Welding Deep Fryer Baskets

[Zblue]

Hey All,
I own a restaurant and my cooks are constantly breaking my Deep fryer baskets. The baskets cost $120 ea new and that is a cost i don't need with the state of things for restaurants currently. I bought a welder and learned how to weld a few years ago so that I could fix other pieces of equipment that kept breaking. Do you know if I can use 316L wire to Mig weld the fryer baskets and it will be safe to be used in a fryer? I don't think regular wire is food safe, and I have heard 316L is, but any help would be much appreciated.

[M J D]

316 would be right. Getting the grease off will be another story.

[tapwelder]

Mig? The fryer baskets I have repaired were thin wire. I typically TIG. The ones i repaired broke from repetitive flex when they hang them or shake them while hooked.

You might get multiples repaired for the price of one. One less thing for you to do.

Good luck

[lars66]

I have done 6-8 of them and they are a pain to do even with TIG. A time consuming pain.

[Willie B]

I'm not clear if you are talking about MIG or TIG.
I would say research what your baskets are made of. Ignorant, I'd guess 304. If you can learn the numerical compound of the baskets, we can intelligently address the filler.
I believe this is absolutely a TIG job.
Rule of thumb has always been "Use a filler numerically higher than the stainless you are welding."
I might ignorantly try 308L, see how it holds up.
I doubt there is anything toxic in any stainless filler. The two risks with stainless are:
Oxidation Will oxidation allow bacteria to harbor in the not smooth surface?
Sugaring whenever you heat stainless above a given temperature, it will rapidly oxidize. As most stainless welding is under shielding gas, there is less risk on the face where
welding is happening. Back side sugaring is a big concern. Too much bacteria growth happens in the nooks & crannies of sugared stainless.

When you TIG stainless, a great many things could go wrong. Most often the failures are bad gas coverage. The weld must be gas protected front & back of surface. It must remain gas protected until cool.
Wrong filler is another fail. Most of us either research the required filler, or guess, using a higher number than the material being welded.

[Welder Dave]

Generally 316 is used for food service. I would think the baskets are resistance spot welded. You could see if there's a manufacturer of welded wire mesh products in your area that has a spot welder. Food grade silver solder might be a good option as Mig or Tig could be tricky to do.

[walker]

It would be easier to train your cooks.

[tapwelder]

If anything like the basket I repaired and from normal use, then It is a design /function issue. Stainless eventually work hardens and fractures.

Zblue since they are yours, perhaps youn could address the failure issue.

[Beeker]

Just a few questions to help flesh this skeleton out... Pictures would help immensely too. What part(s) on the basket are breaking? The mesh? The handle? The corners? Connection points? Spot-weld failures? Is the basket the wire mesh or the perforated metal style? Can the basket be "upgraded" to be better suited for the use and abuse it sees on a normal basis? Is the crew bashing it against something when emptying it and that's when the problem occurs, or is it out-of-the-blue while in or out of the fryer? Is it better for the basket to be the weak leak or the thing the basket is getting smacked against (possibly to empty it???)?

One would think a person could get some perforated stainless sheet, trace out a foldable basket, brake-press into shape, TIG/MIG/Spot overlaps, attach a handle (if not incorporated in design), and come up with a pretty heavy duty use basket. Something that could be pretty bash-resistant, 200lb gorilla proof that would damage the thing hit rather than the basket... Might have to be careful what we wish for here. :-P

[OPUS FERRO]

Zblue

Years ago, I did - major structural, glass over bars, art signage
. . . and repairs 'after a Major Muscle Night . . .

I was eventually/constantly asked to repair S/S in the kitchen.
I feel your pain . . . Fry Basket fractures were frequent . . .

Your supplier is not the manufacture - they only sell . . .

The manufacture is so far removed from the end-user he never
hears feed-back . . . and doesn't care . . .

They give Engineering Awards for A Better Mouse Trap - but no
one cares -about a better Fry Basket . . .

The manufacture sells more - the supplier sells more - and you
'benefit from this symbiosis' . . . ?

I, no longer repair - but my Client Base still asked - what to do,
and where to go - for Remedy . . .

From new - fry baskets come from a highly specific tooling shop,
due - to their etherial components necessary for function -

Fractures/failures are not easily repaired - You have two options,
buy a higher quality produce [if available] or . . .

Preemptively reinforce the the fracture areas before you put them
in service . . . this is probably beyond your ability . . . due to the
skill level necessary for Sanitary Welding . . .

In short: you are screwed - without special/intense weld training
you will have to outsource = more expense . . .

