Mandrels

[rosebud101]

I bought some 3/16" welding rods. They don't come in 316L which is what I normally buy for my mandrels. These rods are 308, which is still stainless steel. I only bought a pound of them, but I am wondering if these will still be good for making beads. Can anyone help me this? Thanks.

[Alaska]

I would not worry about the difference. Some like a different grade of stainless as they say it just lasts longer under torch conditions. Use type 305 here and it also seems to do well.

You could look up the data on each stainless steel type and see if there were any definitive tests showing longevity under high oxygen and heat conditions. But would in the long run would it really make any difference anyway!

[rosebud101]

Thanks!