Sanitary Stainless Pipe Welds

by Andy
(Boonville)

I'm trying to learn how to TIG weld sanitary stainless pipes (usually 1.5" to 2" diameter) at the brewery where I work. I can't find much "down and dirty" information about proper weld preparation and argon purging technique. I know there's a bunch of people out there doing it, but very little info on exactly how. I can get clean looking welds on the exterior, but the interior also needs to be free of pitting that can harbor bacterial growth. Any advise would be greatly appreciated.

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cleanliness and a good purge are 2 of the main things.

purging stainless steel Help



there are companies who make all kinds of purge fittings that make getting a purge quicker and easier but duct tape has been used for a long time.

knowing that argon heavier than air and positioning the hose and vent hole in the right places is super important.

basically, the argon purge hose should be at the lowest point and a vent hole at the highest point without any possibility of trapping air in some unvented high points.

from there, a pure meter is the only surefire way to know there is a good purge.

most people dont use a purge meter because they are about 1000 bucks.

but if you have a good purge and use just the minimal amps to penetrate, the root should be silver , and smooth.

I will be putting up some information on this pretty soon, but have just been to slammed to do a video on it .

stay tuned.