The end of the year is a good time to look back, see what you’ve done right, and wrong, and a good time to take stock.  Give yourself credit for what you’ve done right, and for the things that didn’t go so well–  now you have an opportunity to do it better next time!

Continuous improvement has always been a part of the Arc-Zone culture, and while I hesitate to say “resolutions”  GOAL SETTING is an awesome way to start off the New Year.  It’s also a good time to replenish the stock and look at ways to improve for the upcoming year.

If one of your goals is to improve your weldshop and maybe get some new equipment, here’s some places to start your research:

Miller EQUIP TO WELD.  Miller Electric just launched this easy-to-use online tool to help you select, customize, and even price the welding system you need.

Weldcraft Torch Selector. Weldcraft also has an online tool that guides you to selecting the torch for your specific welding application.

Welding Design Online Buyers Guide. From Cylinders to Safety products and welding equipment, this guide lists many of the industry’s top manufacturers though you may have to dig around to find where to buy…

If one of your goals is to learn more about metal fabricating and the welding  industry and keep up-to-date on equipment, technique, and what’s happening  (aside from reading this blog, and CarmenElectrode.com) check out The Fabricator magazine and its affiliate publications  Tube and Pipe Journal, and Practical Welding Today.  You probably qualify for a free subscription.

AND… since you know this is an Arc-Zone.com powered site, I have to add:

The place to end your search is Arc-Zone.com–  for a wide variety of high-performance MIG, TIG and Plasma Arc Welding and Cutting accessories.  You’ll also find a great selection of welding safety apparel and equipment, welding books and DVDs, tungsten electrodes for TIG welding and Plasma Arc Welding, tungsten electrode sharpeners, water coolers for welding… well you get the picture!

Check it out for yourself. And if you don’t find what you’re looking for, or need help making a decision on what you need, give us a call.  We’re available online (Live Chat and email) and on-the-phone (7am to 5pm California time) and it’s a top priority for us to make sure our customers find the right product to amp up their weldshop and Weld Like A PRO !

May 2011 be good to all of us!

Not too long ago we got an email from a customer wondering why–  since they had spec’d out Made-In-The-USA SYLVANIA tungsten electrodes– we had sent them GTP tungsten electrodes.  They even sent photos!

Back in 2008 OSRAM Sylvania Tungsten and Powder officially became Global Tungsten & Powders Corp. (GTP) a leading supplier of powders, semi-finished products and components made from tungsten, molybdenum and phosphor.  It’s only been recently that packaging redesign has reflected this change, so soon you’ll see these boxes in your own shop.

You may miss the the SYLVANIA packaging, but don’t worry, the insides are still the same top quality tungsten.

GTP Tungsten Rod is manufactured by powder-metallurgical manufacturing techniques. Hydrogen-reduced tungsten powder is produced to rigidly controlled purity, particle size, and size distribution. The raw tungsten is consolidated by pressing and sintering the material into billets, which are then worked by rolling or swaging them into rods. Smaller sizes are produced by subsequent drawings.  This controlled manufacturing process produces top quality tungsten.  (If you want to know more about how Arc-Zone.com rates its tungsten suppliers, check out Tungsten Electrodes:  What’s the Difference).

SYLVANIA® GTP is the only U.S. manufacturer of tungsten electrodes (and is in stock and ready to ship from Arc-Zone.com). All SYLVANIA® GTP tungsten electrodes comply with AWS Specification A5.12 98. For details, download the GTP Tungsten Technical Bulletin (.pdf).

And when you’re ready to order your Sylvania GTP Tungsten, head on over to our webstore and place your order.  And if YOU don’t like what you see when you open your box, give us a call. Remember we have a Satisfaction Guarantee, and a NO HASSLE return policy–  Our goal is to make sure you get what you need to Weld Like A Pro(tm) !

Got a nice note from one of our Canadian customers recently, and he brought up an issue a lot of customers in Canada seem to have when shipping with UPS.  Robert McGowan writes:

love your site and products.  tried to order from the miller store but they will only ship united parcel service and they charge us canadians a huge border clearing charge.  thank you for shipping to your neighbors in the north by postal service. just placed an order.  Merry Christmas to all the staff.  R McGowan

Mr. McGowan echoes a frustration we often hear from our great customers to the North.  UPS will routinely charge an arm and a leg just to clear any shipment through customs.  While our preferred shipping method is UPS Ground, we can also ship your way:  to your freight forwarder for an international delivery, via the U.S Postal Service, DHL, or FedEx.  We can even bill your account.  We at Arc-Zone are happy to ship any way our customers want.  If you want your Tungsten Electrodes delivered via carrier pigeon, we’ll make that happen for you.

