David from Peoria (Arizona!) wrote in and asked:
….about “spray arc transfer MIG.” I tried it with my Miller 8VS and Syncrowave 200 (on CC mode). It sounded like TIG, but I ruined a tip & nozzle. Is this type recommended “at home,” or do you need a bigger multi-processor power source, and what are the advantages?
I quickly replied:
(more…)
We got one of the New Weldcraft® Triad™ tungsten sharpeners when they first came out and looked it over to determine if we wanted to add it to our line of tungsten grinders. It’s a nice machine well engineered and produces a true precision ground tungsten electrode ideal for orbital and other demanding TIG/GTAW applications. The pricing is restrictive for the hobbyist, but if you have some coin to spend on fine electrode grinding tools — this is one!
Weldcraft® has added a new double decker kit to the options available for the grinder — and it’s a well made precision machined set-up. Check it out (at the left) and read the press release from Weldcraft here…
And by the way if you want to try any of our tungsten electrode grinders — we offer a 7-Day trial — to make sure you get the best machine for your welding application. Restrictions apply — Purchase order or credit card at time of order!
We get asked all the time “what is the proper stick-out for the tungsten electrode on a TIG / GTAW / HeliArc torch?”
That’s a tough question because there are many variables based on the type of front-end parts being used on the torch — and — the welding application. As we all know high-quality, consistently good looking and strong TIG welds are a combination of art and science.
With this new tungsten electrode stick-out tool you can reduce some of the variables by accurately measuring the tungsten stick-out by 1/16″ (1.6mm) increments up to 1″ (25.4mm).
It’s constructed of CNC machined brass with knurled locking sleeve and includes a key ring holder with nylon strap and spring type aluminum hook loop… and is available online at Arc-Zone.com!
APPLETON, Wis. 4 June 2007—To provide welding operators with the accuracy and verrsatility needed to prepare tungsten for both orbital and hand-held TIG applications, Weldcraft offers its new Triad™ (TTG Plus) tungsten grinder. Featuring precision-drilled entries, Triad accommodates six different tungsten electrode diameters—0.040, 1/16, 5/64, 3/32, 1/8 and 5/32 inch—and offers four different grinding angles (15º, 18º, 22.5º and 30º) to ensure reliable arc starting and good weld penetration.
Triad™s robust industrial-grade motor also provides consistent cutting and facing capabilities (up to 5/32-inch) to eliminate the need and cost for additional tungsten preparation tools.
READ MORE ABOUT WELDCRAFT’S TRIAD TUNGSTEN GRINDER HERE….
As you may or may not know, Arc-Zone.com introduced the first low-cost, high-quality portable tungsten electrode grinder 7 years ago (the Sharpie™ Hand Held Tungsten Grinder). Since that time we have continued to bring to market new products that offer additional user benefits, whether it’s, adjustable grind angle, dust collection, cut-off options, or heavy-duty motors.
The new Weldcraft™ Triad model fills a void for a portable, semi-hand-held model and was designed for the precision TIG/GTAW orbital welding market by Georg Fischer. This new grinder offers several “fixed” grind angles which may be important to welding engineers that don’t want the operators constantly tinkering with the tungsten grind angle (or taper). Additionally, and more importantly it offers a precision tungsten cut off option, important for orbital welding equipment that use short tungsten electrodes.
The Triad is priced at the high end of the portable grinders, $895, just below the high-performance bench top models, and will sharpen tungsten electrodes in diameters from 0.040″ to 5/32″. The machine can be used in the weldshop or in the field and has a durable long-life motor.
The Weldcraft Triad Tungsten Grinder is not yet available, but you can reserve yours today– they should be shipping, complete with rugged carrying case by the end of next week. Give us a call:
800-944-2243 (toll free US) or
760-931-1500 (worldwide) or
email triad at arc-zone.com.
As you know, Arc-Zone.com(tm) carries the welding industry’s most complete line up of tungsten electrode sharpeners on the market, from inexpensive hand-held tungsten grinders like the Sharpie(tm) to more robust, precision grinders like the DGP. We also carry a mid-range of grinders like the Pirahna II. You’ve probably seen this grinder other places. In fact, we regularly see this grinder advertised in all the trade publications, and recently noticed a little inconsistency.
In the April 2007 edition of the American Welding Society Product Review section of the magazine, the Piranha II ad says:
“Perfect for nearly all welding applications this portable unit (under 7 lbs) is comapct and durable with no vibration. Grinds .040″ (1.0mm) through 1/8″ (3.2mm) tungsten at any angle from 15 to 45 degrees.”
