How do I know which Tungsten to choose for my welds?

[@stricht8]

Nobody ever explained the nomenclature of the Tungsten. Thank you.

[@mattio79]

I saw WeldingTipsandTricks do a test on all the formulations. 2% Lanthanated is the most versatile, so I chose that.

[@zenteno5p]

weldintipsandtricks for me is the best in youtube 🤘

[@dennisonseeto]

Thank you very much for this video, I'm a enthusiast/hobbyist TIG welder with no professional training in TIG, and watching your videos have been extremely helpful and very informative! I went to the local welding supply store and he full reamed me and told me to pretty much get lost because I should learn which Tungstens to use by going to TAFE (referred to as technical college in the US), and stop being like all the other "self taught loser welders" "ruining the industry". I'm a hobbyist that just likes welding for my self, I will never professionally TIG weld. I was more than happy to buy everything off their advice, but to be met with that...No wonder they have shut shop and have gone broke. Thanks again!

[@adamstreich3007]

That’s terrible service. We all have to start somewhere and not every has the time, funds, or ability to attend school but would still like to learn, grow and develop. Many hobbyists are emote serious about learning because it’s not professional and the passion is there. What is the next topic you’d like to learn more about?

[@EmptyMag]

Started TIG this semester and have been wondering about this for ages, this video definitely felt informative and pointed me in the right direction.

[@adamstreich3007]

Let us know if you have any questions along the way. And keep practicing

[@angelmontiel3186]

How are you doing now

[@EmptyMag]

@@angelmontiel3186 Not bad, it's been a slow semester lol, I did learn that I'm pretty good with stainless. Gonna be doing a 2G open root V-groove with TIG in a couple weeks, per D1.1.

[@angelmontiel3186]

@@EmptyMag hey man nice to hear you are enjoying it keep pushing man.

[@angelmontiel3186]

@@EmptyMag hey man nice to hear you are enjoying it keep pushing man.

[@johnelstad]

I just want to join the chorus of appreciation for such a comprehensive and easy-to-understand video. Thank you for taking the time to create this wonderful resource for us TIG newbies (and not so newbies).

[@Transformers1983jd]

Great video. I've had the privilege / honor to have Adam as my Instructor. Funny and you learn. Keep it up!

[@innajankovic1749]

Thanks for the tungsten grinding tips. My arc was wandering around in the same area but flickering across the work piece far more. now I understand why

[@PurfsMcGurfs]

This explained everything perfectly. After years of fluxcore and mig, I finally bought a tig and needed a refresher/update on the tungsten specs. Thanks!

[@petergill8819]

I’m just starting out using my inverter Tig . This is one of the best ones I have seen yet explains it very well thank you

[@haywire4130]

Wow!!! Im self taught and never had this explained so well!

[@miningbruno]

Thank you for this explanation, it was cleared than everything else I've found. And by the way, for reference, the ISO standard you may be looking for (I was) is ISO 6848:2015; fortunately, the colours are the same between these 2 standards (with respect to the rare earth additives).

[@adamstreich3007]

Bruno thanks for sharing this. Excellent information on this part as in the USA most of ours fall under AWS but we need to be more aware of the global versions as well

[@ypaulbrown]

well done Adam, very clear and concise....cheers from Florida, , Paul

[@eddied4969]

This video was awesome.. so much of the information i was looking for in one place. Thanks for the generosity!! keep sharing.

[@rvarsigfusson6163]

Thanks for it. It`s a nice to put out the old and the new system in Tungsten welding system. You did keep it simple and easily explained all the way....... but of course there is a lot more to do to learn it all. Maybe you could show how to hold tungsten when grinding the right way/direction and the amps limits. on all the rods sizes.

[@andyb7754]

Thank you Adam, very good and informative video. Keep them coming.

[@adamstreich3007]

Thank you for watching them- any special requests for topics you’d like?

[@piercekimmerly]

Thanks for the cool video. I've never taken any classes just reading and having a good go of it. But have great success with titanium and ss. It's Th, Ce2 for me. I didn't play much with LA and I didn't have much fun with P.

