Thanks for the explain. I sharpened 5/32" & 3/16" red stripe* electrodes for >two years for the torque converter plant and my hands still glow in the dark. * 2% thoriated. When they came in contaminated you could just tap them like a drumstick and the brittle, contaminated tip would shatter off.
Earlier, in my 3 mos of apprentice time in the weld dept our best TIG welder handed me a pair of thick, stiff gauntlets and a job half the size of my thumb to scratch start on. He said 'leave the pedal where it is' and walked away. I spent more time cleaning up the electrode's tip than I did cooking the parts to glow like light bulbs.
Meanwhile, I bought blue stripe* electrodes for my MTS-251s Everlast, but can't get into a welding class at MCC down in Flint. There won't be any for a while.
* 2% lanthanated.
I have five stick welders and two MIGs now and don't need another one for my hack work until I get some lesson and
days/weeks/months more practice.
This one could be hard to fine a home for. One skilled/pro welder in our group, and like the the rest of he's pretty much all MIG.
btw, I bot a HF-start plasma cutter, and found how easily consumables/tips can be melted right off the torch when working in position 3. :laughing:
