How to tig weld stainless steel

This page is mainly for welders who can already tig weld but want to learn more about how to tig weld stainless steel.

If you need more basic how to tig weld instructions go to the main how to tig weld page

learn more about furick cups like the fupa12 ceramic below

There are many different grades of stainless steels. According to https://atlanticstainless.com/ there are more than 60.

The 2 most commonly welded 300 series stainless steels are 304L and 316L.

While this page is focussed mainly on 304L and 316L, the best practices described here can be applied to most other stainless alloys like 301, 321, and others.

The techniques used for TIG welding stainless steel are not that much different than for carbon steels, 4130 chromoly, or other low alloys steels.

So if you can TIG weld carbon steel, you can learn to TIG weld stainless too.

One of the most important considerations when tig welding 304 or 316 stainless is maintaining the stainless properties.

Stainless steel is specified for its combination of strength resistance to corrosion. But poor practices and procedures can compromise the corrosion resistance of stainless steel.

There are several videos shown in this blog post but …this first video is a good overview of best practices for how to tig weld stainless steel and is again is mainly for those who can already tig weld but want to learn how to tig weld stainless steel.

AC DC tig welder under 1000 dollars

return to the main "HOW TO TIG WELD PAGE"

Argon Gas Flow Rates for Different Cup Sizes

The gas Flow rate needed for a given cup size is around 2 to 3 CFH multiplied by cup size depending on how drafty the shop is and other factors like joint type.

This chart uses a factor of 2.5 which is a great starting point for tig welding stainless but you may want to experiment with slightly higher flow rates due to differences from one flowmeter to the next.