[@anthonywickramasingha6918]

Extremely useful welding tips and thank you very much for sharing.

[@olavogazzola2650]

Finally all my questions were answered, thank you, I really appreciate it!

[@danielazbill1732]

This was a great video my man. I had to dust off several questions which in spite of being significant, more than a passing curiosity, and also having headlined knowledge seeking quests at least twice; they were still sitting on my minds library table... Unanswered and a bit of a mess. Simply stated, shiny new answers are like a quality pair of new socks on fresh feet in a favorite pair of boots.

[@melclark1066]

Excellent. The most concise explanation I have come across. Thanks.

[@richarcruz7843]

Not a better tungsten video out there than this one thank u for sharing all th great knowledge gladly appreciate it God Bless🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽

[@ypaulbrown]

Adam very well explained....well done.....Paul

[@seanalexander9531]

This is excellent, thank you! Just a minor point - lanthanum, not lanthium :)

[@centariprime9959]

Great information. I have yet to get a TIG welder, but I can see many applications for it. It's on my list.

[@adamstreich3007]

It’s a very versatile process. What do you normally do? Is there anything you’d like to know more about?

[@centariprime9959]

@@adamstreich3007 I have a MIG welder. Lincoln 180HD. My mistake. I should have purchased the 210MP. I'm planning on upgrading. Light fence post (18 ga) Aluminum horse trailer repair. Heavy gauge steel.

[@adamstreich3007]

That’s a great machine. I’ve dialed them down to run 20g and bumped up to 1/4” material. You might consider a dedicated tig machine over the 210 so you open up the ac side for aluminum tig and get some more dc tig features like pulse and flow adjustments

[@centariprime9959]

@@adamstreich3007 Any recommendations on a dedicated TIG? Or better question: What should I look for in a TIG? I like the digital readout of the 210MP. wire speed, voltage, current. It sounds like the 210MP is limited to just basic TIG and of course it's an additional kit.

[@adamstreich3007]

That’s a very vague question- budget vs need vs capacity. You mention having a 180 so I’m making some assumptions that you’re not doing heavy industrial work in my response. For budget friendly options the AHP 203/ Primeweld 225ext/ or various Everlast offerings are all great choices. I have several students with the Primeweld and all enjoy it. Next you’d get into the CKmt200/ Lincoln squarewave200/ or some of the larger 240v type Everlast/ -next price jump is into things like OTC/ Lincoln aspect/ Miller dynasty/ Fronius Magicwave type offerings. You really need to determine your available power and usage requirements. For learning the more budget friendly offerings may be a great way to start practicing as you’ll need some consumables and a bottle of argon. You can work your way up into higher amperage and more feature filled machines as your skill set increases. We have some other videos for you to start your tig journey as well. Let us know what you go with or if you have any questions along the way

[@hiboost745]

That’s some very good information! Thanks for putting this out!!

[@scottcarr3264]

Australia here, I have used a Black tip once which is a 1% Lanthanated, and I found it a bit poor, like using Zirconiated on Steel, the End melted Quicker than a Ceriated. I've used quite a few Thoriated over the Years, but these new E3's are Great for Anything.

[@lilblue35]

wow !! awesome video, I took so many notes lol , one question, what are the 1mm 1.6mm and 2.4 mm tungston sizes rated in amps? Thank you so much for all this info, cant wait to get home and do some welding now . How you explained the sharpness of the tungston sure helped me tremendously !! Thanks Again!

[@SquirrelsForAll]

Another extremely helpful video, thanks for creating and sharing.

[@paulnewton943]

Brilliant! Look forward to your next tutorial .

[@GRich120]

VERY informational. Well done Adam!

[@marklowe7431]

Really good video. Helped me a lot work out a baseline to start with and get some experience.

[@beachboardfan9544]

Bummed you guys didnt mention that LAZR tungsten. Supposed to be able to do everything, so you can just buy one type in the different diameter and do everything with it.