If you can - buy a better product . . .

hth


Opus






.

[walker]

Tell your cooks you have 500 bucks to give them as a bonus every 6 months, but fryer baskets have to come out of that pool of money.

[Louie1961]

Also make sure you aren't dealing with nickel plated fry baskets. That adds another layer of complexity that you don't need.

[smithdoor]

I would look on internet for lower cost.
https://www.webstaurantstore.com/13-...xoCf78QAvD_BwE

Dave

[shovelon]

Hey All,
I own a restaurant and my cooks are constantly breaking my Deep fryer baskets. The baskets cost $120 ea new and that is a cost i don't need with the state of things for restaurants currently. I bought a welder and learned how to weld a few years ago so that I could fix other pieces of equipment that kept breaking. Do you know if I can use 316L wire to Mig weld the fryer baskets and it will be safe to be used in a fryer? I don't think regular wire is food safe, and I have heard 316L is, but any help would be much appreciated.

You would have to buy or rent a special bottle of TriMix gas to mig weld stainless steel or StainMix if your LWS has it. That may be a cost breaker for you as I would never mig weld SS fryer baskets.

What I would do is buy a few more baskets, rotate them in, and when you have some broken ones take them to an experienced (308 or 316 filler) SS tigger to repair weld under their minimum charge. I do 3 or 4 basket repairs for the local eateries under my minimum charge of $40. I would think your tigger could repair yours for some $20 each.

I had a Chinese restaurant with antique implements, knives, spatulas, ladels, fry baskets, ect. that was bought in the depression and used for decades. When they broke they brought a box full over. I spent the time to repair and they even gave me food vouchers for tips. Our families became close but sadly the family died off or moved on and the restaurant closed.

[Willie B]

You would have to buy or rent a special bottle of TriMix gas to mig weld stainless steel or StainMix if your LWS has it. That may be a cost breaker for you as I would never mig weld SS fryer baskets.

What I would do is buy a few more baskets, rotate them in, and when you have some broken ones take them to an experienced (308 or 316 filler) SS tigger to repair weld under their minimum charge. I do 3 or 4 basket repairs for the local eateries under my minimum charge of $40. I would think your tigger could repair yours for some $20 each.

I had a Chinese restaurant with antique implements, knives, spatulas, ladels, fry baskets, ect. that was bought in the depression and used for decades. When they broke they brought a box full over. I spent the time to repair and they even gave me food vouchers for tips. Our families became close but sadly the family died off or moved on and the restaurant closed.

In an early stage of seek advice, try that, my son wanted to repurpose beer kegs for various beermaking equipment. The local Airgas manager was enthusiastically providing information. I made a stab at MIG stainless. It was a failure!!!!!

I later traded my Try Mix tank for a helium tank. Once you go pink, you won't go back!

If I put more effort into MIGging stainless,...don't know, maybe it could be done. TIG is absolutely the process you will use if, and when you reach success.

[mla2ofus]

Don't know about handling food products but no one has mentioned O/A and brass with a small tip and small brass rod.

[Josey]

Don't know about handling food products but no one has mentioned O/A and brass with a small tip and small brass rod.

Can you get stainless steel rods for O/A welding? Thanks

[mla2ofus]

Don't know if it's made and not sure how well it would work with gas welding.

[Willie B]

Can you get stainless steel rods for O/A welding? Thanks

I'd be pretty surprised if it works well. Stainless is pretty tricky about gas coverage & more so about excess heat. It must be surrounded by argon, or helium until cool or you get some bad oxidation.

[Welder Dave]

You can get food grade silver solder. Wouldn't require actually melting the stainless but would be very strong and easier to control heat. Would take a little practice though.

[tapwelder]

Does silver bridge gaps? Are the silver fillers that will bridge. I habitually only use 45%.

[Josey]

Interesting there is a flux especially for oxy act welding stainless steel

https://www.tinmantech.com/products/...lding-flux.php

[tapwelder]

That reminds me. I have not seen my can of Solar Flux in forever.

[Welder Dave]

Does silver bridge gaps? Are the silver fillers that will bridge. I habitually only use 45%.

I would think on a deep fryer basket you'd be able to clamp it together. There are some silver solders that will fill gaps better than others.

[LtBadd]

The Harris 45T is good for that

SAFETY-SILV®45T
Performs like a 45%
silver, cadmium-bearing
alloy. Lower melting
temperature than SafetySilv® 45. Excellent
fillet forming qualities.
Produces high-strength,
ductile joints. Listed with
NSF 51 listed for use with
food equipment materials