Type of rod to join mild & stainless?

[joatmon]

Question: I have a 6" channel iron 30" long that I need to weld to the bottom of a ¼" thick stainless fertilizer bin hopper. The channel iron will have a vibrator bolted to it to dislodge bridged fertilizer. Should I use some stainless rod or something like 7018? The hopper has about a 60º slope to it. Thanks in advance for your comments!

[greywynd]

There should be someone that can suggest a SMAW rod for what you're doing, but in the menatime, any time I've tigged SS to mild I've always used a SS filler rod. If you have that available, I'd suggest it....but maybe someone else here can tell us if the 7018 or something like that will work.

Mark

[joebass]

309 SS is the correct rod.

[blaz72282]

i've used esab 308L-15 Arcalloy for mild to stainless with good results. This is an SS rod, and it really flows nicely.

[Sberry]

I got to go with Joe here if you want to do it the best way, it might not matter all that much though in this case?

[joatmon]

Thanks for the comments.. I wasn't sure if the ss rod would hold up to the severe vibrations or not. I guess before I start, I had better practice my vertical up with stainless rod.....

[Aeroweld]

I'm along with Joe and Cary.
1st choice would be 309
Alternative would be any stainless that you have.
While 7018 might work in your application, I always prefer a rod that closely matches the more "exotic" of the 2 dissimiler base materials; in this case stainless.

[calweld]

I've used 7018 plenty of times in the past in this type of application with no problems. Being out of position, it may actually be the better choice, it's much easier to do a good bead with 7018 in this case than SS, I prefer a good bead with perhaps not the perfect filler material than a poor bead with the ideal filler.

[rattle]

309 should hold up to vibration better than 7018

[MAC702]

Flip it over or do whatever to get it into position (I don't really know how big this thing is) and use E309 stainless.

[calweld]

309 should hold up to vibration better than 7018

This application is 60 degrees, bottom of a hopper, seems to me you have a combination of overhead, uphill angle. Most people would have trouble just sticking the channel on with SS rod, let alone hold up to the vibration.

I repeat,

I prefer a good bead with perhaps not the perfect filler material than a poor bead with the ideal filler.

[Pile Buck]

I've used 7018 plenty of times in the past in this type of application with no problems. Being out of position, it may actually be the better choice, it's much easier to do a good bead with 7018 in this case than SS, I prefer a good bead with perhaps not the perfect filler material than a poor bead with the ideal filler.

I’ve never tried this myself, but have had numerous amount of pipe fitter weldors tell me they’ve had very good success this way!

[rattle]

This application is 60 degrees, bottom of a hopper, seems to me you have a combination of overhead, uphill angle. Most people would have trouble just sticking the channel on with SS rod, let alone hold up to the vibration.

I repeat,

Oh, OK. I used 309 rod every so often for pipe that is going through a hull. Pipes are normally round and a hull is usually not horizontal or vertical. But if you can't weld stainless rods maybe JB Weld would be a better choice?

[joatmon]

Calweld, you're right-- it is as you said a combination of uphill overhead, and getting it in to position is out of the question. I'll give the stainless rod a shot and if it doesn't work for me, I'll resort to the 7018. I know I can run a good bead with that. Thanks for everyones thoughts!

[Pile Buck]

Remember to run the stainless a little colder than you would 7018!