Hot Rods Tig Welding question

I have been having an issue with the collets in my Tig torch twisting and getting ruined. I can't figure out what the issue is.. any thoughts?

 

I've seen that too, sometimes they'll even twist. I kinda thought I had mixed my 3/32 & 1/8th sleeve/collets up. like 3/32 sleeve in the 1/8th collet with the 3/32 electrode.

 

Might want to check Miller's website. They have some very helpful pointers and tech tips.

 

It happens, welding with a lot of heat, tightened down to much, trying to hold a short tungsten, etc. I use a solid collet with an angle cut on the end which avoids this problem

 

@just Mike nailed it.

You are tighten everything too much.

 

X2

 

If the split collets like your using don't hold your tungsten tight enough, open up the slit a little with some sand paper, then you don't have to tighten it so much. I've found some collets are to tight in the cap too which can twist the collet.

 

Heat and too tight!

 

I knew you guys would have the answer. That is what I was thinking. I will look into solid collets. Thanks!

 

Good Idea! You still don't need to crank them to death! Have Fun.

 

I will lighten up on the death grip

 

I often see the same problem with oxy-acetylene torches, where some people are persistent in cranking down on the valves as hard as they can when they shut them off, damaging the seats. Just a light touch is all it takes!

 

Actually the guys are right on with the heat and pressure thing, but they have missed what can be the most critical part of the inner collet failure and distortion.
Yes it is caused by clamping down too tightly on a hot torch to get it to grip the tungsten.
But why does that happen ? Why does the welder feel like he needs to go tight to hold the tungsten?
Because it slips and doesn't stay put in the collet.
Why ? Operator error in a huge percentage of the time.
With my students, invariably when I check their torches I find that the main collet body under the cup is loose in the torch , having been partially unscrewed from the torch head which in turn makes it necessary to bear down hard on the back cap to hold a tungsten that slips.
This leads to messed up inner collets like you have experienced or worse, the soft copper threads in the torch head being stripped out from the excess pressure when the torch head is hot ruining the torch.
The main collet body needs to be in good condition and snug into the torch body.
When it is, the inner collet will hold the tungsten with a light 2 finger snugging of the back cap.
Any more than that and you have an assembly problem or worn out parts.

Class over Hope that makes sense.
Larry.

 

Larry is right on the money. What quite often happens is that the operator changes the cup (to get into a tight space etc) and in the process the collet body backs out of the torch a little and thus it takes a big crank on the back cap to pinch the electrode in place. Most (non gas lens) collet bodies for a -20 torch have a pair of flats on the end so that they can be tightened in the torch body. It is best to do this with the torch bare to make sure the collet body bottoms in the torch and does not run up against the back cap. With a -17 torch the collet body is bigger in diameter, longer and knurled so that it is easier to get it tight with the fingers.

Roo

 

Through the years I've watched many a welder tighten the collet body using pliers!
I always use an end wrench and keep it in with the collets. You know those "distributor" wrenches.

 

I try to use a full length of tungsten when welding high amperage with a air cooled torch. I also rigged an airline to my torch so I can air cool it when I flip a pneumatic switch. When I go back to argon it gets a pre-purge. Really helps when your at that upper-limit of your machine.

 

Wedge style collets put an end to this problem. I switched and never looked back.

 

Fail.
They do not put an end to the problem. We tried them and got no longer life from them than the other ones.
We actually ended up replacing more main collet bodies because when you crank the back cap down too tightly ( like students always do ) the wedge end acts like a small drill and twists a little each time which then cuts and ruins the inside tip of the main collet body.

 

Yeah the student part usually = damaged equipment. You go with what works. I doubt BIGSTAR will see the same cycles of use that classroom equipment does. When used PROPERLY I have been pleased and had no issues. Just my opinion.

 

True enough. It's tough to find anything that stands up to students use all day long.