Is welding stainless steel dangerous ?

Welding stainless is one of my favorite metals to weld. Heat does not flow easily through stainless (it is a metallic thermal insulator). When you heat the stainless it melts and the heat stays put and does not travel away quickly from that spot like it does in aluminum. It melts beautifully and is easy to weld. Stainless stick welding makes beautiful beads and the best is TIG welding. TIG welding is gentleman’s welding, I seldom catch myself on fire TIG welding.

This brings us to the “Is welding stainless steel dangerous?” question… all welding is somewhat dangerous; but, it is like downhill skiing, the longer you do it the safer it is. It does not matter what type of welding it is… do not breath the fumes, the metal is hot after welding, with overhead stick welding there are lots of sparks and molten metal raining down on your head, and sometimes you catch yourself on fire. I expect to catch something on fire and am prepared for it, I seldom do; but, I know what to do if something happens. I perform well in all the trades and can be considered an expert in many of them; but, I find welding therapeutic.