Hot take: Stainless tig welding is way better than people give it credit for on structural jobs

I was at a supply shop in Gary last week and overheard a foreman telling his apprentice to never use stainless on boiler supports because it's too brittle. I got thinking about it though - I've used 308L on some high-heat stuff and it held up fine for 3 years now. The cost is higher but you save on corrosion repairs down the line. Anyone here ever pushed for stainless on a job and got shot down?

2 comments

2 Comments

william_miller21d ago

Man, that foreman sounds like he's still living in 1985 when stainless was made of hopes and dreams. Probably buys his work boots at a payless too.

jamieperez21d agoMost Upvoted

Ask if he's ever actually tried running a modern digital caliper on wet stainless or if he still "feels" the thickness with his calloused hands. Like does he know that even cheap harbor freight tools can give you 0.001 inch repeatability if you know how to zero them right? I've worked with old timers who swear by the tap test for weld integrity and they couldn't be more wrong half the time. The real question is whether he's open to learning new methods or if he's just gonna keep burning through material and rework.