How to Weld Stainless Steel with a Flux Core Welder | Two options to weld Stainless Steel

Have you ever wanted to weld stainless steel with a flux core welder?
In today's video we cover a couple ways to weld stainless steel with a flux core welder, as well as some of the downsides to stainless flux core wire. It can be done with decent results and the right precautions.
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In this video (affiliate links):
Blue Demon 309 Stainless Flux Core Wire
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Simder Mig-140 Flux Core Welder
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Forney .035 Flux Core Wire
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[@MrBCRC]

One minute in and you've provided more information than most mig welding information websites do. Thank you!

[@GarageHobbyist]

Thanks for watching and taking the time to comment! I try to keep things informative

[@justinsmithing]

Agreed!

[@gillihansmobilewelding]

I hate to be "that guy" and a year later, but anyone welding stainless should wear a respirator because chromium is a killer. Good video, Great info!

[@GarageHobbyist]

Good tip! Thanks for watching

[@zyme4569]

This is exactly the info I've been looking for. I only have a flux core welder and I have a SS exhaust to weld

[@GarageHobbyist]

Glad it was helpful! Practice with the stainless wire first before doing your exhaust. It is a bit finicky!

[@alexanderjones750]

if you're using a 120 welder, that wire might work on max power, but I had to preheat to really good good pentation. The end result looked good, but really needed to preheat .

[@GarageHobbyist]

@@alexanderjones750 it likes to be HOT 🔥🥵

[@justinsmithing]

Thanks for this video, this helps tremendously with a project I have going!

[@BriManeely]

Dude, so helpful. Thank you!

[@GarageHobbyist]

Glad it helped! Thanks for watching!🤜💥

[@williamcorrea1082]

Great video, very useful info. Keep going!!

[@pnp8849]

You can reverse polarity of Tit125 by open side panels and reverse the leads. That should lay down the bead to your spec. Keep stick out about 3/4" and arc not too short seem to help on that stainless wire.

[@GarageHobbyist]

Good advice, and a longer stick out does seem to help. Thanks for watching!

[@v0rt3x86]

Exactly what I've been trying to find on the interwebs. You're supposed to do DCEN with stainless right?

[@pnp8849]

@@v0rt3x86 It'll make gun hot so you don't have to max out the Amps but you don't get the cleaning effect. I might reverse it back to original because I use it mostly on 18-20ga SS I don't need much heat.

[@v0rt3x86]

@@pnp8849 The wire I might buy is specifically DCEP lol

[@TheArozconpollo]

Would be helpful to know the settings used on the Titanium125

[@Tubeagrutis]

Cool stuff! Learned something new today. 👍

[@GarageHobbyist]

Right on!

[@eyesopen6110]

Very informative. Thank you for the great video.

[@GarageHobbyist]

Thanks for watching 🤘

[@iconforu2c]

Super informative video. Thanks bud.

[@GarageHobbyist]

You got it! Thanks for watching!

[@TheDopalgangr]

Hey buddy, good to see you doing videos and almost a 1000 subs. I think I was your fourth one, cya on your next live feed

[@GarageHobbyist]

Thanks brother. I appreciate it 🤘👍

[@user-ph9sc9dp2z]

Thanks for the video, wish i could have a better look at the results

[@hawkt2448]

Good info. Thank you

[@GarageHobbyist]

Absolutely, Thanks for watching!

[@davidb3814]

Very informative thanks for the video

[@GarageHobbyist]

Thanks for watching!

[@robburke8867]

Great video great info!

[@GarageHobbyist]

Thanks, glad it was useful!

[@ensidfkgnur]

Awesome video!

[@GarageHobbyist]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@hectorr814]

EXCELENTE VIDEO¡¡... Y MUY FACIL DE ENTENDER¡¡...SALUDOS DESDE MEXICO¡¡

[@brentsmith5647]

Brilliant video thank u 👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍

[@GarageHobbyist]

Thanks for watching! 🤘

[@LiftWeightsLoveGod]

I have some clamps they’re stainless, and what they will be welding to is carbon steel. It will be painted/powder coated. Would I be fine with welding both metals with regular flux?

[@eyesopen6110]

Do you slow (way) down with the stainless steel wire?

[@aguaaqua6343]

Thank you so much!!!!

[@GarageHobbyist]

Absolutely! Thanks for watching!🤘

[@trevorhenry1003]

Well this is fancy

[@EastEndSurfRider701]

Hey man do you happen to know if Blue Demon are the only guys manufacturing stainless steel flux cored wire? Can’t seem to find any other SS flux core in any of my local stores like Home Depot, Lowe’s Tractor Supply Harbor Freight. Not getting much results online. Thanks.

[@jasonl3445]

Thanks!

[@GarageHobbyist]

No problem!

