Tungsten dipping and grinding

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Whenever I've dipped a tungsten or even suspected contamination, I have always cut off the end with a cutting disc and then resharpened on a clean grinder wheel. I know of people who in the field go so far as to use a general purpose angle grinder sitting on the ground upside down. I'm under the impression some on here (and other forums) just resharpen using whatever method without cutting off the tip as a matter of course.My question is, how critical is it? Am I taking it too far? Are the angle grinder people not taking it far enough? I just do hobby backyard welds, nothing critical.
Reply:If you are doing small backyard noncritical projects simply grinding off the fouling should be plenty..No government ever voluntarily reduces itself in size. Government programs, once launched, never disappear. Actually, a government bureau is the nearest thing to eternal life we'll ever see on this earth! Ronald Reagan
Reply:Do you care about the part your welding or just the tungsten your welding with ? Originally Posted by metaljongWhenever I've dipped a tungsten or even suspected contamination, I have always cut off the end with a cutting disc and then resharpened on a clean grinder wheel. I know of people who in the field go so far as to use a general purpose angle grinder sitting on the ground upside down. I'm under the impression some on here (and other forums) just resharpen using whatever method without cutting off the tip as a matter of course.My question is, how critical is it? Am I taking it too far? Are the angle grinder people not taking it far enough? I just do hobby backyard welds, nothing critical.
Reply:Im confused with with Tungsten contamination. That is; do you care about the part your welding or your tungsten rod contamination?
Reply:Tungsten contamination has to do with the part your welding; not the the stinger dumb dumbLast edited by Insaneride; 11-11-2014 at 09:41 PM.
Reply:I dont get it when weldors worry about there tungsten touching the part and have to re grind the the tungsten when the part they are welding should be the the important thing. WTF ?
Reply:Please edify AACE
Reply:Holy crap, enough posts! ^ hahaI work with light gauge stainless, whenever I dip my tungsten, I'll just regrind using a grinder with a sanding pad and the tungsten in a drill. I'd probably cut off the section and made sure I had a dedicated grinding method if I was doing say pressure welding.
Reply:I usually just re sharpen my tungsten on a bench grinder by hand. Grind of the contamination and move on. Try and keep the scratches inline with the tungsten rather than swirling around the tungsten which will happen if you use a drill.
Reply:Insane,A bit uptight tonight?30+ yrs Army Infantry & Field Artillery, 25 yrs agoMiller 350LX Tig Runner TA 210, spool gunLincoln 250/250 IdealArcESAB PCM 500i PlasmaKazoo 30"  vert BSKazoo 9x16 horiz BSClausing 12x24 lathe20T Air Press
Reply:Originally Posted by storemanInsane,A bit uptight tonight?
Reply:OK  a bit up tite but do you care about how your tungsten ruined your part or the part you ruined with your tungsten
Reply:He says " I just do hobby backyard welds, nothing critical."  Obviously not dealing with "parts".  30+ yrs Army Infantry & Field Artillery, 25 yrs agoMiller 350LX Tig Runner TA 210, spool gunLincoln 250/250 IdealArcESAB PCM 500i PlasmaKazoo 30"  vert BSKazoo 9x16 horiz BSClausing 12x24 lathe20T Air Press
Reply:Should I werry about my tungsten or the piece I contaminated with tungsten.BTW , tungsten is brittle in case you didnt know Last edited by Insaneride; 11-11-2014 at 10:41 PM.
Reply:storeman; I try not to do anything critical but when I do; Im not telling
Reply:Originally Posted by InsanerideShould I werry about my tungsten or the piece I contaminated with tungsten.BTW , tungsten is brittle in case you didnt know
Reply:This is an obvious case of pwd.  (posting while drunk)Measure with a micrometre, mark with chalk,  cut with a torch.Never force anything...just get a bigger hammer.RoyOld Airco buzz box approx 1974Lincoln mig pack 15Lincoln 175 square wave1954 9" south bend lathe
Reply:If I got the tungsten hot, like in A/C, Ill snap the tip off over my metal cart with a small hammer. You can tell where the contaminated area ends. With 2% lanthanated, it breaks right at the end of contamination, then I regrind. Sure, it could be considered a "waste" but when your at 130+ amps with 3/32, it tends to soak up the occasional dip from a hand slip like a sponge.
Reply:Wow, this topic moved fast.Insaneride, I care about both, which is why I stop, chop and swap (and eventually regrind). Having said that, there have been times I've been near the end of a weld and contaminated the tungsten and kept going, and the weld shows no visual deficiency and the only symptom is reduced arc quality.I guess with my limited seat hours tigging I've never known and mostly erred on the side of caution, so that's why I asked the question. I guess I've wasted a lot of tungsten, chopping the ends off.I was also concerned that if I had a fouled tungsten and ground it straight up, that contamination would then migrate over to every future tungsten I grind. But given it's all backyard stuff that's probably not a concern.I do weld on galvanized stuff a lot and when I accidentally don't clean enough or whatever I occasionally get a pop from the work and then a blob of zinc on the end of the tungsten. If I didn't chop that off I imagine it would stick around on the grinding wheel. It certainly instantly affects the arc. But is that it? I can weld with a dirty tungsten and all I'll get is a screwy arc? My concern was impurities would migrate with the arc down to the work.
