Tungsten Goof Up

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I have a quick question.  I accidentally order a pack of 10 1/8" 1% Lanthaniated (black tip) tungstens instead of the 2% Thoriated (red tip).I cannot find any information on my Lincoln chart on the black tip.  Does anyone know if they will work for MS and Aluminum?  Or what are they good for?  I hate to have to ship them back.Thanks!Build a Barstool Racer at BarFlyRacers.com!
Reply:It will work.  It doesn't matter to me what color the tip is when I dip it in the puddle. Go to diamond ground. com and look it up.  I don't know which is which, but I use red, orange, gold....Anything but pure.  I have inverters.They make a 1.5% lanthaniated it will be similar.DavidReal world weldin.  When I grow up I want to be a tig weldor.
Reply:Hi David,Thanks for the info on the diamondgound.com site.  Lots of technical info on the tungstens.  So it looks like you are correct.  I guess the 1% are considered a "Rare Earth" type and should work great.  I am interested in trying them out on some 1/4" MS.Thanks again!Build a Barstool Racer at BarFlyRacers.com!
Reply:I use Red End for EVERYTHING.....zap!I am not completely insane..Some parts are missing Professional Driver on a closed course....Do not attempt.Just because I'm a  dumbass don't mean that you can be too.So DON'T try any of this **** l do at home.
Reply:I know that ZAP!And I thought I was ordering the RED but goofed up.  No biggie, I am going to try it on some 1/4" MS tomorrow and see how they work.Build a Barstool Racer at BarFlyRacers.com!
Reply:The color code on tungstens is there for a reason.Green code is pure tungsten and is used for welding aluminum.You need to form a ball on the end, so the green will form a ball more easily.The 2% thoriated is for welding steel ,stainless steel ,bronze, inconel etc.,.The color code designations and their uses are listed on the outside of the box.
Reply:i use the 2% lanthanated on every thing now, used 1.5% Lanthanated also. the 2% holds up to heat better than 1.5% but both were great on aluminum and steel so i suspect the 1% will also be good. try some 2% lanthanated it holds its point well when working on AC with aluminum. with proper post flow you cant tell you used it by looking at it after the weld. summer is here, plant a tree for mother earth. if you dont have time or space, sponcer some one else to plant one for you.feel free to shoot me a PM or e-mail me at [email][email protected] i got lots of time.
Reply:Originally Posted by Donald BranscomThe color code on tungstens is there for a reason.
Reply:Sure is, it's for the manufacturer to label them correctly, because once you cut them down or sharpen both ends, well, then what? thats why i use all 2% lanthanated now. even if you only sharpen one end the paint still seems to wear off. being as 2% lanthanated works great on AC and DC i can use it for every thing. great re-starts and if you put a small flat on the tip it will stay like that keeping the arc stable and where you want it. the cerated and even the 1.5% lanthanated rounded off quickly when you strike the arc, the 2% is definitely my favorite.Only with old sine wave machines, and then only because you are too cheap to buy a newer model, so why spend money buying rare earth electrodes.its becoming much more common for them to use the rare element tungsten even on the older welders. longer life and better control even on the old dog's.ya still gotta love the size and draw of the new inverters though. summer is here, plant a tree for mother earth. if you dont have time or space, sponcer some one else to plant one for you.feel free to shoot me a PM or e-mail me at [email][email protected] i got lots of time.