Now we have nothing against the Piranha II. It’s a good, solid machine. We sell a lot of them. However, the Piranha II does not prepare 1/8″ (3.2mm) tungsten. It used to be manufactured to accommodate the 1/8″ diameter electrode, until it was discovered that the motor was not robust enough to handle that larger diameter– at least not for anything more than occasional use.
So, if you’re looking for a robust tungsten grinder that can handle 1/8″ diameter tungsten, check out the Piranha III, the Neutrix, or the Neutra Liquid Tungsten Grinder….
We’re getting more and more calls from weld shop foremen as well as job site and safety managers telling us that they have to find a solution to grinding tungsten electrodes. Many tell us they’ve used bench grinders, belt sanders or side grinders for years- But, they all say the same thing - either someone got hurt, or they almost did.
Think about it– you’re trying to hold the tungsten to the wheel or belt and rotate it, sounds simple, but what happens is that the tungsten gets real hot real quick, and if you lose your grip, the tungsten rotates around the wheel and shots back toward the operator like a rocket– not good when it’s a hot, pointed, fast-moving object!
Of course once a shop upgrades to a dedicated tungsten grinder they will immediately benefit from improved welding performance, better quality welds, less tungsten electrode waste and of course a safer weldshop!
Check out our line up of tungsten grinders. Arc-Zone.com(tm) offers one for every application and budget, from reasonably priced Sharpie(tm) hand-held tungsten sharpeners– great for in the weld shop or in the field– to robust bench-top tungsten grinders for precision, repeatable grind angles. We even have tungsten sharpeners with integrated dust collection.
by Jim Watson
A variety of tungsten electrodes are available from resellers who put their label on it and offer it for sale. Often this material is considered a commodity and is bought at the lowest price. That’s great for the Purchasing Department’s bottom line, not so good for a welding department’s quality and productivity
While it’s true that most of the tungsten electrodes on the market today come from China (in fact most all the tungsten ore has come from China for years) not all manufacturers are the same – not even close!
Let’s take a closer look at some of the problems we’ve seen with these cheap “reverse engineered” tungsten electrodes:
Varying Diameter – without strict adherence to specifications, the tungsten electrode diameter can vary causing problems with tungsten gripping in the collet/collet body of your TIG torch or your tungsten sharpener.
Bent Electrodes – especially with 1/16” and smaller diameter tungsten electrodes. This can cause problems with arc performance. See photo below.
Inconsistent Finish – spotty texture and uneven ground finish indicates a total lack of production quality. A poorly textured finish can also contribute to arc performance problems.
Flaking paint – tungsten electrodes are color-coded with a swab of paint on the end to distinguish one blend from another. When the paint flakes off, not only does it render the color-coding system useless, it can contaminate your weld.
That’s what you see, but what’s more important is the make up of the base material prior to extrusion. Tungsten electrodes are produced by mixing chemical compounds raw tungsten and specific dopiants which make up each blend thoriated, lanthanated etc. Consistent mixing, the extrusion process, and adherence to documented procedures is the real key to a high-quality end product.
We field more technical calls from customers with poor weld quality, and inferior tungsten performance than all other products, well other than junk gas lenses… more on that later.
Bottom line, when considering tungsten electrodes — you get what you pay for.
NOTE: Reverse engineer
to disassemble and examine or analyze in detail (as aproduct or device) to discover the concepts involved in manufacture usually in order to rpoduce something similar. Similar. Not the same….
Whether you’re doing PAW (plasma arc welding), or TIG/GTAW (gas tungsten arc) welding, there’s a lot of confusion about what kind of tungsten to use. At Arc-Zone.com we’ve put together a guide (.pdf) to the various blends of tungsten electrodes for welding.
These days most of the inverter welding machine manufacturers are recommending the Ceriated (Orange) or Lanthanated (Gold) as good performing alternatives to the 2% Thoriated (radioactive) tungsten electrodes. Arc-Zone offers a great selection of tungsten electrodes, including the Hyperformance(TM) ArcTime(TM) all purpose tungsten electrode. This is one tungsten electrode that will make you throw away all the rest. In fact, if you’re like Arc-Zone’s other customers, you’ll call us up to sing its praises.
Arc-Zone also carries the new Weldcraft Premium Tungsten Electrodes, including the “Rare Earth” blend– it was put through some rigourous tests in the Miller TIG welding Lab and came out on top.