Arccaptain Welding Practice
\nStainless Steel Welding Practice Kit —
201 SS Coupons for MIG, TIG & Stick
\nImproving your welding takes repetition on real metal — not cardboard cutouts or simulated surfaces. This stainless steel welding practice kit gives you precision-cut 201 stainless steel coupons to burn through, so you can focus on bead consistency, travel speed, and fusion quality without worrying about the quality of your practice material.
\nAvailable in two kit formats — the Perris Welding Practice Kit with square and Perris-shaped coupons for joint practice, and the Poker Welding Practice Kit with a multi-piece set for building dimensional projects. Both are cut from corrosion-resistant 201 stainless steel with smooth, uniform edges that make positioning, clamping, and restarting easy. Compatible with MIG, TIG, and Stick processes.
\nTwo Kit Options
\nPerris Practice Kit vs Poker Practice Kit
\nChoose the kit that matches how you practice. The Perris kit is optimized for flat and joint weld practice with uniform coupon pairs. The Poker kit is a multi-piece set that assembles into a dimensional project — giving you straight seams, inside corners, and butt joints all in one build.
\nPractice Kit
Twelve coupons in two shapes — six square plates and six Perris-shaped plates. Uniform dimensions make it easy to set up repeatable joint configurations for flat, butt, T-joint, and lap joint practice. Consistent sizing means you can run the same setup multiple times to track your improvement.
\nPractice Kit
Seven pieces in varied dimensions that assemble into a finished three-dimensional project. Each piece presents a different joint geometry — you get practice on multiple weld types in a single build, and end up with a completed metal object you can keep or use as a skill benchmark.
\nWhy 201 Stainless Steel
\nPractice Material That Doesn't Fight You
\nThe quality of your practice coupons directly affects the quality of your practice. Rusted, warped, or poorly cut steel introduces variables that have nothing to do with your technique — making it harder to isolate what you're actually working on. 201 stainless steel eliminates those variables.
\nReady to Weld Without Prep
201 stainless steel resists rust and surface oxidation, so coupons stay clean and ready to use straight out of the box — no grinding, no wire brushing, no prep work before you can put a bead down. The material maintains its shape and flatness without warping in storage or under shop conditions, so every coupon you pull from the kit is as usable as the first one.
\nFeature Breakdown
\nWhat Makes These Coupons Work
\nEvery coupon is cut to the same dimensions within the kit, so you can set up the same joint configuration repeatedly and compare beads side by side. Inconsistent coupon dimensions make it impossible to isolate technique variables — these are cut to be consistent so your results reflect your skill, not your material.
\nSharp, ragged edges on practice coupons create fit-up problems and are a hand hazard. These coupons are finished with smooth edges out of the box. Position them against each other or against a fixture and they sit flat without gaps caused by edge burrs — which is exactly what you want when you're practicing root pass control and joint fit-up.
\n201 stainless steel at 0.056–0.06 inch thickness works across all three common welding processes. MIG with stainless wire or tri-mix shielding gas, TIG with ER308L filler, or Stick with stainless electrodes — the material responds appropriately to each process and provides realistic feedback on heat input, travel speed, and penetration.
\nAt 0.056–0.06 inches, the thickness is thin enough to be forgiving on heat input errors — you can see immediately when you've got the heat too high or too low — but substantial enough to practice realistic weld profiles. It's the sweet spot for beginners learning settings and intermediates dialing in consistency.
\nSquare and Perris shapes in the first kit give you both matching-size pairs for butt joints and differently-shaped pairs for T-joints and lap joints. The Poker kit's dimensional pieces present inside corners, outside corners, and straight seams in a single build. More joint variety per kit means more types of practice before you run out of material.
\nStainless steel doesn't rust sitting in a toolbox or on a shelf. You can buy this kit well ahead of when you need it, store it without concern, and pull coupons weeks or months later in the same condition they arrived. Mild steel practice coupons surface rust quickly in humid shop environments — these don't.
\nHow to Use These Coupons
\nGetting the Most Out of Every Plate
\nPractice coupons are only as useful as the structure you give your practice sessions. These tips apply specifically to stainless steel coupons at this thickness.
