Re welding a 14 gauge stainless steel sink

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I have to Tig weld up a 14Gauge SS 304 sink for a customer in the next few weeksThey had another shop weld the last two and I spent a good 4 days repairing them They asked if I would do the next one.My plan is to use cold bars (heat sink), weld it from the outside, purge the inside with argon or nitrogen, is this how you would do it?The other shop welded the inside and left the outside untouched, I had to repair leaks and the top seams for cracks and warping, it was a real pain because they had ground the seams so thin it was like paper.any pointers would be apreciatedThanksRoss
Reply:The inside should be welded first. But the project is not really worthwhile.Those sinks are manufactured by the hydroforming method - a system of using small stratigically placed explosive charges and a mold under water. the metal is annealed first.Any stainless would get work hardened. If it was for a workshop sink in might be ok but to restore the finish and get the brushed or non brushed look would be diffacult.If it is 400 series stainless sink, corrosion could be a factor.Only a really good TIG welder and TIG welding machine would have a chance.I would turn the job down.AWS certified welding inspectorAWS certified welder
Reply:Originally Posted by Donald BranscomThose sinks are manufactured by the hydroforming method - a system of using small stratigically placed explosive charges and a mold under water.
Reply:Thanks for both repliesThe sinks are for a large bathroon at a concrete plantthey are roughly 10" D X 24"W X 96" L with three drains and faucetsThey are not as concerned with looks as I am, I managed to salvage the last two sinks and they accepted them. They do have a brushed finish and I had to purchase a graining sander/polisher Tensaiteki I will have them cut some pieces to practice on, and I will follow your suggestions and look into the gas lens. That would probably help me on the inside seams. I was hoping I could get away with just welding the outside only, that's why I was thinking of back/purging the inside.I will post some Pics when I'm done...Thanks again Ross
Reply:You absolutely could do it all form the outside, but the problem is that the penetration has to be perfect and uniform. Any lack of pen on the inside would be a hang-out for bacteria and would eventually cause failure. Add in the fact that the gas covergae would also have to be spot on, and I'd say that the suggestion above is the most economical. I have done some work like this before, and it's not as easy as one might think. If you do it on a regular basis, then things will go a lot smoother.In my experience, an aluminum angle on the outside when you are doing the inside weld can help a little if you don't have a lot of low-amp stainless experience. It helps suck some of the heat out and can help reduce sugaring. If you have decent stainless experience, don't sweat it.
Reply:I have had medium Stainless experience but nothing quite like this I am hoping for a nice finished look on the inside and a smooth ground coner on the outside.I will practice, practice, practice on the corner scrap pieces I have picked up the gas lens for my torch I am looking forword to trying itBecause it is for a the cement plant workers bathroom I don't think they are to worried about bacteria. But just the same I want it to be the best it canThanks for everyone how responded to my post it has helped me alot
Reply:hey you might want to see if your customer wouldn't want to use 11ga sheet instead of 14 then you could use MIG with a trigas mixture and if you have a machine with a pulsed mig feature it would maybe keep you from grinding the welds pretty (dont know if its ok to see the welds or not)  Make sure no fans are blowing no drafts all that good stuff and maybe put a cardboard shield around the gun to ensure the gas cant excape . use an 1/8 inch butt weld. if you tack it all together first then brace it up with c-clamps stiffners (aka 2x4 or angle iron) anyway my point is making a sink shouldnt take days it should take a matter hours. this would help you get your money faster from your customer. TIG is great and all but your not doing pressure vessel welding and your not knitting together an open root gap or you shouldnt be. aslo you still might be able to use 14ga with mig but you would have to move fast. I weld 11 ga 304 ss all the time and that setup turns our really good parts like cake work
Reply:Hey Thanks for the info but I think 11 Gauge is to heavydid it in 14 and I think it turned out pretty good Customer was happyThanks againRossBeing good at what you do is not just skill. It is an attitude.You have to care about what you have built with your own hands. Be proud to put your name on it or don't bother doing it.
Reply:just mig the fawkn thing! if its a repair they'll be happy cause it'll hold water again and be back in place. up in Canada I think the standard is either 16 or 18 now and I mig them with little difficulty and definitely with out complaints; whatever you do DON"T try to stick weld it. I just finished a repair last week where some fukn hack came in and thought he would do a vertical up on it.... I was a total of an hour on it including wire brush, pickle paste and clean up. ya sort of have to play with your start and stops so it seals but its been 10 years and still no complaints. 1. bring a little map gas torch and heat it up and it will bend a bit and show you the full crack and dry or burn off the old food but when cooled naturally it will return to its prior shape.2. tack tack tack and yes tack again. spread the heat out a bit on the tack by starting in the center and moving out.3. weld (both sides or at least the inside) wire brush and pickle paste while hot.4. Clean the area and pack up the truck5. Get cash or cheque when leaving and enjoy!I do sink repairs for about $600 - $800 and they are done in no more then an hour and the customer is happy i saved him money. Yes i know how that sounds but if you include the price of a plumber, delivery guy, downtime and plumber and more down time till its installed then I'm well worth the money I charge and besides; its always a perfect job when i do it.. there is one in my portfolio in my Hamilton-Welding.com site its a double and the whole bottom was near off and that was $850 7 years ago and yes its still sealed..Best RegardsJay Hollandhttp://www.hamilton-welding.com
Reply:If you are doing a sink for commercial purposes such as mop sinks etc, you should very easily be able to tig them from 18 ga or 16 ga s.s. type 304. I often tig 18 ga s.s. sinks and need only to weld the outside, although I have found that 16 ga s.s. gives a very nice finish which is easy to clean. Using 14 ga is probably the most ideal, especially if you need to weld the inside also, which we have done for some doctors offices and restaurants. They'd prefer to have no seams which may assist in bacteria growth.
Reply:LOL.  I think after almost 3 years since the original post, he should be completed with the project by now.MM350P/Python/Q300MM175/Q300DialarcHFHTP MIG200PowCon300SMHypertherm380ThermalArc185Purox oaF350CrewCab4x4LoadNGo utilitybedBobcat250XMT304/Optima/SpoolmaticSuitcase12RC/Q300Suitcase8RC/Q400Passport/Q300Smith op
Reply:Originally Posted by DesertRider33LOL.  I think after almost 3 years since the original post, he should be completed with the project by now.