| Author | Message | ||
     Gemini |
MANY thanks to dean for some insight the build my own mt-1 muffler. just the right amount of noise for me. gave me a good project to due while i wait for the doc to clear me for work. trying to tig weld to tips on made me realize that i need to practice my fine motor skills in my hands. started the get the twitches. as dean pointed out, LOW heat when rewelding these muffler housings back together. unfortunaintly, my tig machine does not have a foot pedal. damn snap on welder. lol. on the lowest heat setting, if i sat in any one spot for more than 2-3 seconds, i was about to burn a hole through it. putting the tips on was far easier. the tips acted as a heat sink to help keep the heat load on the muffler housing lower. but those damn twitches made for a few areas of ugly welds......but they ain't coming off.  | ||
| Jdugger |
You gotta keep the torch moving, even when you have a pedal to adjust the heat. | ||
| Gemini |
yeah, don't get me wrong, wasn't sitting still with the torch. trying to run a bead would easily turn in to a blown hole. i did more of a stitch approach to help manage the heat a little better | ||
| Jdugger |
Thin material? Did you back gas it? You can also shape a bit of copper plate behind the material and weld it that way. In extreme cases, you can flip the polarity around. It makes welding SS kinda tricky -- really tricky, really -- and the torch will get VERY HOT, but it works. | ||
| Gemini |
i did not back gas it. i know that is a better way of doing it. yes, thin material. the muffler housing is some thin stuff. | ||
| Jdugger |
With thin stainless, you either MUST backgas it or you MUST use a copper backing plate. If you get the backside of the weld above about 1200F, you will promote carbide precipitation in the metal, and your weld will corrode and fail given time and environmental conditions. If you look at the backside of that weld and it's got sections that "look like little bunches of burnt grapes", go ahead and cut it out now. That thing is going to get brittle and break off soon enough. | ||
| Gemini |
didn't weld any stainless. i used mild steel tips that are chrome coated and the muffler housing is mild steel. | ||
| Jdugger |
What are you doing to prevent rust on that muffler? | ||
| Gemini |
repainted with 500F engine paint. i'll keep and eye on it through out the summer, if i see any rust, i'll pull it back off and try something different. the chrome didn't discolor past the weld. did 4 light-med coats of paint after i taped off the tips and the stainless inlet. i'll try to get a decent pic of the muffler back on the bike later today |