And if you’re a Canadian customer or a customer from anywhere else in the world looking for Tig Torches, parts or accessories, Arc-Zone has got you covered.  We’ve got MIG guns and parts, plasma parts and nearly everything else you’ll need to Weld Like A PRO(tm).

We came across a neat article on welding basics over at HotBikeWeb while reading up on some motorcycle repair information. It’s got a lot of great basic information as it relates to “virgin” welders and everything you’d need to know in order to get started welding:

By Bob Colvin

A few years ago on 60 Minutes Jesse James said, “There are two kinds of people in the world, those that can weld and those that can’t.” You see it every week on cable TV, a fabricator shapes a piece of metal or a couple pieces of metal and then pulls out a MIG or TIG welder, tacks the parts together, and then runs a bead fusing the two pieces together permanently-well hopefully. When they’re done it’s another perfect part. They make it look easy and after welding bits and pieces of metal together a masterpiece emerges. Can the home hobbyist/enthusiast do the same level of fabrication? Possibly, with the right tools and training almost anyone can create or repair anything. But where do you start? There is a lot to learn, but it’s not as daunting as you may think. It does take time and effort though.

CONTINUE READING OVER AT HOTBIKEWEB–>

If you’re looking to get into welding but don’t know where to start or what you need, head over to Arc-Zone.com.  We’ll get you equipped with one of our TIG Pro Kits, or one of our TIG Torch Packages.  And if you’re ready to start some welding education classes, Arc-Zone offers a special 10% educational discount to welding students.

Joe Welder will be the first to tell you that a good education is one of the building blocks you need in order to have success.  He says that a good welding education teaches you “more than just the welding processes, it teaches you about safety as it relates to welding, how to handle certain equipment, the fundamentals of different processes and when to use those processes.  Not to mention the types of material/rods available for you to learn about.  And ultimately, whether you’re going to night school, community college, or elsewhere, you’ll be able to network with people doing the exact same thing you are, which makes it even more important to have a good education.”

And because Joe Welder knows how hard it is for students to afford all the things a full-time education can require, Arc-Zone offers a 10% discount to all students, check it out on our website.  And another helpful place for welding students is The American Welding Society, which also offers plenty of welding scholarships.

In any region boasting a strong industrial base, the need for skilled welders is a given.  Erie, Pennsylvania, is no exception. This city on the shores of Lake Erie has thrived for years on a heavy manufacturing sector, including the presence of a General Electric locomotive factory – an industry that relies heavily on the latest advances in welding technology and other manufacturing skills.

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The extremely popular 2010 Fabtech  expo is right around the corner, and Miller Electric Mfg. Co. is introducing some really cool new products, including the new Titanium Series welding helmets as well as the new WeldX protective apparel (available at Arc-Zone.com).  And if you’re looking for other TIG related products to go with your Big Blue welder generator, be sure to check out Arc-Zone’s TIG parts and accessories.  And be sure to look for Joe Welder himself, who will be attending this year.

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This Bitchen New Bag was introduced at the AWS/Fabtech Welding Show in Atlanta on 11/03/2010….  and I got an up close look at it.  I can tell you–  I’m getting one for my shop!

These welding gear packs are going to be popular for Christmas so PRE ORDER your BSX Welder’s Helmet Bag / Gear Pack today!

BSX Welders GearPack / Helmet Bag is styled in black and gray with red accent piping–  AND it’s rugged making it a great way to Store AND Transport your welding gear.

This specialized backpack is constructed of high-quality materials and engineered with a quick-action HelmetCatch (which makes it easy to access your helmet). The side pockets fit two pairs of gloves, and the large storage area with rigid side walls  protects and stores your torch, and other tools–  and even your lunch box!

Roll to the jobsite, welding class or through the airport with the BSX Helmet Bag and you’ll be noticed!  We even joked around the office that this would make a great backpack for cycling to school (with a place to store your bike helmet) or the bowling alley (with a spot for your bowling ball)!

The exclusive quick-action HelmetCatch™ makes this gear pack stand out above all others. It introduces a secure 5-point rigging system and fast drawbridge action designed to make protecting your helmet a snap. The padded construction of the HelmetCatch™ helps protect the expensive lens from bumps and scratches, while the unique shape accommodates welding helmets of all sizes. The gear pack itself can be worn over the shoulders as a rugged backpack with fully adjustable ergonomic straps, or it can also be carried by its sturdy, rivet-reinforced top handle.

