|
|
Oct 26, 2020 18:53:10 GMT
|
I need to make one of these, in stainless. Not really got a problem with making it, although I've not welded stainless before. I'm just wondering what to expect when it comes to finishing it up. I'll no doubt have to grind my welds up a bit after. My plan then is to file, sand, then polish. All the stainless welding I've seen causes localised discolouration. Will this be naturally removed during the finishing and polishing stages? I have argon and will obviously by stainless wire. No idea what stainless grade I'll be using, will just be cheap eBay bar stock. Any tips on stainless work? I know I can't use anything that's been used on mild steel, and use a fresh stainless wire brush. Thanks.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Oct 26, 2020 18:58:48 GMT
|
Is that a boot rack and is it made of tube [ most likely if a boot rack ] or is it something smaller made of tube ?
|
|
|
|
|
|
Oct 26, 2020 19:10:48 GMT
|
Any form of abrasive will remove the discolouration
|
|
|
|
|
|
Oct 26, 2020 19:40:10 GMT
|
Is that a boot rack and is it made of tube [ most likely if a boot rack ] or is it something smaller made of tube ? Motorcycle tank rack so only maybe 8"x 10" and bar, but similar kind of thing.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Oct 26, 2020 19:41:23 GMT
|
Any form of abrasive will remove the discolouration So it's only really surface then? See loads of high tech discolouration removal techniques on the internet but didn't know if they were just quick and fancy, or essential.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Oct 26, 2020 20:12:05 GMT
|
I take it your Tig welding ?
Most of the discolouration will come off with a stiff wire brushing .
I would try to polish the bar before you make it as it will be much more difficult when its made . I take it you have a polishing wheel to use ?
Try not to do any grinding because then you have to use various grades of scotchbrite to get that out before the different polishing steps.
|
|
|
|
richrolls
Part of things
Posts: 318
Club RR Member Number: 38
|
|
Oct 26, 2020 20:15:01 GMT
|
In the past when, or if the job needed the welds to be visible/not ground back I used picking paste.Used to be called Metinox, now is Antox. example here: www.weldingandwelder.com/product/antox-np-neutralising-paste-2kg/?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIxqS_2ofT7AIV1u3tCh1yeARvEAQYASABEgJ5wvD_BwEObvs the cost is prohibitive on your particular need , but I have posted it in case someone offers you the use of. No, I don't have any. After pickling, i used "Scotch" pads to polish the job. Mostly brushed dairy pipe. The usual polishing methods (Autosolv etc) will give great results. Be mindful not to use steel wire wool or steel wire brushes. It will impregnate the stainless and that is why sometimes you see rust on stainless steel. Poor quality stainless is another.
|
|
Last Edit: Oct 26, 2020 20:15:50 GMT by richrolls
|
|
|
|
Oct 26, 2020 20:43:28 GMT
|
I take it your Tig welding ? Most of the discolouration will come off with a stiff wire brushing . I would try to polish the bar before you make it as it will be much more difficult when its made . I take it you have a polishing wheel to use ? Try not to do any grinding because then you have to use various grades of scotchbrite to get that out before the different polishing steps. I wish! Will be mig welded. Good tip on polishing the bars first, thanks.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Oct 26, 2020 20:50:32 GMT
|
In the past when, or if the job needed the welds to be visible/not ground back I used picking paste.Used to be called Metinox, now is Antox. example here: www.weldingandwelder.com/product/antox-np-neutralising-paste-2kg/?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIxqS_2ofT7AIV1u3tCh1yeARvEAQYASABEgJ5wvD_BwEObvs the cost is prohibitive on your particular need , but I have posted it in case someone offers you the use of. No, I don't have any. After pickling, i used "Scotch" pads to polish the job. Mostly brushed dairy pipe. The usual polishing methods (Autosolv etc) will give great results. Be mindful not to use steel wire wool or steel wire brushes. It will impregnate the stainless and that is why sometimes you see rust on stainless steel. Poor quality stainless is another. Thanks, I'll see if I can source any. This is already going to cost more than it's worth. That's custom parts for you though!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
TBH i wouldn't bother , you can buy one for £65 at the first place i looked . The time and effort polishing and forming and then mig weldeing it which will look nasty . It will never look as good as a bought one unless you have a lot of time to spend.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
TBH i wouldn't bother , you can buy one for £65 at the first place i looked . The time and effort polishing and forming and then mig weldeing it which will look nasty . It will never look as good as a bought one unless you have a lot of time to spend. Problem with that is the ones I can buy won't fit my bike. It's not going on a triumph. No reason for the mig welds to look nasty, I'll blend it all together with a file before sanding/polishing.