[@vopenacattleco]

Thanks bro

[@soulseeker42388]

Out of curiosity how does the stainless fluxcore wire. Prevent sugaring of the root on stainless since there is no purge gass?

[@pedropedro2837]

Thank sir

[@crischalmers1277]

Don't use mild steel wire on stuff you don't want rust on. If you brush your stainless steel that you don't want rust on with a mild steel wire brush it will rust. Just a heads up.

[@GarageHobbyist]

Good point that I forgot to mention. Thanks!

[@mannys8259]

Looking to try out stainless steel flux core wire. But I'm wondering if it's available in 0.03 rather than .035. Might that not work out better?

[@GarageHobbyist]

YesWelder now offers it in .030. It might work a little better amzn.to/3JwoxZq

[@jasonjulian1]

What starting settings on the Ti125 do you recommend? I've got this welder and a spool of stainless wire coming...

[@GarageHobbyist]

Depends entirely on the thickness of the metal and wire. I would start at your regular steel settings and increase it slightly. Adjust until you’re getting a good bead.

[@GarageHobbyist]

🔥🔥🔥Listen to the Garage Hobbyist Podcast on your favorite Podcast Platform! Spotify: open.spotify.com/show/468HSez3ZtEf6n5jXijNjN Apple: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/garage-hobbyist-small-workshop-podcast/id1662398205 Anchor (links to everywhere): anchor.fm/garagehobbyist

[@williambikash6645]

Steel flux core wire calls for negative ground and stainless steel fluxcore wire calls for positive ground. My Titanium 125 welder is negative ground only. I don't know if can be modified to positive ground and easily switched back to negative ground for most welding. My 90 amp Chicago has been modified with a rectifer and a large capacitor and I think I can swap wires to change from dcen to dcep. If it works with the SS wire I will leave it dcep permanently and use the Titanium for everything else.

[@GarageHobbyist]

I've used my Titanium 125 as it is for stainless wire with no issue. Give it a try, it should work out just fine!

[@trey8543]

Which wire would you choose for welding mild steel and stainless steel exhaust parts together? I’m needing to join two stainless tips to mild steel pipe

[@GarageHobbyist]

I would probably just use regular steel wire. The mild steel and stainless are going to mix at the weld so you won’t get any rust protection. The mild steel wire doesn’t need to be ran as hot so it will work out a little better one the thin exhaust tubing.

[@joew7013]

Mild steel.

[@Zerja]

Silicon bronze, and you would braze and not weld, either gas, tig or mig, I like mig.

[@captnclem]

309

[@TireSlayer55]

I researched this and ER308L-FC is the best choice. 309 would be an acceptable option as well. Regular mild steel wire will likely work fine as well but the weld may not be as strong. Unless you’re doing butt joints it shouldn’t matter though… exhaust shops weld stainless parts every day (cat converters, aftermarket parts, Euro cars) and I’ll bet that 99% of them don’t use stainless wire…

[@V1RRU374]

A year later but do you think the chicago 125 would be able to run the stainless wire as well ?

[@GarageHobbyist]

It runs it as good as flux core stainless can be ran!

[@DontStopBrent]

Do you need gas with the stainless flux core? Did I miss something? Thanks for sharing.

[@GarageHobbyist]

No gas required.

[@sigvision4189]

I would love to see this stainless wire used in the arc captain or yes welder. I am torn between those two but want one that can weld stainless flux.

[@GarageHobbyist]

The arc captain should run it just fine! I’m hoping to get more content out after the beginning of the year.

[@sigvision4189]

@GarageHobbyist would love to see it, if you had the stainless wire still then run a bead on some stainless flat with all your welders 😀

[@SorrentoShore]

What settings did you use? Didn't catch that

[@GarageHobbyist]

I honestly don’t remember. It likes to be hotter and faster than standard flux core.

[@victorbarranca2910]

what were you grounded to? I thought to complete the circuit you needed to connect to the item you were welding?

[@GarageHobbyist]

Not necessarily. I usually ground to the table as long as what I am working on has good contact. It makes welding small things easier, and let’s you move things around without messing with the clamp.

[@marcoantoniolinofrancia9668]

Donde lo compro en lima perú

[@nguyentuan1990]

Can the simder weld the stainless steel core?

[@GarageHobbyist]

Yes, you can use the stainless flux core in the Simder machine

[@Thesilverrat]

Ok listening up. Use stainless on stainless. But make sure you know what type of stainless you are welding. There are three main types with austenitic being the most common. Without getting technical if you use stainless wire to weld mild steel the joint will crack in the dilution zone next to the actual weld. Mild steel welding wire has additional alloys to give you the proper mild steel weld. Stainless wire does not, it has alloys designed for stainless welding. If you want to join stainless to mild steel there is a special wire just for that. E309L.

