Hi, ive using 1.6mm grey tungsten for years and i like it for weld 304l ss, right now i have AC TIG too and i need to get proper tungsten for welding aluminium, what tungsten do you use normally for to weld stainless and aluminium? what diameters?

Thanks!

 

Never heard or seen grey tungsten.

I have always used 3/32 light blue hybrid tungsten from arc-zone.

 

We use thoriated red, and lanthanated blue if I remember to order it off ebay.

 

i meant 2% Ceriated Gray. i will try with 2.4mm 2% thoriated then. Thanks!

 

ceriated for steel and pure for aluminum is what i use..... and i have an inverter machine.


mike

 

^^^^^^same here, but on a transformer machine for me.

 

hybrid sky blue. Arc zone.

 

http://www.arc-zone.com/index.php?ma...oducts_id=4898

Great if you have an inverter tig.

I have used this tungsten exclusively for about 4 years now.
3/32nd only

I have welded from .035 stainless or aluminum to (roughtly 20amps) to 350-400 amps all on this same tungsten. When dialed in it will even keep a nice sharp point @ 250-300 amps typically with settings along the lines of 400 hz frequency, dc+ 200amps, dc- 400 amps, 70% balance. So long as the welds are no more than about 30seconds to 1 min at a time it will stay razor sharp, after that the tungsten will slowly begin to heatsoak and the point will round (aluminum). If the material is clean you can bump up the balance to 80% and weld for about 2-3 mins at a time though at the same heat.

 

I use the purple tungsten for carbon steel, ss and al.

 

what tungeston will works good for high amp? today tested red tungten and it didnt work good really..

 

i use red for almost everything. never had any problems.
green one for high amperage alum. 1/8 for everything

weld anything from 30 amps to 300 amps

 

Yup we just started using the purple from the red and we all like it a lot it holds heat better than the red does.... And the red holds heat better than pure when you are welding at high heat on alum.

 

Try the purple it worked well for us we also are running a 75 argon 25 helium mix.

 

red one works good up to about 70-75 amp, but when i raise it and weld with 90-100 amp, it doesnt works good..

using 2.4mm though

 

Yeah we are running around 250....

 

i will try purple one then. where do i can get these? thanks!

 

We use Airgas / National welders

http://www.nwsco.com/cgi-bin/nw/WService=nw/home2.html

 

http://www.nwsco.com/cgi-bin/nw/WSer...l?sku=26775004


I think this it it... Not at work so I don't have my order sheet with the part number.

 

i use the sky blue from arc-zone on my personal inverter machine. I tried it on my buddys transformer machine for aluminum and it held up great and way better than the pure stuff you hear being recommended.

 

Thats not true. Pure tungsten has a melting point of 3670 Kelvin, Thorium-oxide doped tungsten (red one) has a melting point of 3320 Kelvin.

The reason that still allot of Thorium-oxide doped ones are used it because most (old) welders find it to weld really stable due to its low emission energy (2,6eV where pure tungsten has 4,5eV)... it gives a very stable arc. There in the netherlands the red ones are forbidden to be used since thorium oxide is radioactive (about the same radioactivity as natural uranium). But since there is just about 2% Thorium-oxide as dope in the electrode... who cares.

Btw... Pink ones have 3% Thorium Oxide... orange have 4%... There is no higher.

The very best electrode is the 2% La2O3 (lanthanum-oxide) doped tunsten one. Its light-green. It is also very stable with 2,7eV emmision enery and proven to have the least wear (emission of dope).

For aluminium... the only one that should be used is pure tungsten (dark)-green. This because when welding aluminium you're welding AC and therefore you're electrode will get much warmer. You could also use tungsten doped with ZrO2 (zirconium oxide).. these can hold more heat / power and they start a bit more stable. They are mostly used in fabs with very high standards (like nuclear application). I think they are pricey since i never see them around.

In our shop we only use The La2O3 doped for steel and pure tungsten for aluminium welding

About amps and electrodes... this is about the same for most doped electrodes. You could say the following.

DC
1,6mm -> max 150A
2.4mm -> Max 250A
3.2mm -> Max 400A

AC pure
1,6mm -> 50-100A
2.4mm -> 100-160A
3.2mm -> 150-210A

AC ZrO2 doped
1,6mm -> 70-150A
2.4mm -> 140-235A
3.2mm -> 225-325A

 

good info, that info is based on pure tungsten?

 

First row is all doped tungsten on dc. 2nd row is pure tungsten on af and last row is zirconium doped tungsten on ac

 

ok, anyway i ordered already pure tungsten (green) and i will test these once i get them!

Thanks for info