Tungsten recomendations

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Hi allWhat type of tungstens do most of you use?I do not want to use 2% thoriated tungsten due to it's radioactive aspect.  I have 2% Ceriated, 3/32" but seam to burn them up rather fast (need to re-point often).  I have some 1.5% lanthanated on the way but am not sure if that is the proper choice.At this point welding 1/8" SS / mild steel @ 140+/-A
Reply:For stainless you really should be using 2% Thoriated.  The radioactivity is not enough to hurt you unless you work around it for years and don't clean up the tungsten shavings from your shop periodically.An old timer tig welder I know had a test done on his shop a couple years ago and they found the radioactivity level to be at an ALMOST dangerous level because they never sweeped behind their tungsten grinding wheel.  The guy who ran the test said if they clean the disk and sweep often they are not at risk.
Reply:I do not want to use 2% thoriated tungsten due to it's radioactive aspect.
Reply:And btw..THATS ALL I USE!!!Thank you.. ...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 was waiting for that one Zap.  All I really need is red too.  The only different ones are in different sizes.  All red.DavidReal world weldin.  When I grow up I want to be a tig weldor.
Reply:So basically I should be more worried about the years of stick welding standing and having to wipe my face off at the end of the day from the soot (and other nasty stuff)!Red it is! But I already ordered some Gold last week so I will let you guys know how they work!  LOL
Reply:Originally Posted by Me!So basically I should be more worried about the years of stick welding standing and having to wipe my face off at the end of the day from the soot (and other nasty stuff)!Red it is! But I already ordered some Gold last week so I will let you guys know how they work!  LOL
Reply:Red works good.Gold works good too.I've tried orange, blue and cream (got some free samples so I've tried it all).My welds are all pretty much the same (some better than others but I can't blame it on the tungsten  )Use whatever works for you.Where it really does seem to make a difference is aluminum but . . . I've seen folks make perfect welds in aluminum with some pretty crappy looking tungstens.  Just wish I could.  I don't know anything about the radiation danger.  I do know manufacturers are terrified of huge class action lawsuits years down the road and what scientists tell us causes caner today turns out to be a cure a week from now and back to causing cancer a week after that . . . so the warnings all look like the sky is falling, and fast because they get sued from the guessing.  I think milk has a warning that it contains substances "known to the state of California to cause cancer." Favorite right now is a Miller Syncro 200.Tons of tools and I blame at least one of them when things don't go right.
Reply:The grind of the tungsten and lack of contamination are the major factors that provide a good, concentrated, controllable arc.  If you dip the electrode or hit it with the wire, stop and regrind.  To my knowledge, there is no actual welding data showing that the tungsten electrode alloy has direct affect on the arc shape and the weld.  After any electrode is over driven on current, used too long or dipped, without regrinding, the arc will be screwed up.  The tungsten electrode alloy affects the ease of arc starting, the maximum current carrying capacity, and arc stability.As mentioned, one concern with 2% Th is the radioactivity, which potentially could be a health hazard if you actually ingest (breath or eat) the very finely ground dust over long periods of time.The other issue with 2% Th is arc wander when the balled tungsten forms a split.  This is sometimes an issue with the old transformer power supplies, running a balled electrode on AC and aluminum.  I was taught that when this happened, you stopped, switched to DCEP, and reformed a clean ball on a block of copper.  As I understand it, with the new inverter power supplies with "square wave", the tungsten is not balled up for AC welding, so using 2% Th is not an issue.I was first taught to TIG weld almost 30 years ago, and have allways used 2% thoriated for all TIG welding.  I have read that Ceriated electrodes have good operating characteristics, and would try them first if I were to switch.Check out electrode info from Diamond Ground Products. http://www.diamondground.com/
Reply:Originally Posted by David RI was waiting for that one Zap.  All I really need is red too.  The only different ones are in different sizes.  All red.
Reply:Thanks to Mr. Zap's insistence, I now use only 2% Red Thoriated on everything. It makes for a nice tight AC arc on aluminum, too. No need to make a ball. It does it's own anyway.Miller Millermatic 252Miller Syncrowave 200Liincoln AC-DC 225Victor O-A Set
Reply:I'm in the Navy and I instruct Nuclear/Chemical/Biological defence. I can tell you that the glow in the dark dial on your wrist watch is more radioactive that a pack of 2% Thoriated Tungsten. The Thorium used is not a pure source.Thoriated Tungsten gives off Alpha particles (primarily). Alpha particles can be stopped with a piece of normal copy paper or the dead skin cells on your body and they only travel about an inch or two. They are only a concern when inhaled or ingested.Now there are some precautions that need to be taken. When grinding, wear protective breathing apparatus. Cheap dust mask is sufficient. Clean the dust up regularly. Preferably with a damp cloth or if using a shop vac ensure it is filled with water and the inlet hose inside is emersed in the water. Never vacume the dust with a dry vacum or use a push broom. You will just push it into the air.Smokers inhale 8000 milirads of radiation each year if you smoke 1.5 packs a day. I don't have my chart with me but I'll check later and let you know the comparison, smoking to Thoriated tungsten but if I remember correct if I held on to a piece it would be about 1600milirads a year but I wouldn't recieve a single milirad because it's unable to penetrate my skin. Therefore my dose would zero milirads per year.In summary. Thoriated Tungsten= good on the outside but not so good on the inside. Smoking=bad all around.Hope this clears this up for some. If not I can grab some of my charts and really throw some useless numbers around.PS. I'm not preaching, I smoke. Ya i know stupid.My Photos on Flickr
Reply:Correction to above Thoriated tungsten measurement is in microrads not milirads. Don't know how I let that one slip.So to Clarify smoking =8000 miliradsThoriated tungsen =1600microradsHere are a few stats to compare it to8000 milirads = 8 rads1600 microrads = .0016 rads1 rad = 1 remComparative risk exposure              estemated days of life lost20% overweight                                        985 daysAverage alcohol consumption                       130 daysOccupational radiation exposure@                               5.0 rem/year               32 days                               0.5 rem/year                 3 days                               0.0016/year                  6.912 minutesTherefore if you worked with Thoriated Tungsten for 45 years 5 days a week, 8 hours a day you would loose 5.18 hrs off your life.This is assuming all appropriate precations are taken.Reference for the data here (accept Thoriated Tungsten, I had to calculate the dose rate myself)is THE LOS ALAMOS RADIATION MONITORING NOTEBOOKI need to get a life.Last edited by Wildcat; 07-27-2007 at 05:09 PM.My Photos on Flickr
Reply:Hey ME!I just noticed your down the Cape..Why dont you attend class this time around and we'll show ya all about it..http://www.weldingweb.com/vbb/showthread.php?t=12560...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:Therefore if you worked with Thoriated Tungsten for 45 years 5 days a week, 8 hours a day you would loose 5.18 hrs off your life.
Reply:NP. Someone had to geek out on this one.My Photos on Flickr
Reply:Originally Posted by WildcatNP. Someone had to geek out on this one.
Reply:Ha, I learned a bunch from this thread.  Thanks Wildcat.
Reply:I've uploaded a word doc with the previous info and a link to the THE LOS ALAMOS RADIATION MONITORING NOTEBOOK. Sorry ZTFab I couldn't PM it directly to you. Attached FilesThoriated Tungsten.doc (25.0 KB, 48 views)Last edited by Wildcat; 07-29-2007 at 05:14 PM.My Photos on Flickr
Reply:The rad. from the rods was not the part that concerned me since it is bound by the material it's self.  Grinding was the only part that concerned me. Water filled vac?How about one with a very good dry filter?
Reply:Originally Posted by Me!The rad. from the rods was not the part that concerned me since it is bound by the material it's self.  Grinding was the only part that concerned me. Water filled vac?How about one with a very good dry filter?
Reply:Dry hepa filtration would be good. but a shop vac is cheaper.My Photos on Flickr
Reply:Quote:  Originally Posted by Me!The rad. from the rods was not the part that concerned me since it is bound by the material it's self. Grinding was the only part that concerned me.  Originally Posted by zapsterDid'nt you read anything here yet?  ...zap!
Reply:Na, I think Zap was commenting on my post regarding using a water filled vac.I sue a shop vac because I can't justify spending $300-1000 on a vac that has hepa filtration and quality workmanship to not have air leaks so I get a $90 wet dry shop vac fill with water and duct tape all fittings.Guess I'm just a cheap Bas***d.My Photos on Flickr
Reply:The grinding of 2% Th was the only thing that concerned me since I know I will be breathing the dust, and getting it on my hands. (then on everything else).I think I will just by a shop vac and fit it with a good filter, ah what the hell I will even put a little water in the tank  and use it just for my grinder. I am not concerned about 2% Th, but feel if something else will work and does not have the problems, why not use it.  My 1.5% Lanthanated came in today and it works nice... Since I have two packs of it I will be using it for a whileThis was my reply from the very begining..bdouris is a Idunno..scientist...But he brought with him a geiger counter..You do know what that is... He also had a Coleman lantern filament mesh thingie that burns when lit..I'm no camper..Geiger counter went nuts with the lantern mesh.. Pointed it right at my 2%..Nothing..He held it next to the grinder when I ground it to sharpness in the sparks..Nothing..
Reply:it's the carcinogenic aspect of it that I am trying to mitigate.
Reply:Originally Posted by zapsterHey ME!I just noticed your down the Cape..Why dont you attend class this time around and we'll show ya all about it..http://www.weldingweb.com/vbb/showthread.php?t=12560...zap!
Reply:Yes we do.....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:Here's what the AWS has to say about thoriated tungsten:http://www.aws.org/w/a/technical/fac...ml?id=NK9A5PW5scroll down to number 27 "Thoriated Tungsten ElectrodesPersonally, I wouldn't use it because there are other options out there that are good.... better even..    I would be most concerned with dust--  breathing any kind of dust--  can contribute to breathing problems, and maybe even the development of asthmaas my friend Scott always says, "a clean job site is a safe job site."-----------------------Carmen Electrodewww.CarmenElectrode.comand the boss blogs at  www.JoeWelder.comall powered by  www.Arc-Zone.com
Reply:I agree completely with the article you posted. I didn't mention the beta and gama radiation because they are well below what the normal background radiation for most areas.I also agree that if you are informed and still are hesitant to use thoriated tungsten so be it. There are other choices. I just wanted to clear up the misconception that a shop would become 3 mile island from using it.Thanks for the article. I hadn't seen that one before.My Photos on Flickr