really tested my temper at first. The weld test were way easier than the actual welding. Got everything looking good and consistent, not quite as good as the lead welder but his welds amaze me lol. The only I am still struggling with is this goofy metal called menal ( don't think that spelled right).

Fri Jul 06, 2012 7:03 pm

Monel...

ajlskater1 · Sat Jul 07, 2012 12:26 pm

ya thats the one. That stuff cracks and undercuts so bad. Still can't figure out how to make it not crack to send my samples in and get certified to weld it lol.

Sat Jul 07, 2012 6:07 pm

I've never welded Monel, so I have no advice to offer, but I'm glad you're liking the new job!

Steve

ajlskater1 · Sat Jul 07, 2012 11:25 pm

Thanks, it is a lot of fun and definetly different from my previous job but in a good way. It is making me a lot better welder, I am having to become a lot more concious of the little things. Monel is not fun I know its a nickel alloy but it does not weld like iconel or hastloy. Its weird make a nice weld with no undercut, add a little extra rod like I was told to do with all nickel alloys, taper off nice and slow to avoid the crater and the stuff just cracks right down the seam. Hopefully the lead guy is back on monday and he can give me some pointers, he is the only one that does the stuff, but they want me to learn it so those units can get welded on nights when I go to night shift when I finish training.

RedIron881 · Fri Jul 13, 2012 8:07 am

Learn as much as you can!! Ask any questions the leads at those places are full of knowledge!! If the one you've got is willing to teach you Take the Free Schooling!! I told you it's a whole new world of welding and you'll never want to go back to a normal shop, ha ha.

ajlskater1 · Sun Jul 15, 2012 11:13 pm

yep thats is very true I would ever want to go back to my old shop, but I do miss just hammering on parts and racing myself, kind of tough to do when doing this kind of work.

RedIron881 · Mon Jul 16, 2012 12:31 am

Yeah that old saying 'When it doesn't fit, Get a Bigger Hammer' isn't the best idea in the aerospace industry. Ha ha!

ajlskater1 · Mon Jul 16, 2012 5:14 am

no i didn't mean literally beating the parts with a hammer, I meant just doing them really really fast. Sorry that a phrase we used at the other when we got a lot done, we were hammering parts out lol.