How to Apply Stainless Steel Wear Plates

 

When buying a welding process welded wire, you need to buy a steel wear plate to go over it. The plate is necessary as a reinforcement material, because without it, the weld would not hold. It gives additional strength to the weld and prevents distortion. If you don't want to buy the whole weld overhangs, there is another option, and that is pre-fabricated steel wear plates that you can buy online. Here is what to look for when buying a pre-fabricated steel wear plates:

- Know the thickness. This is an important characteristic when choosing the size and type of steel plate, you will need to purchase. Know the typical thicknesses of all the welding needs you have, and then select the steel plate that matches your needs best. The more you know about your needs, the easier it will be for you to find the right type of steel wear plate. You will need to specify the type of hardness you need, so make sure you understand the details of your requirements before making a decision.

- Know the sizes you will use. This is a very important characteristic, because it will determine what sizes you need to buy. If you only plan on using the steel wear plate at one place, you can get them at any size you need. However, if you want to use them in all the places where you have welding needs, you will probably have to order custom sized ones.

- Know the details of the different kinds of steel wear plates available. For example, stainless steel is much harder than steel. So it makes sense to buy the harder one if you are using it at one place, especially if you will use it in high temperatures. Other examples include carbon steel and polypropylene.

- There are two types of steel wear plates you can use. One is called hard wearing plate, and another is called soft wearing plate. The difference between these two is the number of gauge of steel used. Hard wearing plate has fewer joints than soft wearing plate. This means the welding surface of the weld will be smoother, and it will be easier to avoid warping and pitting.

- You also need to buy the right tools for applying the coating. Some people prefer to use a wire brush to clean the surface, while others prefer to use a water and vinegar solution. This is because certain oils present on the plate will get into the weld. Vinegar is also a good way to remove certain contaminants, especially if you don't want to wait for a long time before it dries. However, keep in mind that using this method is quite messy.


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