Gentle folks of The HAMB - Any of youse guys use a tungsten sharpener or does everyone just use their bench grinder? http://www.htpweld.com/products/tig_accessories/sharpener.htm Al in CT
We used a grinding stone in school. The teacher had us just touch the tip of the sharpened tungsten to the wheel when we were finished grinding. A super sharp, needle point has the chance of breaking off and contaminating the weld versus a SLIGHTLY blunted one.
This is what I do as well......and I hold my Tungsten in a small hand held pin vise/ tiny drill holder...that stuff gets hot to hold and it gives me great control and nice point everytime.....Littleman
Had a friend that was having problems with his welder changed his tank he thought he had bad gas hahaha. Cleaned everything ground a new tungsten still the same . He called me and I tolled him to grind it on its own new wheel still the same. So I go over with my grinder use it and welder works great his idea of its own grinding wheel is the one he is grinding everything with plastic aluminium and rusty metal witch just grinds it into the tungsten. Darrell
I have a dedicated wheel on my small bench grinder with a BIG SIGN above it that says "TUNGSTEN ONLY"......................just in case my neighbor drops by.
Who are the "Gentle folks of the HAMB"? Must be another HAMB board out there somewhere! What does that fancy contraption go for anyway? I didn't see a price on the link to it. Just curious, it looks like it could be a part on the space shuttle.
That little tool will cost ya about $250- Toll welding has one on display it is cool as hell but for that kind of money I can but lots of stone wheels and have money left over for more tungstens@
My boss bought one, it's handy and saves a dedicated wheel. I found myself bringing in my tungstens from home to do on breaks.
Everyone use to just use the bench grinder at work to sharpen their tungsten! But now for the last couple of years they have been using the tool that Al has posted. I know we have more tig welders at work then I can count and it was work that purchased the tool but everyone that uses them likes them. And haven't had any problems with them. But if you have that cash go for it.
As a clueless bumbling TIG rookie, tell me if you can tell the difference, between the two: When grinding your tungsten, the welding books I'm reading say to grind it lengthways to the point instead of turning (spinning it in the drill) it when you grind it.....it's much easier to do it the latter way but since I'm such a shitty TIG welder I can't tell the difference in my welds. I waste a lot of tungsten trying to grind it the first way that the books describe.
My $.02 - I have sharpened tungstens on a dedicated stone wheel the whole time I've been welding and never had a problem. That said, I teach a Fab class at Sierra Comm. College and they bought a Tungsten grinder similar to this one except larger and when ever I use it I have less problem with arc wander and the arc starting seems much cleaner with Transformer TIG Machines. Do my welds benefit, I can't say that they look any better. Now, when I use the inverter powered TIG machines (Miller Dynasty Series) I see a big difference in the arc characteristics, these machines run much better with a precision ground tungsten. It really seems like night and day there, easier starting, much less arc wander, and the arc is much crisper. So if I ever buy a Inverter TIG then I will add a Tungsten sharpener to my tool box, until then it's the grinding wheel for me.
Wouldn't it get equally contaminated either way (if you had a contaminated grinding stone or sanding belt)? I thought the grinding or sanding scratches screwed up the pattern of the arc if it was turned when sharpening it?
I've done a lot of T.I.G. welding. The best way I've found to sharpen my tungsten is with it chucked into a drill motor( at low speed ) and sharpening them on both sides to a fine point. It's important to sharpen them on a dedicated wheel or sander to not contaminate the tungsten. I usually cut new tungstens in half and sharpen a bunch on both sides. This way I can flip the tungsten when one side gets crudded up. The finer the point the more control you have and the less time you need in one area. The less time and heat, the less warpage. I know alot of this is common knowledge, but thta's what works for me.
ask your welding supplier about the tungsten sharpening gel.Actually it looks like a jar of tip dip you would use on your mig weld cups.Strike an arc get your tungsten red hot and dip it in the gel and remove it quickly it gives you a sharp tungsten without any grinding !We just got some in my shop so it is new to me but I have used it out on the road and it seems to work pretty good I was welding SS with a miller 110 pocket tig.
I was told that you have to grind the tip lenghtways with the wheel because if you do it the other way, perpendicular, or w/e you want to call it, it messes with they way the arc comes off the tungsten. I also have a welding book that tells you everything and more than you want to know about welding and it says to grind them lengthways and with a grinding stone, basically a bench grinder.
Sorry, I forgot to say that the grind marks have to be in the same direction as the length of the tungsten. Point the tungsten up while the wheel is spinning down. If you grind it 90 degrees to that, the path of the arc will go all over the place.
This deal started because I needed a couple new grinding wheels and after going to every Home Depot, Lowe's, Sears, etc within 5 towns of me over the weekend I couldn't find a fine grit 8 inch grinding wheel so I went Googling for Tungsten Grinders last night and ran across that tool. I thought that if I bought one I could put a wire wheel on the other (left) side of my bench grinder instead of keeping it dedicated to Tungstens. It looks like those who have used one seem to like it. I think maybe I'll go ahead and spring for one...... Al in CT
Its not that fancy this is people taking somthing why to fare, sorry but come on . This is for somthing that is really importen if somthing is X rayed after you weld it, Nuke tank for a reactor or medical , not the rocker panel on you rod . just sharpen it with a blunt end so it dont melt or break off in your into your weld thats worse .alummum its importin it can cause a problem if you dont use a dedicated wheel. I weld for a living and every place ive ever worked with all the welders ive work with never did any off this shit . most is true for hardcore welding .HIgh pressure tanks stuff like that