[TheForge] tig welding, 18 gauge 316 stainless steel, chemical fume hood

[Andrew Vida]

On 6/29/2012 2:44 PM, terry l. ridder wrote:

>
> 0. just how difficult is it to work with 18 gauge 316 stainless steel?

Stainless can be a PITA.  If your brake is rated for 16 ga. mild, 18 ga. 
stainless will be right at the limit of its capacity.  It is tough all 
around regardless of its condition.  But stainless is REALLY easy to 
weld.  I've not TIG'ed it, but have MIG'd a whole bunch and it is tit.

It is definitely more stubborn than mild.  Your slip rolls may have some 
trouble - depending on their capacity too.  You can always sub that out 
to a shop that specializes in sheet metal work.  Needless to say the 
right tools make all the difference.  I once had to roll rings about 10' 
diameter of 1/2 x 2 the hard way.  My associate's friend in Buckeye had 
a hydraulic roller I borrowed to do it.  Never would have happened 
otherwise.  It was slow, but the result was perfect.  My point is if 
you're not sure, don't waste time and materials farting around with 
guesswork.  Find a shop that can do it right the first time and fold the 
cost into your pricing.

> 1. knowing that it depends on the individual who would be learning to
>    tig weld, what is a good average length of time for the training?

	I think that might be somewhat standardized - to a range anyhow. 
Community colleges and manufacturers offer this sort of thing.  Maybe a 
week class for an experienced welder - just a guess there, but 
manufacturers' tech classes are often gaged to 1 or 2 weeks duration, 
probably assuming good experience.  Call and ask.

> 2. would taking a community college course work in tig welding be
> sufficient for what needs to be done?

Probably depends on the CC.  Some CCs have GREAT programs and are 
eminently worth the investment.  Check the reputations.  I have a friend 
in WI who teaches welding - Valerie Weihman.  Dunno if you are anywhere 
near there.  Not even sure I still have a current email address, but let 
me know if you are interested.

> 3. what training would members of theforge recommend?

Just as above - CC or manufacturer.  The latter will almost certainly 
more costly, but will also compress the time frame greatly.  You 
probably don't want to take 6 to 8 weeks or more to get the training 
facilitated.  Lincoln, Miller, etc. are in the business of getting the 
job done well and efficiently as these are actually significant revenue 
streams for them.
>
> please feel free to provide insights that you may have.

not sure I'd call any of the previous jabbering "insight".  More like 
the random mental vomiting of the insane.