[@adamstreich3007]

That actually falls under the EWG for general classification- there’s a variety of colors and names under that class that each company develops proprietary blends for. Pink, teal, lime green, etc. try them out and see what works best for your application and powersource.

[@GRich120]

The LaYZr tungsten is mentioned around the 8:10 mark and is referred to as the chartreuse color. LaYZr is a blend of Lanthanum, Yttrium and Zirconium, hence the name. The LaYZr and E3 are very closely related, as they both include the same oxide "Tri-blend".

[@scottcarr3264]

I weld basically every day at work and Tig probably 60% of the Time, we have a lot of Aluminium coming up soon so it will be more like 90% of the time, we Use 1/16th and 3/32nd for just about everything, If I'm doing heavy Aluminium then I would go to a 1/8th but they are all E3 (purple tip) tungstens, I like them.

[@gregorydobson4307]

Been using the LaYZr tungsten recently and got some good results.😊

[@jjortizalemany]

Awesome video, it covered it all about tungsten. Thanks for sharing 👍

[@ryanbrown918]

Love my Pink Multi-Mix

[@adamstreich3007]

That’s a great choice as well. The lime green Layzr stuff also runs very well. Trying a variety of options let’s you know what you like and what your machine likes

[@TheMaddogronh]

Thanks for the fine video ,,, just one question...... Everyone says to use a dedicated grinding wheel to sharpen with,,, does that mean you have to either use a new tungsten or break off the end each time ? Otherwise wouldn't you contaminate the wheel with metals you are removing ? Thanks for your time.

[@danl.4743]

You mean after dipping your tip and you have a ton of base metal on the tip? People say to cut it off. But I remove it with the coarse side grinding wheel, and then shape the tip on the fine side grinding wheel. I feel that's better than using the same wheel and contaminate it. But... I'm not an expert. So take that with a grain of salt. EDIT: I mean the course side and fine side of a bench grinder. I have a dedicated small bench grinder just for the tungsten.

[@adamstreich3007]

It’s mainly to prevent any cross contamination. Though many times one hs to work with what’s available, using a dedicated wheel is the ‘preferred’ and if doing code quality work you may want to consider using a diamond type dedicated sharpener. The old standby of a drill and bench grinder have worked for years, at some point it starts coming down to minor fine changes chasing the pursuit of success, though the best sharpened one is getting dipped.

[@scottcarr3264]

NO, don't "break" the point off Unless you really badly Contaminated your Tungsten, ( like dipping on aluminium) grind a Ring behind the Damaged bit down to at least 1/3 rd the diameter, then carefully snap that end off, then re-sharpen it back to the Shape you want, NEVER try to just snap the end off without severely Weakening it first, or you will send cracks up the rod and lose more than you intended, and No you won't Contaminate it enough by using a general purpose wheel, (unless you are doing Stainless or Titanium) just re-grind on a Silicon carbide wheel, Diamond wheel or Zirconium belt sander, they work well also.

[@catfromtrigun]

Good job Adam!

[@terrygirard3744]

Great video. Been looking for info for my transformer machine

[@karatekanz]

Thanks, really easy to understand some basics.cheers

[@c-note4146]

Curious. You say you personally prefer to use a belt sander. What type of abrasive is loaded on the belt sander, aluminum oxide, silicon carbide, etc?

[@bradyderise8884]

Very good explanation, Thanks

[@swissmochaj]

Red and Green on transformer machines.. Can you use the other colors on Transformer machines? Will a sharpened Lanthanated tungsten work on transformer machines on Aluminum? We still use the old synchrowaves here at my job. Wish they would get with the times lol

[@adamstreich3007]

Nothing wrong with red or green there’s just other options available. Yes they work. If I was using an older machine on aluminum green or either of the zirconium options brown or white. Though blue also works very well, nothing wrong with red, but there are options available and worth considering

[@michaelhallas6450]

Great video , very well explained.

