GTAW (TIG) Procedure for Tool Steels

Procedure

  1. Identify the tool steel to be welded. While there are many variations of the tool and die steels, the most common are:

    2. Water hardening W-1 through W-5
    Oil Hardening O-1 through O-6
    Air Hardening A-2 through A-10
    High Speed M-1 through M-44
    Hot Work H-10 through H-43

  2. Prepare the surface to be welded. Remove all foreign matter and rough edges. Make sure that only the original base metal is exposed.

  3. Select the proper electrode per the chart. Preheat the tool steel to be welded per the chart.

  4. Use AC or DC, reverse polarity, with the lowest possible amperage setting for good fusion.

  5. Using a striker plate, carry the arc to the area to be welded.

  6. Maintain preheat temperature while welding.

  7. Two or more passes should be used to minimize dilution of the base metal. Peen each pass rapidly to stress relieve.

  8. Postheat or temper the deposit per the chart.

  9. If heat treating is desired, use the annealing, hardening and quenching recommendations in the chart.

  10. For checking proper welding temperature, use a temperature indicator.

  11. With reference to "Step 7" above, 3-SMW is recommended as a "cushioning" or "padding" pass adjacent to the base metal. This minimizes dilution of the base metal and offers a softer, more ductile alloy next to the higher hardness base metal. 3-SMW does not respond to heat treatment, so it should not be exposed to the finished weld area. 3-SMW also has less hardness than the tool steel overlay.

Shielding Gas: Argon is recommended as the shielding gas.

Sizes Available: Each of these Aufhauser (GTAW-TIG) tool steel alloys (also Aufhauser 3-SMW) are offered in the following sizes:

Packaging: All sizes are packed in five pound tubes, four tubes per twenty pound carton.

 

 

Use the following chart as a guide in the effective and economical salvage of costly tools and dies:

Tool Steel
to be
Welded		 TIG
Alloy Name		 Sizes
(Inches)		 Stock
No.		 RC Hardness
as Deposited		 Preheat °F Anneal °F Harden °F Post-Heat °F Quench
Air Hardening 3-AH 1/16
3/32
1/8		 003AH30
003AH50
003AH60		 48 - 52 300 - 1000 1500 - 1600 1750 - 1850 300 - 1000 Air
Oil Hardening 3-OH 1/16
3/32
1/8		 003OH30
003OH50
003OH60		 48 - 56 250 - 400 1425 - 1450 1425 - 1500 250 - 400 Oil
Water Hardening 3-WH 1/16
3/32
1/8		 003WH30
003WH50
003WH60		 52 - 58 275 - 450 1425 - 1450 1425 - 1450 275 - 450 Water
High Speed Steel 3-HSS 1/16
3/32
1/8		 003WH30 58 - 63 1000 1600 2200 - 2225 1000 Oil
Hot Working 3-HW 1/16
3/32
1/8		 003HW30
003HW50
003HW60		 52 - 55 900 - 1200 1500 - 1600 1750 - 1850 900 - 1200 Air
Flame Hardening 3-FH 1/16
3/32
1/8		 003FH30
003FH50
003FH60		 45 800 - 900 Use S.A.E. 4130 Procedure