Dan,
I've seen pretty good results with using MIG to weld the stainless steel through hulls to carbon steel using stainless wire on a hyperbaric chamber. What are the advantages of using a TIG machine for this? Is it that TIG has less chances of inclusions and a smoother finish?
Regards,
Brent
From: "Daniel Lance" <lanceind@earthlink.net>
Reply-To: personal_submersibles@psubs.org
To: personal_submersibles@psubs.org
Subject: [PSUBS-MAILIST] Re: Welding machines for submersiles
Date: Fri, 16 Mar 2007 06:26:01 -0400
Ray,I would recommend the smaw welding process for all your pressure boundry welds , tig for the stainless steel penetrations and the mig welding process for everything else.A good used stick welding (smaw) machine with an amperage rating of 250 to 300 amps will cost somewhere in the neighborhood of one to two thousand dollars. It has to have a duty cycle of at least 60 percent. As a bonus you can also do your tig welding with the same machine, utilizing a scratch strart technique. To save money you can do without the mig machine and do everything with stick . Stick welding (coated electrodes) is the most versitile process for doing equipment repair too. Miller, Lincoln , Airco, Hobart and Esab are some of the more common brand names . Be sure to get one with an infinate type amperage adjustment versus one that only adjusts in 15 or 20amp "clicks" . I would not take a click type even if someone wanted to give it to me. Is not enough fine adjustment for the critical work that you will need to do.Dan LanceDaniel LanceEarthLink Revolves Around You.