Tungsten sharpening

[deereman75]

For me, I am not too worried about the thornium.
I am sure I breathe in a lot of worse stuff every day in my shop. Welding smoke, lead, asbestos (not too often... LOL), solvents, chlorinated solvents (far away from welding) grinding dust, ect ect ect, ect. I am sure they all do more damage.
I personally feel a lot of this health and safety stuff is taken way over board. My grandpa used to cut asbestos sheet with a skilsaw on the jobsite, making a huge cloud of dust, and there were no dust masks. He died about 1.5 years ago, and never had the slightest lung problems. That was about 40-50 years later..... LOL

 

[Shield Arc]

My dad was a carpenter / millwright. I remember him telling stories about cutting asbestos all the time on the job site. He smoked 2-packs a day since he was about 8-years old. Seems like everybody in the south grew tobacco. He also drank a 5th of VO just about everyday, and never missed a day of work.
He died at 88-years old of a stroke.

You know when I played with Furu's Stickweld 250 with my Tig rig, seems as I remember turning the hot start and arc force all the way off. I've got to the point now where I use 2 % Ceriated, (orange) tungsten for everything.

 

[orezok]

I know that a lot of people say you must have a dedicated grinder for tungsten, but unless you're welding on nuclear reactors or pressure vessels, no one will know the difference.

 

[Gary Fowler]

Zap over on Welding Web posted how he uses a drill motor to sharpen tungsten. For years I did just like Gary, and used the side of the wheel. But after seeing how Zap does it, I started doing it that way.
Someone posted this chart on different ways to sharpen for penetration, I guess I've been doing it wrong all these years.:confused3:

That chart is just the opposite of what I found to be actual use on root passes. Sharp point as in first photo produces highly crowned bead inside of pipe where as blunt angle as in far right photo produces a flatter root pass. It may be as the photo suggests for flat penetration into the base metal

 

[Shield Arc]

That chart is just the opposite of what I found to be actual use on root passes. Sharp point as in first photo produces highly crowned bead inside of pipe where as blunt angle as in far right photo produces a flatter root pass.

That has been my experience too. Only Tig welding I've done on pipe is for testing. Here on the west coast the pipe fitter's unions are very strong. It's not real healthy to get caught welding on pipe when you belong to another union!
This is how I sharpen tungsten for the root pass on pipe. I like 37-degree bevels, knife edge, with 3/32-inch gap, run around 95-amps using 1/8-inch filler. For the hot pass I'll go up no more than 10-amps and switch to 3/32-inch filler. This is the best way I found to avoid suck back.

 

[john40981]

Okay, thanks guys. I got the 1/16 tungsten because (for now) I can't see tig welding over 100 amps. I would mainly use it for sheet metal. When I start doing some heavier welding, I will get some bigger tungsten.
I am planning on doing my first tig welds today. Wish me luck..... LOL
Anyways advice on cup size and gas flow? I have #4,#6, and #9. Also, should I go with short back cap, or long? I have a pair of those things goatskin tig gloves, and some cheap copper coated filler rod. I really know next to nothing about tig..... LOL

A great web site to visit to get some info to start you off on the right track is Welding Tips and Tricks - TIG, MIG, Stick and a pantload of other info
Jody does a video every week and the link will be email to you if you subscribe to his site. Browse the TIG links and I am sure you will find lots of usefull videos that will help you get started TIG welding. Good luck, it isn't hard after a little practice with the correct techneique.
Buy the way I grind mine on the bench grinder that I use for everything. Contamination is always talked about but as has already been said unless you are welding something very important it is not a issue realy and not worth buying a special tool just for this purpose if you are just DIY welding at home.

 

[Arc weld]

You can get chemical sharpener too that sharpens the tungsten when they're hot. If a tungsten is lightly contaminated, you can clean it by switching to reverse polarity and striking an arc on a piece of copper. Even a penny will work. Only strike an arc for a second or 2 or the tungsten will melt. You can turn the heat down a bit. This works good when welding aluminum especially. A super good TIG welder showed me this trick.

On another note, don't take the health aspects of welding/grinding lightly. Just like smoking, some people it never seems to affects and other's get emphysema/cancer and other health issues and are in a living **** having to pull an oxygen cylinder around with them 24/7 or worse being stuck in bed. Don't gamble it wont affect you when it's so easy to take precautions.

 

[Arc weld]

You can get chemical sharpener too that sharpens the tungsten when they're hot. If a tungsten is lightly contaminated, you can clean it by switching to reverse polarity and striking an arc on a piece of copper. Even a penny will work. Only strike an arc for a second or 2 or the tungsten will melt. You can turn the heat down a bit. This works good when welding aluminum especially. A super good TIG welder showed me this trick.

On another note, don't take the health aspects of welding/grinding lightly. Just like smoking, some people it never seems to affects and other's get emphysema/cancer and other health issues and are in a living **** having to pull an oxygen cylinder around with them 24/7 or worse being stuck in bed. Don't gamble it wont affect you when it's so easy to take precautions.

 

[deereman75]

I am normally pretty good about using safety gear. If I am doing more than a quick grind or cut with the grinder, I put on a mask. I have started wearing one while stick welding as well. Safety glasses are always used. Torch brazing and soldering are the only processes I don't use gloves for.
That said, I still do lead casting, use toluol, and methylene chloride paint stripper, and commonly run gasoline blow torches.
Especially with the lead casting, and blow torches, if you use your head, you will be just fine.

 

[Gary Fowler]

That has been my experience too. Only Tig welding I've done on pipe is for testing. Here on the west coast the pipe fitter's unions are very strong. It's not real healthy to get caught welding on pipe when you belong to another union!
This is how I sharpen tungsten for the root pass on pipe. I like 37-degree bevels, knife edge, with 3/32-inch gap, run around 95-amps using 1/8-inch filler. For the hot pass I'll go up no more than 10-amps and switch to 3/32-inch filler. This is the best way I found to avoid suck back.

That is the same with me, it produces a nice rounded bead with a little rise to the center.