Reply:Wow   a lot of replies from the same guy with no answer.  Listen OP  I will put it to you simple.  You just being a back yard welder just sharpen the darn thing back up use a grinder or whatever no need to cut the end off wasting more tungsten costing you more money...As for the other guy saying to worry about the part being welded.  I ask  why ?  Whatever this guy is welding isn't getting x rayed or UTed.  If it was he wouldn't be asking such a question !   In the real world of welding pipe to x ray quality you would regrind the tungsten and grind out the spot where the tungsten dipped to remove the inclusion !  :-)Journeyman / Red Seal Welder (What a useless test)Miller CST 280Miller XMT 350Miller 12vs XtremeEvolution Evo 28 mag drillEvolution 380 Dry Cut saw
Reply:Originally Posted by olcarguyThis is an obvious case of pwd.  (posting while drunk)
Reply:And people wonder why this forum gets a bad rap sometimes....sheeshMiller Multimatic 255
Reply:The arc force changes quite a bit. You also dont get near the precision or penetration a clean tungsten provides. With an A/D helmet when I first started, I could tell I dipped even if I didnt see it because the arc would change froma sonewhat neutral light, to a deep green color. Man did I see that a lot when I was new at it.
Reply:Originally Posted by turismolover22The arc force changes quite a bit. You also dont get near the precision or penetration a clean tungsten provides. With an A/D helmet when I first started, I could tell I dipped even if I didnt see it because the arc would change froma sonewhat neutral light, to a deep green color. Man did I see that a lot when I was new at it.
Reply:Are we talking a quick touch or a pointed tip that's turned into a metal matchhead?   A lot of the time, on mild steel, a touch may pick up some contamination but still gives a usable arc until the arc is extinguished.  Never noticed this to cause x-ray problems.  Then a quick grind-up would be fine.  Not necessary to break the end.The only time a tungsten gets broken in my shop is when accidentally falls on the floor and I start crying. Snapping the end off and repointing takes too much time in my world. All of my tungstens are precision pointed and I don't want to lose the taper. Jeez, remove the alum and re-point the end and carry on. I honestly have never heard of tungsten absorbing contaminants unless it gets melted. I will confess to polishing the shank. Any of my people caught intentially balling back a tungsten or breaking them off gets a tungue lashing from me.Weld like a "WELDOR", not a wel-"DERR" MillerDynasty700DX,Dynasty350DX4ea,Dynasty200DX,Li  ncolnSW200-2ea.,MillerMatic350P,MillerMatic200w/spoolgun,MKCobraMig260,Lincoln SP-170T,PlasmaCam/Hypertherm1250,HFProTig2ea,MigMax1ea.
Reply:The only reason I would break a tungsten would be if I contaminated it bad enough that it "climbed" the tungsten. If it gets that bad then I usually need to stop for the night and go in the house.
Reply:Originally Posted by vwguy3The only reason I would break a tungsten would be if I contaminated it bad enough that it "climbed" the tungsten. If it gets that bad then I usually need to stop for the night and go in the house.
Reply:To answer the OP's question....Just repoint the tungsten. No need to worry about either. (Because you said backyard hobby welding)Sometimes we forget that not everyone here is in a PRO position. We also forget that a lot of guys make a ton of money doing things the wrong way.Lincoln Power Mig 210MP MIGLincoln Power Mig 350MP - MIG and Push-PullLincoln TIG 300-300Lincoln Hobby-Weld 110v  Thanks JLAMESCK TIG TORCH, gas diffuser, pyrex cupThermal Dynamics Cutmaster 101My brain
Reply:I weld just for myself, if the bead is on diameter of tungsten, I will break off & resharpen. If its just on the 'tapered' part, I just resharpen it as is. I am an amateur garage welder type & have NOT asked some questions here (& elsewhere) because of 'flip' answers/remarks. (Oooh, the sarcasim!) People (like me) ask questions 'cause we dont know, I dont mind feeling like an idiot when I 'get' the answer, but sometimes the flip (as in sarcastic) answers just piss me off.-c- (waiting for replies to this post)(skin a little thicker nowadays)
Reply:So it was two for TuesdaysHope I didnt offend anyoneTo answer the question: why would I care about a part that wont be X-rayed.The answer is, because I want beautiful welds with no tungsten inclusions.For the OP, IMO, just do what works best for you.
Reply:I use the HTP America diamond wheel tungsten grinder. It has a slot to cut off contaminated tips quickly, then a fast new point and I'm back under the hood.