stainless steel pipe for welding Boat rails can be a gravy job, but they can also be extremely challenging.

Boat owners can be very demanding.

Welds must not only be strong, but also look good. In fact, many boat owners expect welds on boat rails to be virtually invisible.

And why not? Welds don’t have to be ugly to be strong.

316 stainless steel It is often used for marine hardware such as boat rails and strut foot fittings because 316 stainless steel is more resistant to saltwater corrosion than most other grades of stainless steel like 304, for example. But maintaining corrosion resistance throughout the welding process requires some attention to detail. To weld stainless steel pipe for marine applications, follow these guidelines:

• always use a stainless steel wire brush that has never been used for anything else
• use the correct filler metal – if the stainless steel pipe to be welded is 316L, then use 316L filler metal
• Pay attention to the fit: a perfect fit, without gap, results in a better bond
• back purge with argon or use a split sleeve backup ring
• use the correct amperage – just enough to achieve the desired penetration, but not enough to turn metal gray
• For welds that will be exposed to salty air, a polish followed by a flux paste helps increase corrosion resistance

In addition to the tips above, use a tig welding technique that allows you to minimize heat input, such as pulsing current if your tig welder has pulse capability.

PS: Some welders have found that a pulse setting of about 40 pulses per second, 30 percent on time percentage, and 30 percent background current is helpful in minimizing heat input.