Can 304 Stainless Screens Be Ruined By Overheating?

[foxsavage]

I've just made my first bucket screen and as soon as I touched the torch to the screen it became severely discolored. Will this ruin the spark free quality of the 304 stainless? I just wanted to make sure before I make the rest of my screens or use this one. I used map gas which may have been too hot, I'll probably use propane for the rest of them.

Edited February 4, 2013 by foxsavage

[bob]

As far as it becoming sparking do to being heated I can't see it being a problem.

I used a electric heat gun for my bucket screens and got no discoloring, so I think your using too much heat.

bob

[NightHawkInLight]

The discoloration happens when steel is annealed. It makes the steel softer, but won't do anything to change whether it sparks or not. Should be a fine screen. Keep the torch tip further away next time and you won't have any more color changes.

[Algenco]

When making bucket screens I use a heat gun or heat the tip of a screwdriver with the torch , works great

[Mumbles]

The finer the metal wires in the screen, the more succeptible they are to discoloration. I found about 30 mesh is the border line to where I could comfortably use a torch. I was told that using a pen torch works for the finer material, though you do still get a little discoloration around the edges.

 

I've often wondered if one could sort of spot weld the screen into the bucket with a soldering iron, and then go back afterwards with a torch or larger iron to fully melt everything in.

[NightHawkInLight]

It doesn't take much to melt plastic compared to what it takes to discolor steel. You can tell in the above picture that the wire got red hot most of the way around. Rather than heating the wire to the point that it melts into the cold plastic, heat the wire and plastic slowly at the same rate. When the plastic softens the wire will sink right into it no problem. Wash the torch tip back and forth over a few inches of the rim at a time so that a large area is being heated slowly, rather than trying to work your way around centimeter by centimeter while somehow maintaining a constant temperature. If you do it slowly enough, the plastic will be liquid before it even smokes. If any smoke appears it's being heated too quickly and the torch needs to be backed off or washed back and forth more quickly.

[Algenco]

The finer the metal wires in the screen, the more succeptible they are to discoloration. I found about 30 mesh is the border line to where I could comfortably use a torch. I was told that using a pen torch works for the finer material, though you do still get a little discoloration around the edges.

 

I've often wondered if one could sort of spot weld the screen into the bucket with a soldering iron, and then go back afterwards with a torch or larger iron to fully melt everything in.

 

that's basically what I do with a torch and screwdriver

[foxsavage]

I used a heat gun for the next one and that worked great, thanks for all the tips.

[dynomike1]

I would say you are going to see rust where it got to hot.