Metal finishing Q&As since 1989

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Finishing Stainless Steel After Welding

2001

We are looking for safe and economical methods for finishing Stainless Steel after welding:

1) Removing weld discoloration

2) Regraining #4 Brushed Stainless

We are interested in chemical, electrical, electrochemical and manual methods. Most of our applications are low volume precision sheet metal components used in food or pharmaceutical equipment.

Brian Landsman
- Chagrin Falls, Ohio, USA

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There are commercial products that should be available through a good welding shop for chemical removal of the oxidation around the weld. These pastes should be safe when handled carefully and supplied with directions and applicable warnings. My guess is that you will have to do some mechanical finishing to restore the original texture.

Larry Hanke
Minneapolis, Minnesota
2001

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2001

Brian:

There is no "easy" way to do all you want to do, primarily the returning of the finish to #4 Brushed Finish. The best system we could recommend is to brush the surface of the welded area to remove the weld discoloration and return the surface to a semblance of the #4 finish with a ss wire brush or rotating brush on a drill or similar, followed by passivation with a proprietary citric acid to make sure the surface of the weld will not rust. Let us know if we can help.

Regards,

Lee Kremer
Stellar Solutions, Inc.

McHenry, Illinois

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Try this combination Nitric - hydrofluoric acid combination. It will take some 5 minutes when you brush the welded part with tooth brush.
Hari Om!

Hari
- Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
2006