\nFor MIG on 0.056 in stainless, start conservative on wire speed and voltage — stainless conducts heat differently than mild steel and burns through faster if you over-crank the settings. Use tri-mix (90% helium / 7.5% argon / 2.5% CO₂) or straight argon depending on your wire spec. ER308L wire is the standard for 201 SS.
\nTIG on stainless at this thickness responds well to 40–60A depending on your technique and tungsten preparation. Use DCEN (direct current electrode negative). A 1/16 in or 3/32 in 2% lanthanated tungsten gives you a stable arc on stainless. ER308L filler rod is appropriate for 201 SS base material.
\nStick welding stainless at 0.056 in requires careful amperage control to avoid warping thin material. Use E308L-16 or E308L-15 electrodes. Keep amperage toward the lower end of the electrode's range. Short stringer beads with controlled heat input produce better results than long continuous passes on thin stainless.
\nDon't burn through your coupons randomly. Set up the same joint configuration three times in a row before changing anything. Make one setting adjustment between each set — wire speed, amperage, travel speed, or gun angle. Write down what you changed. You'll identify your optimal settings for this material much faster with structured repetition than random practice.
\nAfter completing a bead on one face, flip the coupon and weld the back side. This doubles the number of practice passes per coupon and trains you to manage heat input on material that's already been heated once — a real-world skill for multi-pass and back-gouging scenarios.
\nCertification prep note: These coupons are precision-cut to consistent dimensions, making them suitable for running structured practice sets in preparation for welding certification tests. Consistent coupon geometry means you can replicate the setup of your test position reliably before the actual test day.
\nWho It's For
\nBuilt for Every Stage of the Learning Curve
\nNew to MIG, TIG, or Stick on stainless steel? This material gives you honest feedback on every setting change. Too hot, too cold, bad travel speed — you see it immediately in the bead. Consistent coupon dimensions mean you're comparing your technique, not your material prep.
\nIf you can lay down a decent bead but struggle to replicate it pass after pass, structured practice on identical coupons is how you close that gap. Run the same setup ten times and compare. Adjust one variable. Run ten more. The Perris kit's uniform coupon pairs are perfect for this kind of systematic practice.
\nWelding certification tests require you to make a specific weld in a specific joint configuration within a specific acceptance criteria. The weeks before your test should be spent practicing on material as close to your test coupons as possible — same process, same material, same thickness. These kits give you that.
\nShop time is limited in most welding programs. Having your own practice coupons means you can run additional passes at home or in open shop time without waiting for school-issued material. 201 SS at this thickness covers the skills most programs are teaching — flat position first, then position welds.
\nSwitching from mild steel to stainless, from MIG to TIG, or from flat to out-of-position work requires a calibration period on new material or new settings. This kit gives you a controlled environment to run that calibration without burning through production material or scrap of uncertain condition.
\nThe Poker kit's dimensional pieces assemble into a finished project — not just a stack of scrap. For hobbyists who want to practice and end up with something they built, the Poker kit delivers practice passes on multiple joint types and a completed object at the end.
\nFull Specifications
\nComplete Spec Sheet — Both Kits
\n| Specification | \nPerris Practice Kit | \nPoker Practice Kit | \n
|---|---|---|
| Material | \n201 Stainless Steel | \n201 Stainless Steel | \n
| Thickness | \n0.056 in | \n0.06 in | \n
| Piece Count | \n12 pieces | \n7 pieces | \n
| Shapes / Sizes | \nSquare 3.16×3.16 in (×6) & Perris 2.17×2.17 in (×6) | \n6 varied dimensions (see kit detail above) | \n
| Compatible Processes | \nMIG, TIG, Stick | \nMIG, TIG, Stick | \n
| Edge Finish | \nPrecision-cut, smooth | \nPrecision-cut, smooth | \n
| Corrosion Resistance | \nYes — rust-free | \nYes — rust-free | \n
| Deformation Resistance | \nYes — dimensionally stable | \nYes — dimensionally stable | \n
| Best Use | \nJoint practice, bead consistency, cert prep | \nMulti-joint practice, dimensional project build | \n
Storage tip: Stainless steel coupons do not require special storage conditions. Keep them dry and away from contact with carbon steel tools or grinding debris — carbon steel particles transferred to stainless surfaces can cause surface rust spots that look like stainless rust but are actually contamination from the carbon steel.
