A lot of DIY welding enthusiasts and professionals who work with stainless steel know that the metal gets tinted during the heating and welding process. In the welding industry, various terms are used to describe this phenomenon, such as discoloration, oxide scale, and rainbow effect. This is a process similar to electrochemical cleaning but configured slightly differently. Muller Media LLC also participates in affiliate programs with Bluehost, Clickbank, CJ, ShareASale, and other sites. Ever since then, I've been doing all kinds of welds - both for business and pleasure - while immersing myself in this wonderful hobby. They are expensive but safe and effective. The second method involves using special electrolytic baths where metal parts are immersed in electrolytic fluids. I am a teacher living in the Pacific Northwest and an amateur welder. Make sure to use an abrasive for stainless steel to get the best results and minimize contamination that can cause rust. Follow up the treatment for a brushed finish with more grinding using a wheel or sander with 220 or 240 grit abrasive. The brushed finish has little shine and doesn’t show fingerprints or other smudges very well. There are a number of pastes which can be applied with a brush if the area to be treated is small. Welding Headquarters is the site where I share everything I've learned. When stainless steel is commercially finished, these grades are specified in the product requirements. It looks good and resists corrosion, but it won’t show fingerprints or smudges. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it. Avoid using pressure washers if you can – those will splash the paste all over the place. You can perform manual electrochemical weld cleaning with the brush on site, off site and anywhere in between. There is no reason to go to the expense of using stainless steel if you are going to let that happen. They are also useful for home welders who weld lots of stainless and are willing to invest in the equipment. This site is owned and operated by Muller Media LLC. The operator’s whole body must be fully covered so that there is no chance of contact with the acids. Good electropolishing apparatus will clean and passivate a metal surface at the same time and you don’t need to carry out any repetitive tasks. Acid baths are best for high-volume environments, small parts, and low-profit margins. The most significant difference in a brushed finish and a satin or matte finish is the direction of the brush marks. It will impregnate the stainless and that is why sometimes you see rust on stainless steel. These ten suggestions are all basic good housekeeping measures that are typical of what may be considered essential fabricating procedures with stainless steels. When stainless steel is heated to welding temperatures, it turns lots of pretty colors - gold, red, purple, blue - depending on the temperatures. More than 30 different types of welding exist, however, two are considered the most popular: MIG and TIG... Hello, I'm Ben and I am a hobby welder. Electrochemical cleaning is easy to perform anywhere because the equipment is quite portable and easy to move around. High temperatures. After tig welding the tube together and blending the welds, what is the best way to get the surface scratches to look uniform? Both follow the same underlying principle of moving electricity through the weld to remove discoloration. Instead of using an electric current to add a layer to the base metal, electrochemical cleaning uses the current to pull a layer off the base metal. Yes, there are a number of ways. These grinders let you get into inside corners, concave spaces, and other odd spots. This finish looks clean with minimal upkeep. This is usually an industrial finish in applications that don’t need to be sterilized. Recent innovations in abrasives technology can reduce process steps to deliver the desired finish, including that sought-after surface shine. This finish leaves everything looking consistently dull. Not every project will require grinding the bead. Electropolishing not only clears the surface from stains, but it also helps the metal become properly passivated. How much safer? Just keep grinding until the heat tint is no more. If you aren’t going to do a lot of inside corner grinding, you can use a flexible shaft on a rotary tool with the appropriate grinder wheel to get into nooks and crannies. If you have ever been given the task of welding for a big project, you have likely been presented with a welding blueprint. It is just a metal, and a good welder can figure out how to weld, clean, and polish it. For projects that aren’t highly cosmetic, removing the heat tint is the end of the road. You connect the electropolishing equipment, drop the steel in the tank, and walk away. A wet cloth or sponge is the best way to remove the paste, followed by a gentle spray of water. To get a brushed finish, use a flap wheel or a fiber-backed wheel of 80 or 120 grit. Mechanical weld cleaning is a common and low cost method used for cleaning stainless steel. (if you don’t, get an angle grinder. And affect your weld. Using glass beads to work on the surface of the metal lets you get a uniformly smooth surface with no polishing grain, but still appearing very dull. This layer separates the iron base underneath from interacting with moisture in the environment. The grinder can pick up particles of ordinary steel, then smear the regular steel into the stainless. Aggressive Conditions Cause Rust on Stainless Steel. 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