[@robertramirez5043]

What if you powder coat the parts? Will it still rust?

[@GarageHobbyist]

If you clean the welds after and powder coat it should be as good as any other powder coated piece

[@TexasNEV]

My results for using stainless flux core wire with the Titanium 125 were the same.. Didn't flow. Tried so many different settings and never got it to flow like mild steel... Not sure what to do.

[@GarageHobbyist]

It is finicky and not very fun, that’s for sure. Often times I find it not worth the aggravation unless it really needs to be stainless, and anymore I TIG it.

[@TexasNEV]

@@GarageHobbyist I heard somewhere that the polarity has to be reversed for stainless FC wire and then it will flow. If you have a welder that can reverse polarity that'd be interesting to see a video of the difference..

[@GarageHobbyist]

@@TexasNEV interesting. I don’t actually. The Simder has positive and negative connections, but the flux lead is fixed and can’t be moved.

[@TexasNEV]

@@GarageHobbyist I might have to rig up something to try that, and put it up on my channel unless someone beats me to it.. Hint hint.. :) I would need some of this bizarre unknown thing called "free time" to do that though.

[@GarageHobbyist]

@@TexasNEV 😂😂 I hear that. I’ve got a pretty full load myself

[@Canadienwildlife]

im a welder and got a job welding a steel plate to an aluminum counter in a kitchen in a restaurant to block a whole that mice are passing trough, so you are saying i can use regular flux core steel wire on stainless to attach a steel plate?

[@steelmaniacwi]

Steel and aluminum will not weld together mild steel and stainless can be done by use all stainless in a kitchen

[@williamwhite7820]

I don't understand why all these people are making how to videos without talking about the welder settings at all. Can you start talking about your settings in a how to video

[@GarageHobbyist]

Because my settings and your settings aren’t going to be the same. There are plenty of reference charts online to use as a starting point. Then you need to fine tune to your welder, material, and wire. Even two welders that are the same model may have variances between each other.

[@GetaJetta]

Try running it on dcep rather than negative Should fix the welds

[@GarageHobbyist]

You can’t easily switch it, if at all, on these flux core machines.

[@melgross]

Generally, I would NOT recommend using wire for mild steel on stainless. Not only will the weld be subject to rusting, the weld will pull nickel and chrome out of the heat affected zone of the stainless itself. It makes the heat affected zone and the weld itself more brittle and more subject to cracking. You might get away with it for small art work not something heavy and subject to stress. The best thing to do is to try to find fluxcore 309L wire. That will work with stainless to mild, stainless to stainless and mild to mild. Yes, it costs more. But think of what you’re welding and whether it’s of value to you. If it is, then the extra cost is really not that much. Just u derstand that standard wire will rust u dear paint and your weld still will be weak.

[@GarageHobbyist]

It should adjust with the knob pulled out.

[@bossfoh4171]

The might wilding mashing with gas can weld with out gas thanks

[@GarageHobbyist]

If you use flux core wire, yes. Thanks for watching 🤘

[@bossfoh4171]

@@GarageHobbyist thanks so much 👍👍👍👍

[@bossfoh4171]

@@GarageHobbyist hello the flux core wire can weld stanless steel? Thanks

[@GarageHobbyist]

@@bossfoh4171 Regular flux wire will weld stainless with no problem, but will rust eventually. Stainless flux wire is what you need to use if you want to keep the weld from rusting.

[@bossfoh4171]

@@GarageHobbyist Hello please don't mind me this kind of wilding it something new in our country Freetown Sierra Leone West Africa i salute you sir thanks

[@badtrip801]

And the reason why stainless is harder to weld because it's oxidation temperature is a lot higher than normal metals., It takes a lot more heat to break that oxide barrier

[@steelmaniacwi]

That oxide layer is with aluminum not stainless steel.....

[@Thesilverrat]

No that's wrong ​@@GarageHobbyist

[@fishonthefly5050]

Ok , so I'm a welder . This was nothing but a watch myself video with talking points that are read off any welders manual . One - always match material when using mig wire . If it's carbon steel use carbon steel wire if it's stainless steel, use stainless steel wire . TWO . Flux core wire welding is stick welding in wire form , that's it . You're using the mig welding process , but with stick electrode methods . Mig is Metal Inert Gas ..... Thing is , you're not using gas . You don't chip off flux from welds with mig wire with gas . And THREE . ALWAYS MAKE SURE THE MATERIAL YOU'RE WELDING IS CLEAN WHEN USING A FLUX WIRE AND GAPPS ARE VERY TIGHT. VERTICLE WELDS WITH FLUX CORE WIRE IS UP IN HAND NOT DOWN LIKE WITH GAS FED MIG WIRE .

[@someguydino6770]

sorry; hate me; but once again here's a video that is mostly about a guy's face?