TIG welding stainless steel settings you can trust

Stop guessing. Stainless punishes heat input mistakes with warping, sugaring, and weak joints. If you want repeatable, sanitary, code-ready results, your TIG welding stainless steel settings must be precise and matched to thickness, joint type, and gas delivery. Everything You NEED to Know About TIG Welding distills proven shop procedures into clear numbers you can dial in fast.

Get the details that matter: DCEN, 100% argon at 12–20 CFH through a gas lens and #8–#12 cup; 2% lanthanated (or thoriated) tungsten in 1/16"–3/32" with a 20–30° taper and small flat; arc length equal to tungsten diameter; ER308L for 304, ER316L for 316. For 16 ga (0.065") sheet, expect 45–70 A with 1–2 Hz pulse, 30–50% background, 35–50% duty to control heat tint and distortion. Back-purge tees and tube with 5–15 CFH and tight dams to eliminate sugar. Keep interpass under 300°F, clean with acetone, and maintain consistent torch angle and travel speed. This guide provides thickness-based charts from 0.035" to 1/4", purge setups, and troubleshooting so your stainless looks as good as it performs.

• Exact amperage, pulse, cup, tungsten, and gas flow tables by thickness and joint.
• Back-purge methods, flow rates, and purge time calculators for spotless roots.
• Rapid fixes for heat tint, porosity, undercut, warpage, and inconsistent bead profile.