|
|
Last Edit: Oct 29, 2020 12:02:14 GMT by VW
|
|
slater
Club Retro Rides Member
Posts: 6,390
Club RR Member Number: 78
|
|
Oct 29, 2020 11:29:25 GMT
|
How many years of filing and polishing are you expecting this to take? Be like painting a house with a toothbrush 😄
Best way would be to buy a cheap inverter tig, weld it up, pickle and scotchbrite it up to a brushed finish or buff it up to a shine. I cant see you being able to mig it, dress all the welds back and then get any kind of even looking joints that would polish up and not look completely horrid.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Oct 29, 2020 12:00:59 GMT
|
How many years of filing and polishing are you expecting this to take? Be like painting a house with a toothbrush 😄 Best way would be to buy a cheap inverter tig, weld it up, pickle and scotchbrite it up to a brushed finish or buff it up to a shine. I cant see you being able to mig it, dress all the welds back and then get any kind of even looking joints that would polish up and not look completely horrid. Well, if it was mild steel it wouldn't be a problem. Easily weld it up and file/sand/polish the joints. Never welded stainless though. I know stainless is harder to work so I'm not expecting it to be quite as easy to finish the welds up but also don't see why it's not achievable. This is why I started this thread though, as I've not done this kind of thing in stainless before. I could do it in mild, could braze it rather than weld, but then I've got to get it chromed. I'm sort of expecting maybe 2 hours to make it and maybe a day to get it tidied up and polished.
|
|
Last Edit: Oct 29, 2020 12:01:42 GMT by VW
|
|
melle
South West
It'll come out in the wash.
Posts: 1,981
|
|
Oct 29, 2020 14:11:02 GMT
|
If there's one thing I've learned from being on here, it's not to judge others' abilities too quickly. On numerous occasions I've thought "that'll fail", and someone somehow made it work just fine.
|
|
www.saabv4.com'70 Saab 96 V4 "The Devil's Own V4" '77 Saab 95 V4 van conversion project '88 Saab 900i 8V
|
|
|
|
Oct 29, 2020 15:32:09 GMT
|
If there's one thing I've learned from being on here, it's not to judge others' abilities too quickly. On numerous occasions I've thought "that'll fail", and someone somehow made it work just fine. I'm also buoyed up by recent aluminium welding success. If you look at the pics of the triumph racks you can buy, the quality of the joints is appalling. I don't see how anyone who has ever picked up a welder couldn't do better than this! I am however painfully aware that Slater can weld, and well. If he thinks this is going to be hard to achieve its a warning I take notice of. Won't stop me trying though. On that note, a question to slater , is knowing I could do this with the mig in mild (or aluminium even) enough of a reason to assume I can also do it in stainless?
|
|
Last Edit: Oct 29, 2020 15:52:47 GMT by VW
|
|
|
|
Oct 29, 2020 16:11:34 GMT
|
I find stainless incredibly easy to weld, the key is cleanliness! An acetone wipe works wonders.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Oct 29, 2020 16:17:59 GMT
|
I find stainless incredibly easy to weld, the key is cleanliness! An acetone wipe works wonders. The actual welding I'm not expecting much trouble from, I was more wondering about the discolouration (already answered) and how much harder the weld bead will be to file than a mild steel bead would be.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Oct 29, 2020 17:28:28 GMT
|
It will be significantly harder but its not impossible. Just take a fair bit longer .
All i was mentioning with polishing is that you will have to spend ages getting the file marks out.
If your really serious buy a 90 degree air die grinder and get some roloc discs in red and blue before you even think of starting to polish it with anything .
Is it worth buying one and modifying the tube pieces that it mounts on ? Then all you have to do is modify them which will be easier to weld and polish up rather than trying to polish thin bar which will most likely snatch at what ever your using to polish it with ?
|
|
|
|
|
|
Oct 29, 2020 17:34:36 GMT
|
It will be significantly harder but its not impossible. Just take a fair bit longer . All i was mentioning with polishing is that you will have to spend ages getting the file marks out. If your really serious buy a 90 degree air die grinder and get some roloc discs in red and blue before you even think of starting to polish it with anything . Is it worth buying one and modifying the tube pieces that it mounts on ? Then all you have to do is modify them which will be easier to weld and polish up rather than trying to polish thin bar which will most likely snatch at what ever your using to polish it with ? The triumph ones are a different proportion so couldn't be made to fit. They are also all chromed steel so back to the chroming issue, in which case I may as well make one in mild. I was going to make the mounting bolts and tubes first, but think ill probably buy some rod and mig wire and try a joint before I get too involved.
|
|
Last Edit: Oct 29, 2020 17:36:34 GMT by VW
|
|
|
|
Oct 29, 2020 19:17:13 GMT
|
The best way to dress welds in my experience is with a die grinder and a double cut carbide burr
|
|
|
|
|