Mandral talk..Mike, Mark, Dale or Bill???

[FiredDesires]

I use 316L rods from the welding shop as my mandrals. All I cared about at the time was I could "cut them to length", and end up with many for the price of one bundle of purchased rods.

BUT....I believed that the 316 # was a size measurement?? Someone has said (forget where/who) that the # is NOT a size thing, but something to do with content. Oh, 3 wisemen plus one..what is correct?? and if the # doesn't denote the actual size of the rod....what size ARE the 316L's...and are these rods are what welders call "tig" rods??

Thanks for your input, in advance.

[jessie]

Not Mike, Mark, Dale or Bill here, but I do know that 316L comes in different sizes- 1/16" and 3/32" are the 2 sizes I buy. I beleive you're correct that the 316L rating has to do with the content of the rod.

[Cosmo]

The number has to do with the amount of carbon in the rod (I think). It does have to do with something about the makeup, not the size of the rod.

[kimberly]

I use 316L rods from the welding shop as my mandrals. All I cared about at the time was I could "cut them to length", and end up with many for the price of one bundle of purchased rods.

BUT....I believed that the 316 # was a size measurement?? Someone has said (forget where/who) that the # is NOT a size thing, but something to do with content. Oh, 3 wisemen plus one..what is correct?? and if the # doesn't denote the actual size of the rod....what size ARE the 316L's...and are these rods are what welders call "tig" rods??

Thanks for your input, in advance.

What everyone else said. And, yes, these are TIG wellding rods. The reason you are buying 316L rods is that that particular "type" of Stainless TIG welding rod withstands the heat of the torch better than some of the others.

[MikeAurelius]

316L is a type of stainless steel, the L meaning Low Carbon.

Sizes: 1/16, 3/32, 1/8 etc.

[Dale M.]

316L is as Mike says, the metal composition makeup (recipe) for the metal...

5358

Dale M.

[FiredDesires]

Whoohooooooooo everyone, thanks for the great & informative answers..my apologies to the ladies by singling out the three wise men!! lol, looks like we got some wise women as well!!!!!

Dale, love your siggie.....that Elbert Hubbard guy.....never heard of him, but like how he thinks......he isn't L.Ron's pappy or kin is he??? (not an L.Ron's fan, just wondering)