Welding Tips and Tricks

I'm just beginning my adventures in tig welding and was told by an ole timer to use 3-SMW filler rod (1/16 or 3/32) when I'm unsure of the properties. Just wondering what the welders out there think of this filler rod, it was the first time I had heard about this particular filler. Thanks in advance for your help.
Rj

I bought some. Tried it out on some practice parts. Welds/flows nice, just like other nickel alloy rods. Yes , I call it nickel alloy, not "312 stainless" like most want you to believe. It has 2.5x more nickel than the vast majority of 312 stainless, and about half the Fe content.

loadpin wrote:I'm just beginning my adventures in tig welding and was told by an ole timer to use 3-SMW filler rod (1/16 or 3/32) when I'm unsure of the properties. Just wondering what the welders out there think of this filler rod, it was the first time I had heard about this particular filler. Thanks in advance for your help.
Rj

From what I can tell, it isn't made as a tig filler anymore. I went looking for some a few weeks back and the only thing I came back with was stick electrodes. If you find someone selling it, post it here if you would.

-Sandow

Sandow wrote:

loadpin wrote:I'm just beginning my adventures in tig welding and was told by an ole timer to use 3-SMW filler rod (1/16 or 3/32) when I'm unsure of the properties. Just wondering what the welders out there think of this filler rod, it was the first time I had heard about this particular filler. Thanks in advance for your help.
Rj

From what I can tell, it isn't made as a tig filler anymore. I went looking for some a few weeks back and the only thing I came back with was stick electrodes. If you find someone selling it, post it here if you would.

-Sandow

Weldingsupply..com

Its expensive though. I only bought about $100 worth just to play around with.

Here is another LWS that has outlets everywhere and near me that can get the filler Rod, I didn't check to see what size rods they can supply. Hope this helps.
.
Airgas P/N HAR03SMW30
1/16" X 36" Harris® 3-SMW Maintenance Alloy TIG Welding Rod 10# Tube
.
Rj

oscar
what were you welding with that rod?
mixed materials?
craig

motox wrote:oscar
what were you welding with that rod?
mixed materials?
craig

It was just practice welds on some junk steel and chromoly I had laying around, not even an actual project.