Constructed with rigid walls, the GB100 supports a welding helmet and heavy duty welding gloves on the outside, while leaving plenty of storage room within. The inside features pockets designed to organize hammers, brushes, tip cleaners, electrodes and more. A utility carabiner and a free lunch cooler are also included with the package.

Pre-Order your bag Today from  Arc-Zone– they’ll be available in December.  Just in time for the holidays.

ARC-ZONE.COM®, INC. DELIVERS PLASMA ARC WELDING ACCESSORY KITS

Carlsbad, Calif.— Whether you’re using the Thermal Dynamics 2A, 3A, 4A and PWM300 Plasma Arc Welding Torches, setting up a new Plasma Arc Welding station, or optimizing your existing welding station, Arc-Zone.com’s Plasma Arc Welding Accessory Kits are fully loaded with a variety of performance proven parts.

Designed by Arc-Zone.com technicians, the kits allow you to fine-tune your existing plasma arc welding torch, or get your new torch dialed in and ready to weld.

Operations manuals often suggest options for various amperage settings, adjustments and top sizes. “The benefit of the Arc-Zone kit is that every part you need is stored in one convenient and rugged kit box,” says Jim Watson, founder and CEO of Arc-Zone.com. “From replacement shield cups, back caps, pre-ground electrodes, shield cup gaskets, to long tips you’ll have easy access to the parts you need to customize your torch, minimize downtime, and you’ll have the quality to minimize variables.”

Whether you’re ordering the standard kit or the deluxe kit, you’ll also get Joe Welder’s Guide to Optimizing Your Plasma Arc Welding Torch. And re-ordering parts for your kit is easy: each kit is labeled with a custom made lid card that identifies each component, and a super cool Weld Like A PRO™ sticker.

Founded in June 1998, Arc-Zone.com®, Inc. delivers proprietary, brand name and OEM replacement parts and accessories for GMAW, GTAW and Plasma Arc Welding and Cutting applications to customers worldwide.

Though not affiliated with Thermal Dynamics Corporation, Arc-Zone supplies OEM and high quality replacement parts manufactured to demanding specifications and engineered to be interchangeable with Thermal Dynamics® parts, are not OEM parts and are not endorsed by Thermal Dynamics®

For more information, visit the Arc-Zone.com web site at www.arc-zone.com, call 760-931-1500 or email sales@arc-zone.com.

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Ramon over at Headway Performancein NY has been trying to get a system dialed in to allow him to do all his cylinder head and manifold welding in-house.  He had been farming all his welding out, which meant he had no control over how or when it was going to be done.

After going online and browsing around various welding forums and message boards, he heard about Arc-Zone, and that we hooked guys like him up with the good stuff.  He ended up contacting us and he bought the whole enchilada from Arc-Zone– a complete TIG welding system to connect directly to his Miller Syncrowave 350 TIG welding machine.

Ramon got a CK Worldwide flexable head, 250 amp Water Cooled TIG Torch with SuperFlex cables and cable cover and a Weldcraft Crafter Series 310 Amp Water Cooled TIG Torch.  He chose the Binzel CoolMate Style Water Cooler, and to get the most out of his TIG Torches, we set him up with the Arc-Zone Deluxe Gas Saver Pro Kit, one of our Pro Series Accesory Kits.  Plus Ramon got a variety 1lb tubes in all the popular TIG rod alloys. Now when it comes to high-quality TIG welding– there’s not much he can’t do with his new set up!

As you can see, the guys over at Headway are doing some serious manifold development and airflow and swirl testing.

You can see a picture of HeadWay’s flow bench here:

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At Arc-Zone, we’re continually amazed at the cool things people are doing with welding torches and equipment.  Vigallart is a 3D Metal Sculpture artist.

They’re located out in Joshua Tree and they’re making by far the coolest metal welding sculptures you’ve ever seen.  And they’re all made by welding stainless steel and aluminum pieces which is of course, right up Joe Welder’s alley.

Ric’s daughter Molly actually contacted us because they had been having problems with their plasma torch arcing inside the torch head.  We hooked them up with a brand new torch head and consumables so they could keep churning out more of their amazing metal art.

Ric Vigallon has created some of the most stunning metal art you’ll ever see.  Each piece is hand-made by Ric and he specializes in custom orders.  They have shown their work at festivals all over California, so if you get the chance definitely check them out.  You can see more of their metal art art over at their online gallery.  And if you need supplies for your plasma arc welding station, including plasma arc welding torches, performance proven replacement parts and even consumables like tungsten electrodes–  Arc-Zone has got you covered.