[@reaper060670]

Brilliant video my bro. I'm only getting my 1st TIG TORCH this week. It's coming today. I was going to buy a bunch of consumables but this video helped me out no end bcos I was worried about which to get. I bought a 2 in 1 inverter welding machine. It's not one of those expensive models like the Miller 180? It's cheap but for my DIYer needs it'll work out just fine for now. I'm only using it to learn on while I think about going to college here in IRELAND.. What u said therew about Thorium scared the fook outa me bro.. So with all this said could u tell me the best tungsten to buy for 2.5mm Mild Steel square tubing??

[@piercekimmerly]

I don't remember where I got it but I have a 3/16 thoriated electrode. I don't use it except for a radioactive scribe, once in a while. Probably not a good idea but hey YOLO

[@hommerdalor6301]

Thanks. 👍

[@dillonGC]

Great information, but do you really pay double for your tungsten if it has a minuscule difference?!

[@WTFChuk]

Thoriated tungsten may have fallen out of favor with web welders, but it's still the most commonly used in the industry. Sadly, most welders today have never experienced actual quality tungsten. The market is flooded with Chinese tungsten, the best of which is merely average. Most is below average, and much of it is absolute garbage. The only new manufacture tungsten that is of high quality is Wolfram, made in Germany, and Plansee, made in Austria. Of the two, only Wolfram makes thoriated electrodes. Plansee only makes electrodes with non-radioactive elements. The best tungsten I've ever used is made by Teledyne Wah Chang Huntsville. It was often branded with a resellers brand. The biggest reseller was Union Carbide, under their Linde/Heliarc brands. Anyway, the Teledyne 2% thoriated absolutely blows away any other tungsten I've ever used. Even their pure green tungsten blows away any other pure tungsten. I dont know what they did differently in their manufacturing process, but it's very impressive. It's too bad the flood of cheap Chinese electrodes combined with consumers eager to save few bucks deprived the American welding industry of such high quality products.

[@loganrench5680]

There's a pack of 14 teledyne 2% thoriated tungsten currently for sale on Ebay

[@WTFChuk]

@@loganrench5680 Theres plenty of Linde tungsten on Ebay too. The stuff in the red envelope package is what you want. Or green, if you want pure tungsten. It's all good stuff.

[@mariocaja3279]

Great video!!!

[@Z-Ack]

Why do they dope the tungsten like that when the tungsten is not getting distributed in the weld? I realize tungsten is a consumable but only because of keeping it clean and whittling it down doing so but the electrode in tig is just used to point the arc location.. and the heat is decided by either a petal or pulse modulation ..? Size of arc is also user adjusted.. but i never understood as to why the doping material was so specific per application..

[@timeinbu7909]

What was wrong with the last arc ? Ground circular versus lineular ?

[@siamdarkweldertigwelding5874]

great explain teacher !

[@richardfuerst5286]

I use cerated tungsten in my mobile welding business on pontoon boats. I've tried 2% lanthanated. I can't really see a difference.

[@danl.4743]

Thank you. 👍

[@angelmontiel3186]

You guys have a welding app?

[@CoopKeith1]

I've been looking a for a welding job around Oklahoma City or Dallas.

[@Themachinewon]

That was perfect. Straight to the details.

[@rjbubba4335]

Thanks for the info one question is there a different between brands of Tungsten or the one from china not good to use?

[@brandontscheschlog]

Can someone explain why using a 3/32 gas lens with an 1/16 electrode is such a bad idea? I have done is numerous times and have had no issues.

[@adamstreich3007]

Brandon, it’s not that you “cant” do it, most of us have done it at some point out of need or laziness to change colletbody and gas lens for a small part only to change back. The why gets into energy density and electrical characteristics- maximizing/ matching the surface contact of the collet/ collet body/ and tungsten. It also help reduce wear on collet body because your cranking copper into a mismatch bore. Just like using .045 tip and .035 wire in GMAW- it works but you start losing desired characteristics by doing so

[@brandontscheschlog]

@@adamstreich3007 thanks for answering the question. I understand when it’s GMAW because it’s transferring the energy as it feeds through the tip but with TIG the fit of the electrode and bore of a matching gas lens is never a close enough fit to be effective at transferring energy if at all. It’s such a loose fit that it would be very ineffective at transferring energy. The Collett body is the main source at transferring the energy to the electrode. I have even drilled out gas lenses so that the electrode has a tighter fit and noticed no difference at all even when switching to the correct size

[@scottcarr3264]

As long as your Collet is the Right size there is no problem, I don't think it would be real good trying to get a 1/16th Electrode and Collet in a 1/8th collet body that might be "stretching the friendship" a bit.