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Welding Coupons Stainless Steel Welding Practice Coupons
Arccaptain Welding Practice
Stainless Steel Welding Practice Kit —
201 SS Coupons for MIG, TIG & Stick
Improving your welding takes repetition on real metal — not cardboard cutouts or simulated surfaces. This stainless steel welding practice kit gives you precision-cut 201 stainless steel coupons to burn through, so you can focus on bead consistency, travel speed, and fusion quality without worrying about the quality of your practice material.
Available in two kit formats — the Perris Welding Practice Kit with square and Perris-shaped coupons for joint practice, and the Poker Welding Practice Kit with a multi-piece set for building dimensional projects. Both are cut from corrosion-resistant 201 stainless steel with smooth, uniform edges that make positioning, clamping, and restarting easy. Compatible with MIG, TIG, and Stick processes.
Two Kit Options
Perris Practice Kit vs Poker Practice Kit
Choose the kit that matches how you practice. The Perris kit is optimized for flat and joint weld practice with uniform coupon pairs. The Poker kit is a multi-piece set that assembles into a dimensional project — giving you straight seams, inside corners, and butt joints all in one build.
Practice Kit
Twelve coupons in two shapes — six square plates and six Perris-shaped plates. Uniform dimensions make it easy to set up repeatable joint configurations for flat, butt, T-joint, and lap joint practice. Consistent sizing means you can run the same setup multiple times to track your improvement.
Practice Kit
Seven pieces in varied dimensions that assemble into a finished three-dimensional project. Each piece presents a different joint geometry — you get practice on multiple weld types in a single build, and end up with a completed metal object you can keep or use as a skill benchmark.
Why 201 Stainless Steel
Practice Material That Doesn't Fight You
The quality of your practice coupons directly affects the quality of your practice. Rusted, warped, or poorly cut steel introduces variables that have nothing to do with your technique — making it harder to isolate what you're actually working on. 201 stainless steel eliminates those variables.
Ready to Weld Without Prep
201 stainless steel resists rust and surface oxidation, so coupons stay clean and ready to use straight out of the box — no grinding, no wire brushing, no prep work before you can put a bead down. The material maintains its shape and flatness without warping in storage or under shop conditions, so every coupon you pull from the kit is as usable as the first one.
Feature Breakdown
What Makes These Coupons Work
Every coupon is cut to the same dimensions within the kit, so you can set up the same joint configuration repeatedly and compare beads side by side. Inconsistent coupon dimensions make it impossible to isolate technique variables — these are cut to be consistent so your results reflect your skill, not your material.
Sharp, ragged edges on practice coupons create fit-up problems and are a hand hazard. These coupons are finished with smooth edges out of the box. Position them against each other or against a fixture and they sit flat without gaps caused by edge burrs — which is exactly what you want when you're practicing root pass control and joint fit-up.
201 stainless steel at 0.056–0.06 inch thickness works across all three common welding processes. MIG with stainless wire or tri-mix shielding gas, TIG with ER308L filler, or Stick with stainless electrodes — the material responds appropriately to each process and provides realistic feedback on heat input, travel speed, and penetration.
At 0.056–0.06 inches, the thickness is thin enough to be forgiving on heat input errors — you can see immediately when you've got the heat too high or too low — but substantial enough to practice realistic weld profiles. It's the sweet spot for beginners learning settings and intermediates dialing in consistency.
Square and Perris shapes in the first kit give you both matching-size pairs for butt joints and differently-shaped pairs for T-joints and lap joints. The Poker kit's dimensional pieces present inside corners, outside corners, and straight seams in a single build. More joint variety per kit means more types of practice before you run out of material.
Stainless steel doesn't rust sitting in a toolbox or on a shelf. You can buy this kit well ahead of when you need it, store it without concern, and pull coupons weeks or months later in the same condition they arrived. Mild steel practice coupons surface rust quickly in humid shop environments — these don't.
How to Use These Coupons
Getting the Most Out of Every Plate
Practice coupons are only as useful as the structure you give your practice sessions. These tips apply specifically to stainless steel coupons at this thickness.
For MIG on 0.056 in stainless, start conservative on wire speed and voltage — stainless conducts heat differently than mild steel and burns through faster if you over-crank the settings. Use tri-mix (90% helium / 7.5% argon / 2.5% CO₂) or straight argon depending on your wire spec. ER308L wire is the standard for 201 SS.
TIG on stainless at this thickness responds well to 40–60A depending on your technique and tungsten preparation. Use DCEN (direct current electrode negative). A 1/16 in or 3/32 in 2% lanthanated tungsten gives you a stable arc on stainless. ER308L filler rod is appropriate for 201 SS base material.
Stick welding stainless at 0.056 in requires careful amperage control to avoid warping thin material. Use E308L-16 or E308L-15 electrodes. Keep amperage toward the lower end of the electrode's range. Short stringer beads with controlled heat input produce better results than long continuous passes on thin stainless.
Don't burn through your coupons randomly. Set up the same joint configuration three times in a row before changing anything. Make one setting adjustment between each set — wire speed, amperage, travel speed, or gun angle. Write down what you changed. You'll identify your optimal settings for this material much faster with structured repetition than random practice.
After completing a bead on one face, flip the coupon and weld the back side. This doubles the number of practice passes per coupon and trains you to manage heat input on material that's already been heated once — a real-world skill for multi-pass and back-gouging scenarios.
Certification prep note: These coupons are precision-cut to consistent dimensions, making them suitable for running structured practice sets in preparation for welding certification tests. Consistent coupon geometry means you can replicate the setup of your test position reliably before the actual test day.
Who It's For
Built for Every Stage of the Learning Curve
New to MIG, TIG, or Stick on stainless steel? This material gives you honest feedback on every setting change. Too hot, too cold, bad travel speed — you see it immediately in the bead. Consistent coupon dimensions mean you're comparing your technique, not your material prep.
If you can lay down a decent bead but struggle to replicate it pass after pass, structured practice on identical coupons is how you close that gap. Run the same setup ten times and compare. Adjust one variable. Run ten more. The Perris kit's uniform coupon pairs are perfect for this kind of systematic practice.
Welding certification tests require you to make a specific weld in a specific joint configuration within a specific acceptance criteria. The weeks before your test should be spent practicing on material as close to your test coupons as possible — same process, same material, same thickness. These kits give you that.
Shop time is limited in most welding programs. Having your own practice coupons means you can run additional passes at home or in open shop time without waiting for school-issued material. 201 SS at this thickness covers the skills most programs are teaching — flat position first, then position welds.
Switching from mild steel to stainless, from MIG to TIG, or from flat to out-of-position work requires a calibration period on new material or new settings. This kit gives you a controlled environment to run that calibration without burning through production material or scrap of uncertain condition.
The Poker kit's dimensional pieces assemble into a finished project — not just a stack of scrap. For hobbyists who want to practice and end up with something they built, the Poker kit delivers practice passes on multiple joint types and a completed object at the end.
Full Specifications
Complete Spec Sheet — Both Kits
| Specification | Perris Practice Kit | Poker Practice Kit |
|---|---|---|
| Material | 201 Stainless Steel | 201 Stainless Steel |
| Thickness | 0.056 in | 0.06 in |
| Piece Count | 12 pieces | 7 pieces |
| Shapes / Sizes | Square 3.16×3.16 in (×6) & Perris 2.17×2.17 in (×6) | 6 varied dimensions (see kit detail above) |
| Compatible Processes | MIG, TIG, Stick | MIG, TIG, Stick |
| Edge Finish | Precision-cut, smooth | Precision-cut, smooth |
| Corrosion Resistance | Yes — rust-free | Yes — rust-free |
| Deformation Resistance | Yes — dimensionally stable | Yes — dimensionally stable |
| Best Use | Joint practice, bead consistency, cert prep | Multi-joint practice, dimensional project build |
Storage tip: Stainless steel coupons do not require special storage conditions. Keep them dry and away from contact with carbon steel tools or grinding debris — carbon steel particles transferred to stainless surfaces can cause surface rust spots that look like stainless rust but are actually contamination from the carbon steel.
Arccaptain Welding Practice
Stainless Steel Welding Practice Kit —
201 SS Coupons for MIG, TIG & Stick
Improving your welding takes repetition on real metal — not cardboard cutouts or simulated surfaces. This stainless steel welding practice kit gives you precision-cut 201 stainless steel coupons to burn through, so you can focus on bead consistency, travel speed, and fusion quality without worrying about the quality of your practice material.
Available in two kit formats — the Perris Welding Practice Kit with square and Perris-shaped coupons for joint practice, and the Poker Welding Practice Kit with a multi-piece set for building dimensional projects. Both are cut from corrosion-resistant 201 stainless steel with smooth, uniform edges that make positioning, clamping, and restarting easy. Compatible with MIG, TIG, and Stick processes.
Two Kit Options
Perris Practice Kit vs Poker Practice Kit
Choose the kit that matches how you practice. The Perris kit is optimized for flat and joint weld practice with uniform coupon pairs. The Poker kit is a multi-piece set that assembles into a dimensional project — giving you straight seams, inside corners, and butt joints all in one build.
Practice Kit
Twelve coupons in two shapes — six square plates and six Perris-shaped plates. Uniform dimensions make it easy to set up repeatable joint configurations for flat, butt, T-joint, and lap joint practice. Consistent sizing means you can run the same setup multiple times to track your improvement.
Practice Kit
Seven pieces in varied dimensions that assemble into a finished three-dimensional project. Each piece presents a different joint geometry — you get practice on multiple weld types in a single build, and end up with a completed metal object you can keep or use as a skill benchmark.
Why 201 Stainless Steel
Practice Material That Doesn't Fight You
The quality of your practice coupons directly affects the quality of your practice. Rusted, warped, or poorly cut steel introduces variables that have nothing to do with your technique — making it harder to isolate what you're actually working on. 201 stainless steel eliminates those variables.
Ready to Weld Without Prep
201 stainless steel resists rust and surface oxidation, so coupons stay clean and ready to use straight out of the box — no grinding, no wire brushing, no prep work before you can put a bead down. The material maintains its shape and flatness without warping in storage or under shop conditions, so every coupon you pull from the kit is as usable as the first one.
Feature Breakdown
What Makes These Coupons Work
Every coupon is cut to the same dimensions within the kit, so you can set up the same joint configuration repeatedly and compare beads side by side. Inconsistent coupon dimensions make it impossible to isolate technique variables — these are cut to be consistent so your results reflect your skill, not your material.
Sharp, ragged edges on practice coupons create fit-up problems and are a hand hazard. These coupons are finished with smooth edges out of the box. Position them against each other or against a fixture and they sit flat without gaps caused by edge burrs — which is exactly what you want when you're practicing root pass control and joint fit-up.
201 stainless steel at 0.056–0.06 inch thickness works across all three common welding processes. MIG with stainless wire or tri-mix shielding gas, TIG with ER308L filler, or Stick with stainless electrodes — the material responds appropriately to each process and provides realistic feedback on heat input, travel speed, and penetration.
At 0.056–0.06 inches, the thickness is thin enough to be forgiving on heat input errors — you can see immediately when you've got the heat too high or too low — but substantial enough to practice realistic weld profiles. It's the sweet spot for beginners learning settings and intermediates dialing in consistency.
Square and Perris shapes in the first kit give you both matching-size pairs for butt joints and differently-shaped pairs for T-joints and lap joints. The Poker kit's dimensional pieces present inside corners, outside corners, and straight seams in a single build. More joint variety per kit means more types of practice before you run out of material.
Stainless steel doesn't rust sitting in a toolbox or on a shelf. You can buy this kit well ahead of when you need it, store it without concern, and pull coupons weeks or months later in the same condition they arrived. Mild steel practice coupons surface rust quickly in humid shop environments — these don't.
How to Use These Coupons
Getting the Most Out of Every Plate
Practice coupons are only as useful as the structure you give your practice sessions. These tips apply specifically to stainless steel coupons at this thickness.
