Patent ID: 7087853

Claim:
A method for joining a first porous laminated weldable metal structure to a second porous laminated weldable metal structure, each structure comprising a coarse surface, a fine surface opposed to the coarse surface, a thickness, and an edge, wherein the thickness of the first structure is about the same as the thickness of the second structure, the method comprising steps of: a) abutting the edge of the first structure with the edge of the second structure wherein the abutted edges constitute a seam, wherein the coarse surface of the first structure is disposed adjacent to the coarse surface of the second structure, b) gas tungsten arc welding the first structure and second structure from the coarse surfaces along a portion of the seam through at least about 75 percent of the thickness, c) plasma arc welding the first structure and the second structure along a portion of the seam from the fine surfaces.