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Tig Weld 1045 to 4140

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This short video is about using inconel 82 tig rod to TIG weld 1045 steel to 4140 steel.  Its short and sweet but I hope there are a few helpful tips.

1045 is very common in hand tools like pliers, vise grips, welding clamps, etc.

the 45 means .45% carbon or...45 points of carbon.

Thats enough carbon to make it harden by heat treatment and also adds quite a bit of strength to the steel even in the  normalized condition.


The job in front of me  today is about 20 sets of snap ring pliers that need to be modified.  Snap-on does not list the material type anywhere that I could find so I am  assuming they are made from 1045 steel because it has been my experience that many hand tools are.

I am welding some knurled pieces machined from 4140 steel on to the ends of the pliers.  Its some type of special tool that reaches into the inside diameter of something and the knurled jaws are supposed to pull something out...thats about all I know. There is a drawing specifying the radius of the knurled pieces of 4140 and instructions to heat treat after welding to a certain hardness. ( I think around 50hrc).


I get little weird jobs like this a few times a year and honestly, most of them are gravy jobs.

I am using inconel 82 filler rod for a few reasons.

  1. I have used it before many times on high carbon steel injection molds
  2. I have plenty of it in stock that I bought at scrap prices.
  3. The inconel 82 rod I have is .030"  (.8mm) in diameter 

I was lucky enough a few years ago to be able to buy a bunch of random tig wire that was not flag tagged properly to be compliant for the company I worked for.  I bought a whole crap load for about 100 bucks.

 I mainly bought all the rods because there was quite a bit of hastelloy W in the batch.  although the 5 pounds or so of the inconel 82 that was mixed in has really come in handy.

Inconel 82 is pretty expensive rod because it contains around 67% nickel.  So if I didnt already have it on hand, what would be the best rod to use?

312 stainless filler rod would have been my choice if I had to pick some up at the welding supply.  Its much cheaper than nickel alloys and is very versatile and crack resistant on high strength steels like 1045 and 4140.


Watch more videos on how to tig weld


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