For MIG on 0.056 in stainless, start conservative on wire speed and voltage — stainless conducts heat differently than mild steel and burns through faster if you over-crank the settings. Use tri-mix (90% helium / 7.5% argon / 2.5% CO₂) or straight argon depending on your wire spec. ER308L wire is the standard for 201 SS.
TIG on stainless at this thickness responds well to 40–60A depending on your technique and tungsten preparation. Use DCEN (direct current electrode negative). A 1/16 in or 3/32 in 2% lanthanated tungsten gives you a stable arc on stainless. ER308L filler rod is appropriate for 201 SS base material.
Stick welding stainless at 0.056 in requires careful amperage control to avoid warping thin material. Use E308L-16 or E308L-15 electrodes. Keep amperage toward the lower end of the electrode's range. Short stringer beads with controlled heat input produce better results than long continuous passes on thin stainless.
Don't burn through your coupons randomly. Set up the same joint configuration three times in a row before changing anything. Make one setting adjustment between each set — wire speed, amperage, travel speed, or gun angle. Write down what you changed. You'll identify your optimal settings for this material much faster with structured repetition than random practice.
After completing a bead on one face, flip the coupon and weld the back side. This doubles the number of practice passes per coupon and trains you to manage heat input on material that's already been heated once — a real-world skill for multi-pass and back-gouging scenarios.
Certification prep note: These coupons are precision-cut to consistent dimensions, making them suitable for running structured practice sets in preparation for welding certification tests. Consistent coupon geometry means you can replicate the setup of your test position reliably before the actual test day.
Who It's For
Built for Every Stage of the Learning Curve
New to MIG, TIG, or Stick on stainless steel? This material gives you honest feedback on every setting change. Too hot, too cold, bad travel speed — you see it immediately in the bead. Consistent coupon dimensions mean you're comparing your technique, not your material prep.
If you can lay down a decent bead but struggle to replicate it pass after pass, structured practice on identical coupons is how you close that gap. Run the same setup ten times and compare. Adjust one variable. Run ten more. The Perris kit's uniform coupon pairs are perfect for this kind of systematic practice.
Welding certification tests require you to make a specific weld in a specific joint configuration within a specific acceptance criteria. The weeks before your test should be spent practicing on material as close to your test coupons as possible — same process, same material, same thickness. These kits give you that.
Shop time is limited in most welding programs. Having your own practice coupons means you can run additional passes at home or in open shop time without waiting for school-issued material. 201 SS at this thickness covers the skills most programs are teaching — flat position first, then position welds.
Switching from mild steel to stainless, from MIG to TIG, or from flat to out-of-position work requires a calibration period on new material or new settings. This kit gives you a controlled environment to run that calibration without burning through production material or scrap of uncertain condition.
The Poker kit's dimensional pieces assemble into a finished project — not just a stack of scrap. For hobbyists who want to practice and end up with something they built, the Poker kit delivers practice passes on multiple joint types and a completed object at the end.
Full Specifications
Complete Spec Sheet — Both Kits
| Specification | Perris Practice Kit | Poker Practice Kit |
|---|---|---|
| Material | 201 Stainless Steel | 201 Stainless Steel |
| Thickness | 0.056 in | 0.06 in |
| Piece Count | 12 pieces | 7 pieces |
| Shapes / Sizes | Square 3.16×3.16 in (×6) & Perris 2.17×2.17 in (×6) | 6 varied dimensions (see kit detail above) |
| Compatible Processes | MIG, TIG, Stick | MIG, TIG, Stick |
| Edge Finish | Precision-cut, smooth | Precision-cut, smooth |
| Corrosion Resistance | Yes — rust-free | Yes — rust-free |
| Deformation Resistance | Yes — dimensionally stable | Yes — dimensionally stable |
| Best Use | Joint practice, bead consistency, cert prep | Multi-joint practice, dimensional project build |
Storage tip: Stainless steel coupons do not require special storage conditions. Keep them dry and away from contact with carbon steel tools or grinding debris — carbon steel particles transferred to stainless surfaces can cause surface rust spots that look like stainless rust but are actually contamination from the carbon steel.
