very true Larry, I am excited to get more tig torch practice in!
Today after work, I did just that. I tig welded one flange of the v-bands to each header's exit. I used my old Miller EconoTig, which is from 1994, so it does not have all sorts of settings like new welders do. Its pretty basic, just a few knobs and a foot pedal, but it was up to the task.
Today was the first day i welded on an actual stainless steel part, as opposed to scrap stainless pieces that I collected from work. Anyways, I used 1/16" 880 filler rod and followed the advice of the internet welders.. but working in small sections in order to avoid warping the flange. I wish I had a nice big welding bench, as I had to stand up and work in contorted angles to get proper torch angle on the round pipes, but all in all, I think it turned out pretty decent.