brown scum never stops

[mos68x]

[mos68x]

[Inkpen]

Here is one filler metal chart.
http://www.brazing.com/products/Weld_St ... _chart.asp
There are many on the net. Argon is the gas for welding SS.
TIG welding isn't hard but it does require a lot of practice. A lot of practice.

[Looking In]

[mos68x]

[mos68x]

[Looking In]

mos68x, I have only whats posted in your folder. I have no other information. I don't need pictures, The brown scum is Iron and or rust. Bob described it very well in getting the plates clean in early posts. And not trying to introduce contaminates in our boxes.
Everyone has this problem. What people don't know that stainless steel is self curing. Oxygen from the atmosphere or a hydroxy cell combines with the chromium in the stainless steel to form this passive chromium oxide film that protects from further corrosion. Any contamination of the surface by dirt, or other material, hinders this passivation process and traps corrosive agents, reducing corrosion protection. Thus, some form of routine cleaning is necessary to preserve the appearance and integrity of the surface.
Anytime you bend, cut, weld, drill, and expose stainless steel to oxygen it forms a invisible layer of iron oxide. The basic composition of stainless steel is iron (Fe) and chromium (Cr).
The corrosion resistance of stainless steel is due to a 'passive', chromium-rich complex, oxide film that forms naturally on the surface of the steel. This is the normal condition for stainless steel surfaces and is known as the 'passive state' or 'passive condition'. Stainless steels will naturally self-passivate whenever a clean surface is exposed to an environment that can provide enough oxygen to form the chromium-rich oxide surface layer

[Inkpen]

If you can't locate stainless cables you might try using 316 filler rod. It comes in sizes like 1/8 and 3/32. If you need it coated try gently sliping off the plastic cover from copper conducter and putting it on the stainless. To attach it to the cell use a small rectanguler piece of 316 and weld the individual conductors to it like a bus bar. Drill the other end to bolt it to the cell lead. The best electrode for welding is now considered to be ceriated tungston as it wont leave deposites of thorium. Also check out the new electrode tip angles in the tig book at millerwelds.com. They are very flat. Certianly not what you are used too. They have high speed photos of the arc cone and cut examples showing the different penetration profiles. It is worth a look if you do any precision TIG welding.

[mos68x]

Thanks for the idea Ink, right now I'm using 1/8 and that is a bit too thick to try to make a cable from so I'll stop by the welding shop and see if I can get any thinner pieces since I'm nearly out of this batch anyways. I do have my .015 thick sheet metal strips that I can use too, so I'll probably give those a try first since I already have them here at the house and I have no other use for them.