Original: $20.99
-65%$20.99
$7.35Description
Arccaptain Welding Practice
Stainless Steel Welding Practice Kit —
201 SS Coupons for MIG, TIG & Stick
Improving your welding takes repetition on real metal — not cardboard cutouts or simulated surfaces. This stainless steel welding practice kit gives you precision-cut 201 stainless steel coupons to burn through, so you can focus on bead consistency, travel speed, and fusion quality without worrying about the quality of your practice material.
Available in two kit formats — the Perris Welding Practice Kit with square and Perris-shaped coupons for joint practice, and the Poker Welding Practice Kit with a multi-piece set for building dimensional projects. Both are cut from corrosion-resistant 201 stainless steel with smooth, uniform edges that make positioning, clamping, and restarting easy. Compatible with MIG, TIG, and Stick processes.
Two Kit Options
Perris Practice Kit vs Poker Practice Kit
Choose the kit that matches how you practice. The Perris kit is optimized for flat and joint weld practice with uniform coupon pairs. The Poker kit is a multi-piece set that assembles into a dimensional project — giving you straight seams, inside corners, and butt joints all in one build.
Practice Kit
Twelve coupons in two shapes — six square plates and six Perris-shaped plates. Uniform dimensions make it easy to set up repeatable joint configurations for flat, butt, T-joint, and lap joint practice. Consistent sizing means you can run the same setup multiple times to track your improvement.
Practice Kit
Seven pieces in varied dimensions that assemble into a finished three-dimensional project. Each piece presents a different joint geometry — you get practice on multiple weld types in a single build, and end up with a completed metal object you can keep or use as a skill benchmark.
Why 201 Stainless Steel
Practice Material That Doesn't Fight You
The quality of your practice coupons directly affects the quality of your practice. Rusted, warped, or poorly cut steel introduces variables that have nothing to do with your technique — making it harder to isolate what you're actually working on. 201 stainless steel eliminates those variables.
Ready to Weld Without Prep
201 stainless steel resists rust and surface oxidation, so coupons stay clean and ready to use straight out of the box — no grinding, no wire brushing, no prep work before you can put a bead down. The material maintains its shape and flatness without warping in storage or under shop conditions, so every coupon you pull from the kit is as usable as the first one.
Feature Breakdown
What Makes These Coupons Work
Every coupon is cut to the same dimensions within the kit, so you can set up the same joint configuration repeatedly and compare beads side by side. Inconsistent coupon dimensions make it impossible to isolate technique variables — these are cut to be consistent so your results reflect your skill, not your material.
Sharp, ragged edges on practice coupons create fit-up problems and are a hand hazard. These coupons are finished with smooth edges out of the box. Position them against each other or against a fixture and they sit flat without gaps caused by edge burrs — which is exactly what you want when you're practicing root pass control and joint fit-up.
201 stainless steel at 0.056–0.06 inch thickness works across all three common welding processes. MIG with stainless wire or tri-mix shielding gas, TIG with ER308L filler, or Stick with stainless electrodes — the material responds appropriately to each process and provides realistic feedback on heat input, travel speed, and penetration.
At 0.056–0.06 inches, the thickness is thin enough to be forgiving on heat input errors — you can see immediately when you've got the heat too high or too low — but substantial enough to practice realistic weld profiles. It's the sweet spot for beginners learning settings and intermediates dialing in consistency.
Square and Perris shapes in the first kit give you both matching-size pairs for butt joints and differently-shaped pairs for T-joints and lap joints. The Poker kit's dimensional pieces present inside corners, outside corners, and straight seams in a single build. More joint variety per kit means more types of practice before you run out of material.
Stainless steel doesn't rust sitting in a toolbox or on a shelf. You can buy this kit well ahead of when you need it, store it without concern, and pull coupons weeks or months later in the same condition they arrived. Mild steel practice coupons surface rust quickly in humid shop environments — these don't.
How to Use These Coupons
Getting the Most Out of Every Plate
Practice coupons are only as useful as the structure you give your practice sessions. These tips apply specifically to stainless steel coupons at this thickness.
