I'm looking a making my first stainless damascus, but I don't have a tig welder. I'm just wondering If it will still work to stick weld the can around it. Also, I've heard of many different ways of doing it, like putting cardboard in the can to burn out the oxygen, using a clay slurry in the can, wd40, air hole, etc.... For the air hole, (this is a stupid question, but I want to know the meaning behind it) is there a specific spot to put the air hole? Because i thought the whole point of can welding it was to prevent air from getting in. I also know you need to relieve pressure but I'm just wondering how those two can both work.

Some folks I know use sq steel tubing, weld the bottom cap on---by any means! Cover the inside with a "release compound".  Load it tight with clean pieces of metal for their billet, add the proverbial oxygen scavenger and weld on the top cap----by any means. Leaving a pin hole to outgas; so the inside pressure doesn't pop the weld during heating and working.  I got to see one pop during a demo where a good welder had welded the can for the demonstrator.  The demonstrator was a bit surprised as he said he wasn't a good enough arc welder to get an air tight joint and so that was a first for him.  If your welds are great you could always drill a pinhole in the top.

What's inside of the can doesn't care what arc process you use to weld the can. As it's not in contact with it.

Titanium dioxide is a common release agent. White out liquid contains TiO2, but it is also available as a powder.

Ok cool, Do i need a different flux or is borax good?

 

Although, I probably wont need a release agent if I use a mild steel square tube, I doubt it will weld to the stainless

the flux for stainless is very toxic, and why do you think SS wont weld to the mild?

3 minutes ago, Steve Sells said:

the flux for stainless is very toxic, and why do you think SS wont weld to the mild?

Do I need the flux if I'm using a canister? And I've tried forge welding and mild before it wen't pretty bad. I thought stainless welded better to itself than to mild steel

If you arent welding good now why start SS? and how did you plan to deal with the Chrome oxide layer?

From my very basic understanding of working with stainless, it's much harder to weld/work with compared to carbon steel. I may just narrow carbon steel down to mild steel since I may be generalizing with that statement. There are too many alloys I don't know to say one type is always easier than the other...

I have noticed when forging stainless it has a much more specific range of working temperatures. Too cold and it splits apart, too hot and it burns (obviously). It's also tougher to forge than mild, I would say it (in my case "it" was 316 SS... maybe 304? but I think it was 316) was comparable to spring steel under the hammer, but you have to be much more careful about the temperatures. 

I've never tried welding it, but I wouldn't expect it to be easier than mild.

Stainless steel needs to have nearly no way of forming an oxide when welding it. 

The question of using a cannister vs layered and welded are completely different processes.    Stainless can be welded to mild steel or other carbon steels if layered totally flat with no air spaces then completely welded around the outside edges.. 

Every piece needs to be complete clean. 

Cannister vs  layered are 2 different methods as well as technique.

And yes you can stick weld it..   They sell electrodes for such welds..  309, 316 designed as electrodes and you can buy them for stick, mig or tig. 

 

many Stainless steel will reform the chrome oxide layer in as little as 15 minutes after grinding, that layer is why they are stainless

Steve that is a good point.  Time is of the essence. 

15 hours ago, Steve Sells said:

If you arent welding good now why start SS? and how did you plan to deal with the Chrome oxide layer?

Sorry, that should've said I've tried forge welding stainless to mild before and it didn't go so well. I can get consistently excellent welds on carbon or mild steel by itself though.  I've heard all the stuff about stainless being super difficult, that is why I said I thought it would be suuper hard

I've seen people stack and layer, then put a canister around. That is what I was thinking of doing with this one.

The only real idea with the cannister or the welding around is to seal out the air so it does not get an oxide layer.