Goullish

We here at the shop have a bad habit of using grinding wheels for both grinding steel AND tungsten.

I would like to move away from this, and I'm going to set up a wheel for tungsten only.

However, my question is, which would be better for tungsten, an Aluminum Oxide or Silicon Carbide wheel. I plan on using a high grit (80,100, or 120) wheel.

From Mcmaster "Silicon carbide sharpens and grinds cemented carbide cutting tools and other nonferrous metals such as aluminum, brass, and bronze. These wheels are cool grinding to reduce burning."

However, right now we use an aluminum oxide wheel.

turbo gli

i had the grinding wheel 80grit i belive .. but i dont like it .. i prefer a belt sander with a 120 grit belt .. leaves the tungs nice and smoother . u can see the scores runing lenght wise when i used the wheel .. now i just turn the tung slow on the belt for a nice finish ..

**on a side note .. i have been curious on thoes actuall tung sharpeners the dremel looking one and the box ones .. anyone got any input on them .. i think they would be a good investment .. its kinda hard and takes too long to get a nice even grind on a disk or sander time and time again ..

Goullish

Well, I can't use a belt sander, we don't have one, but we do have an open side on a bench grinder, so I'm stuck with it.

Keyhole

I use a bench grinder and do it by eye. I have heard you can chuck a 3/32 electrode up in a dremel and it will make a very nice consistent tip using a belt sander of bench grinder.

Or you can drop some coin and get a machine like this.



$195 buy it now on ebay...

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISA...61361

Goullish

That would be nice and all, but really and truly, I'm on a tight tooling budget, and I really just need to know if I should use a...

1.) 12 dollar 100 grit Aluminum Oxide wheel

2.) 15 dollar 120 grit Silicon Carbide wheel

I've been using a 60 grit contaminated Aluminum oxide wheel, and it's just not doing it for me to what I want.

parasonic

I don't know which is better from experience, but take into consideration the composition of aluminum oxide when thinking about contamination. (At least take it into consideration, maybe it has no effects on the tip.)

O3CivicSI

Get the silicon carbide, where I work they use it to sharpen tool steel and carbide cutting tools so it will make short work of tungsten. The first time you dab on your electrode and have to grind the big ball off you'll appreciate it. As for contamination always grind towards the tip, ie: hold the tungsten up and let the grinder blow sparks away from it, this will avoid contamination.

Goullish

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by O3CivicSI &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Get the silicon carbide, where I work they use it to sharpen tool steel and carbide cutting tools so it will make short work of tungsten. The first time you dab on your electrode and have to grind the big ball off you'll appreciate it. As for contamination always grind towards the tip, ie: hold the tungsten up and let the grinder blow sparks away from it, this will avoid contamination.</TD></TR></TABLE>

Good, than I'll try the silicon carbide.

I break off most tip contaminations over a very small amount, it uses up a slight bit more tungsten, but I just feel better about it.

And what I meant by contamination is that when grinding the tip, it still will jam very small pieces of steel into the tip, from what I've been told.

ssl2k

On a side note, I just read an article about how 2% tugsten becomes radioactive or some **** when you grind it...

I know it's off topic...but it is something to think about when you're working with it ..

btw, it only mattered with 2%

bigTom

i use a fine grit diamond wheel for my tungsten... strictly for the tungsten as well... always gets it to the perfect point

parasonic

2% thoriated. Slightly radioactive. Use ceriated which holds better heat if you are afraid of background levels of radiation...

ineedhelp

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by ek9t &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">i use a fine grit diamond wheel for my tungsten... strictly for the tungsten as well... always gets it to the perfect point</TD></TR></TABLE>

do you have a picture of this, or tell me where i could get one?

dustin

Don't use an aluminum oxide wheel, it will screw up the arc.. arc wanders from contamination. At least it does for me.

Goullish

It's the only thing I've used since I started welding 10 months ago, and I've never noticed significant wander from it. Perhaps I've just grown accustomed to it, though.

sudds

Im no welder but I use tungsten sometimes (for glass it doesnt stick) I use chem-sharp to sharpen the rods. But you guys might be talking about somthing else, so I will go back to my corner now.

turbo gli

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by sudds &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Im no welder but I use tungsten sometimes (for glass it doesnt stick) I use chem-sharp to sharpen the rods. But you guys might be talking about somthing else, so I will go back to my corner now.</TD></TR></TABLE>

please elaborate ? ..

sudds

Chem-sharp is a little jar of powder I get from praxair. You heat the tungsten so its glowing and dip it in and out of the powder and it sharpens the tungsten so sharp you can barely see the point. I dont think I would ever grind tungsten or stab myself with it on accident. Thats some highly cancerous **** right there.

PeakBoost

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by sudds &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote"> Chem-sharp is a little jar of powder I get from praxair. You heat the tungsten so its glowing and dip it in and out of the powder and it sharpens the tungsten so sharp you can barely see the point. I dont think I would ever grind tungsten or stab myself with it on accident. Thats some highly cancerous **** right there.</TD></TR></TABLE>

i actually picked some of that up a while back and thought it worked like hell..
i really think im just using it wrong and have yet to find anyone that has even heard of it.

would you mind elaborating on the process?


ken

sudds

Well I am a glassblower and I use a carlisle cc bench burner. It uses oxy and propane. I just heat the tip of the tungsten and it starts to glow, takes like 2 seconds. While it is still glowing (you gotta be quick) dip it in and out of the chem-sharp. It will start to sizzle, hence the chem in sharp, and continue to glow and heat on its own untill it is a fine point. You could probably use an acetylene torch to get it to glow. Just make sure its glowing when you dip it in and out successively it will scare you at first. The first time I did it I was like WTF! The tungsten being diped in and out is how it sharpens. Good luck.

shortyz

cool pics ?

turbo gli

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by sudds &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote"> Well I am a glassblower and I use a carlisle cc bench burner. It uses oxy and propane. I just heat the tip of the tungsten and it starts to glow, takes like 2 seconds. While it is still glowing (you gotta be quick) dip it in and out of the chem-sharp. It will start to sizzle, hence the chem in sharp, and continue to glow and heat on its own untill it is a fine point. You could probably use an acetylene torch to get it to glow. Just make sure its glowing when you dip it in and out successively it will scare you at first. The first time I did it I was like WTF! The tungsten being diped in and out is how it sharpens. Good luck.</TD></TR></TABLE>

i just got a jar of this stuff . wtf .. i heat it up .. dip and the **** sizzles and the chem stuff forms a big glob on the tun .. not sharpen it ? also i sizzles and splaters all inside the cup and up the tungsten .. i cant even get a clean sharp ?

PeakBoost

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by turbo gli &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">

i just got a jar of this stuff . wtf .. i heat it up .. dip and the **** sizzles and the chem stuff forms a big glob on the tun .. not sharpen it ? also i sizzles and splaters all inside the cup and up the tungsten .. i cant even get a clean sharp ? </TD></TR></TABLE>


same thing that happens to me.
just forms a ball of hell on the end.

turbo gli

weak sauce .. i think were doing it wrong ..

is it suppost to come out shiney like it just got ground ? ..

sudds

It does'nt come out shiney. You guys are'nt diping it in and out. Heat up an inch then dip it in and out like 20 times.