I'm wanting to make an address plate for my mail box. I picked up on a sheet of 4 inch x 30 inch 16 guage stainless from the scrap bin at the metal store. My idea is to make my address by laying a bead of flux core on top of the stainless for a hopefully cool patina look. Any ideas? I guess my biggest fear would be burn through since the weld isn't structural.
Stainless steel wire and an extremely long contact tip to work distance, 2" or more
Get the Lincoln Electric fcaw welding guide available from Lincoln Electric on the internet free
Flux core is going to be tough. If I were approaching it I would use whatever the setting is on your MIG for 1/16 sheet.
Make the numbers by doing tack welds only. If you try to run a bead on that thinn of material, you will blow through. I would pull the trigger on the MIG and mentally do a 2 count and release. Let the bead cool for a second and then repeat by stacking the tack welds. As you are stacking beads, place the center of the next weld on the edge of the last rack.
To reduce the likelihood of blowing through angle your flux core at 30-45 degrees from your working surface.
Also, if you have a thicker piece of steel or copper to rest your sheet on, it will help reduce blow through.
Finally, Flux core splatters like whoa, so have your chipping hammer and wire brush handy.
Because I just so happen to have 1/4 x 3 inch x 6 feet copper plate sitting in the corner of my living room I think I'll try that. I don't want to do stainless wire as I actually want the rust on the numbers. I do kinda wish I'd picked up a test piece but I've winged life so far so why change now?
If you get stuck bring it with you and i’ll run it with shielding gas so it doesn’t spatter.
In reply to Patrick :
Yeah just realized today that's two weeks away. Be nice to see the shop clean and not below freezing this time.
In reply to Stampie :
It’s berkeleying snowing
In reply to Patrick :
Man was not intended to live in those conditions.
For flux-core splatter, I've been using the CRC anti-splatter spray and it actually does precisely what it claims to. When I put my exhaust together for the Neon, I was playing around a little and used the flux core to letter the exhaust pipe and other than not being able to draw a straight line in any medium to save my life, it worked out pretty well. That's probably a little bit thicker than what you're trying to do, though. I sprayed down the area with the CRC spray before starting, though, and when I was finished, (and it cooled down) just wiped it down with a rag and was left with a mostly clean background.
(and it's snowing here, too. I'm not sure who ordered this, but I'm not real pleased about it)
In a very unusual move for me it's actually come out just like the vision in my head.
Berk yeah.
Very cool. Looks better than I expected!
You'll need to log in to post.
