I was in the midst of seriously over thought project building a tungsten sharpening jig for my grinder when I decided to test out the idea with just the basics.
I took a piece of 1/2 Al and drilled a 7/64 hole in it for 3/32 tungstens. I then shoved a 3/32 tungsent into a pin vise and then through the hole in the block.
Imagine my suprise when I found that was all I needed. Just grab the block to adjust the angle and pressure and spin the tungsten with the pin vise. I did a box of 10 in less than 5 minutes so,,, I did another box.. and another and another... LOL.. It works so simple it's just friggin amazing
You change the grind angle by sliding the tungsten in or out of the block. I've got it way to long in this pic, just use this to get an idea of what I did.
Highly skilled at turning expensive pieces of metal into useless but recyclable crap..
i tig weld in the field all day, we just use a bench grinder and a cordless drill....bye the way can u tell me how to post pics i tried earlier butdont know if it worked
I use photobucket to store my pics and then just post a link to that on the board.
Try the block trick. Its small enough to stick in your pocket. You don't need the pin vise but it makes it easier. The aluminum pulls the heat off and the tungsten won't burn your fingers unless you grab the tip.
Highly skilled at turning expensive pieces of metal into useless but recyclable crap..
don't mean much but my welding instructor told me that some pretty tasty radiation is given off when sharpening these things. just wondering if tht's true or not?
BurninRod wrote:don't mean much but my welding instructor told me that some pretty tasty radiation is given off when sharpening these things. just wondering if tht's true or not?
Only when using Thoriated (Red) Tungsten. Just don't breath the dust while grinding them. Tri Mix and Lanthanated seem to work better for me on my Inverter machine anyway.
Click this link for some warnings on Thoriated Tungsten. http://www.diamondground.com/warning.html
BurninRod wrote:don't mean much but my welding instructor told me that some pretty tasty radiation is given off when sharpening these things. just wondering if tht's true or not?
Thoriated possibly, Lanthanated or other rare earths, no. If it freaks you out, then your only recourse it to buy pre-sharpened tungstens. It's the grinding dust from Thoriated that is supposed to be the problem. I've yet to see one with a RadHaz label on it so I don't put much stock in it. I use Lanthanated almost exclusively now anyway.
Highly skilled at turning expensive pieces of metal into useless but recyclable crap..
sschefer wrote: then your only recourse it to buy pre-sharpened tungstens.
I don't understand the buying pre-ground tungsten hype. Use it until it needs to be resharpened and then toss it? Just doesn't make since to me. If your going to have to re-sharpen later, why not just do it the first time as well?
sschefer wrote: then your only recourse it to buy pre-sharpened tungstens.
I don't understand the buying pre-ground tungsten hype. Use it until it needs to be resharpened and then toss it? Just doesn't make since to me. If your going to have to re-sharpen later, why not just do it the first time as well?
Makes sense in a high volume shop with a lot of turn around. Stopping to grind a tungsten is $$ wasted and the number of apprentices that need to learn is dwindling as businesses are finding out that they can, in fact, do more with less. Employees aren't complaining as much and are working harder in general just to keep their jobs.
For those of us that aren't jambed up with work and with work waiting it makes no sense at all. The little 1x1 aluminum block and a particle mask makes all the sense in the world to us.
Personnally, I'm OCD and getting as close to perfect as I can with as little effort as possible is important to me.
Highly skilled at turning expensive pieces of metal into useless but recyclable crap..
thorium IS radioactive. there shouldn't be a question about that. thorium IS NOT radioactive enough to harm you externally, especially in the small percentage present in welding tungstens. The as yet unproven question is whether the fine particulate dust can settle in your lungs and increase the chance of lung cancer. I'd bet my life no, personally, but breathing metal dust isn't a great idea anyway. if you're sharpening 10 at a time, do yourself a favor and grab a dust mask, but you're a big ninny if you stop using thoriated tungsten because it's radioactive.
