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In this study, the effects of shielding gas and current type on tungsten inert gas welded ANSI 304 stainless steel were investigated. Tungsten inert gas (TIG) welding is widely used in any structural applications of this steel. TIG welding is preferred in stainless steel because of its high quality weldments and its lower equipment investment. By using the TIG welding method, which is widely used in the stainless steel industry, it is critical to obtain a good appearance of weld joints as well as the weld beam which has full penetration and good mechanical properties. In this study, pulsed current and conventional continuous current were used as the current type and Ar and He gases were used as the shielding gas. Penetration, microstructure and hardness were examined. Weld bead width was increased when current values increased from 50A to 70A. The conventional continuous current results in better penetration than the pulsed current, as well as increasing the weld bead width. The effects of helium and argon gases on the weld bead varied with the current. The conventional continuous current has a more uniform weld line than the pulsed current. As a result, both the current type and the shielding gas effects are thought to be responsible for increasing the efficiency of the weld and improving the appearance of the stainless steel weld joints. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]