[@CajunGreenMan]

9:20 One tungsten to rule them all! And in the darkness, weld them!

[@ChristopherGoggans]

......In the lands of Mordor where the shadow rises! .... Oh wait, wrong verse! 😉😁

[@MrSpinteractive]

Extremely helpful and well presented - Thank You!

[@ericnoney3770]

So, outside of red and green, every other tungsten can be used for all metals? There's gotta be more to it than that, otherwise why sell a bunch of other alloys?

[@rjbubba4335]

Thanks!

[@Welddotcom]

thank you for the support! Be sure to join us in the weld app on google or apple :)

[@shawnholton5182]

Nice Red Green Show nod.

[@MAC_6.7]

Good video!

[@904ross]

I use to love the red green show. 😂

[@MyDang123]

Thankssssss you are the best

[@antoniobragancamartins3165]

I'm trying give the like and KZbin don't accept the click. It's weird! Now I have got it, but was hard!

[@danl.4743]

Stop double-clicking everything like the old people do. lol

[@lgroschiensalle]

If the ladies don't find you handy... at least refer them to this video, where they can find the handsome Adam, who also happens to be handy. :P

[@Trump985]

Great video. I’ve tried a few of these alternatives for the red thoriated tungsten, and I prefer the red stuff. I personally think the radiation concerns are over hyped nonsense. There is more radiation coming from the radon gas in your basement then the grinding dust from these red ones. Anyway cigarettes will probably kill us long before breathing in a tiny bit of thoriated tungsten dust will.

[@richarcruz7843]

Thank u 🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽

[@derekthompson2405]

The SWPSs or WPSs tell you.

[@sobamani1244]

Very well

[@li-ion5592]

👍👍👍

[@mastermeme]

Based

[@josephjacoby7054]

You were very informative to a lot of your viewers, what you have to is now tell them the REASON! You have explained the best I have seen so far in all my time on U-tube, thumbs up for that. Never sharpen sharpen to a point ever. Your point needs to have a flat end depending on your application and metal thickness. All amperage traveling from one point to another travels to that point with the least amount resistance, so that is why you need to sharpen in a straight line. The defined puddle you drew was oversized because at the speed of light it broke out the side of least resistance and the went to the next least resistance, then went to the next least resistance which made a larger puddle. The arc never gets to the end thus fatiguing the end and causing it to round up EVERYTIME. I have only touched on why a reason for everything, it wood take a long video as there are many other factors just to sharpen a tungsten. I took the time to explain a small part of the whys of welding hoping it will be useful. In closing you have come very close as others to explain procedures, keep up the good videos. If I took the time to go through all parts of sharpening a tungsten it will fill this page. There are no tens in welding, I may through my own eyes was maybe a 6-7/8. I am now a feeble four and I don't know a three. I will leave you with something that I was told 60 years ago that all welds terminate with a dot, that dot should be in the middle of your puddle and be round no matter what you weld!! You will then know you have the right coverage.

[@danl.4743]

@@josephjacoby7054 "that all welds terminate with a dot, that dot should be in the middle of your puddle and be round no matter what you weld!! You will then know you have the right coverage." OK! Thanks. :)

[@thatproduct4507]

Oh man…. I think my striations have been f*cked

[@ccbproductsmulti-bendaustr3200]

👏👏👌

[@kyranprasad2675]

one amp per thou. one inch=1000 amps

[@InchFab]

This isn't your thing, is it? It shows.

[@huimincao3902]

👍👍👍