For MIG on 0.056 in stainless, start conservative on wire speed and voltage — stainless conducts heat differently than mild steel and burns through faster if you over-crank the settings. Use tri-mix (90% helium / 7.5% argon / 2.5% CO₂) or straight argon depending on your wire spec. ER308L wire is the standard for 201 SS.
TIG on stainless at this thickness responds well to 40–60A depending on your technique and tungsten preparation. Use DCEN (direct current electrode negative). A 1/16 in or 3/32 in 2% lanthanated tungsten gives you a stable arc on stainless. ER308L filler rod is appropriate for 201 SS base material.
Stick welding stainless at 0.056 in requires careful amperage control to avoid warping thin material. Use E308L-16 or E308L-15 electrodes. Keep amperage toward the lower end of the electrode's range. Short stringer beads with controlled heat input produce better results than long continuous passes on thin stainless.
Don't burn through your coupons randomly. Set up the same joint configuration three times in a row before changing anything. Make one setting adjustment between each set — wire speed, amperage, travel speed, or gun angle. Write down what you changed. You'll identify your optimal settings for this material much faster with structured repetition than random practice.
After completing a bead on one face, flip the coupon and weld the back side. This doubles the number of practice passes per coupon and trains you to manage heat input on material that's already been heated once — a real-world skill for multi-pass and back-gouging scenarios.
Certification prep note: These coupons are precision-cut to consistent dimensions, making them suitable for running structured practice sets in preparation for welding certification tests. Consistent coupon geometry means you can replicate the setup of your test position reliably before the actual test day.
Who It's For
Built for Every Stage of the Learning Curve
New to MIG, TIG, or Stick on stainless steel? This material gives you honest feedback on every setting change. Too hot, too cold, bad travel speed — you see it immediately in the bead. Consistent coupon dimensions mean you're comparing your technique, not your material prep.
If you can lay down a decent bead but struggle to replicate it pass after pass, structured practice on identical coupons is how you close that gap. Run the same setup ten times and compare. Adjust one variable. Run ten more. The Perris kit's uniform coupon pairs are perfect for this kind of systematic practice.
Welding certification tests require you to make a specific weld in a specific joint configuration within a specific acceptance criteria. The weeks before your test should be spent practicing on material as close to your test coupons as possible — same process, same material, same thickness. These kits give you that.
Shop time is limited in most welding programs. Having your own practice coupons means you can run additional passes at home or in open shop time without waiting for school-issued material. 201 SS at this thickness covers the skills most programs are teaching — flat position first, then position welds.
Switching from mild steel to stainless, from MIG to TIG, or from flat to out-of-position work requires a calibration period on new material or new settings. This kit gives you a controlled environment to run that calibration without burning through production material or scrap of uncertain condition.
The Poker kit's dimensional pieces assemble into a finished project — not just a stack of scrap. For hobbyists who want to practice and end up with something they built, the Poker kit delivers practice passes on multiple joint types and a completed object at the end.
Full Specifications
Complete Spec Sheet — Both Kits
| Specification | Perris Practice Kit | Poker Practice Kit |
|---|---|---|
| Material | 201 Stainless Steel | 201 Stainless Steel |
| Thickness | 0.056 in | 0.06 in |
| Piece Count | 12 pieces | 7 pieces |
| Shapes / Sizes | Square 3.16×3.16 in (×6) & Perris 2.17×2.17 in (×6) | 6 varied dimensions (see kit detail above) |
| Compatible Processes | MIG, TIG, Stick | MIG, TIG, Stick |
| Edge Finish | Precision-cut, smooth | Precision-cut, smooth |
| Corrosion Resistance | Yes — rust-free | Yes — rust-free |
| Deformation Resistance | Yes — dimensionally stable | Yes — dimensionally stable |
| Best Use | Joint practice, bead consistency, cert prep | Multi-joint practice, dimensional project build |
Storage tip: Stainless steel coupons do not require special storage conditions. Keep them dry and away from contact with carbon steel tools or grinding debris — carbon steel particles transferred to stainless surfaces can cause surface rust spots that look like stainless rust but are actually contamination from the carbon steel.
