Welding Tips and Tricks

'IF' someone put a 2% Lanthanated electrode in your torch before lunch then when you came back from lunch they had replaced it with an E3 purple electrode. Would you be able to tell the difference and if so - how?

g4_iBmK8mhc

I haven't used E3 specifically, but I've used the other tri-mixes and I honestly believe the tri-mixes are all the same types and ratios of oxides...just a different label from a different brand.

I can only tell the difference between 2% lanthanated (my primary tungsten flavor) and the tri-mix when running very low amps (20-40) on sheet metal. The tri-mix gives a noticeably smoother arc start with no arc wander in low amperage settings when lighting up on thin material, and is the only application where I use it.

Other than that, I can't tell the difference at all.

Oscar wrote:g4_iBmK8mhc

Yeah... And I still remember him saying " ANY electrode will work in an inverter welder - PICK ONE!"

So I picked RED.... Suited mostly for DC applications....

DougW wrote:So I picked RED.... Suited mostly for DC applications....

Who can you blame for that?

In the video he clearly states he is presenting 5 different tungstens and the first tungsten he's using is the pink which REPLACES red.

Nothing wrong with the red if you have them, you'll probably be using DC more than AC for the majority of your welding, but all of our mileage varies.

The reason people are getting away from them is they are known to have radioactive properties from the Thorium. In short, he didn't test red.

TraditionalToolworks wrote:

DougW wrote:So I picked RED.... Suited mostly for DC applications....

Who can you blame for that?

In the video he clearly states he is presenting 5 different tungstens and the first tungsten he's using is the pink which REPLACES red.

Nothing wrong with the red if you have them, you'll probably be using DC more than AC for the majority of your welding, but all of our mileage varies.

The reason people are getting away from them is they are known to have radioactive properties from the Thorium. In short, he didn't test red.

I swear.... You are a HOOT! LOL... You don't even know my last name yet you know my welding trends? LOL...

Just for your log book.... I'm pretty proficient with my Millermatic 211DV mig welder and it will get the call on most all mild steel projects. Next for me on the "I'm gonna learn how to..." is Stainless steel. I gotta boat. I gotta trailer... and I gotta plan!

I wasn't trying to 'blame" anyone. More or less a simple display of the irony of the situation. But some folk gotta find someone to blame - I reckon.

TraditionalToolworks wrote:The reason people are getting away from them is they are known to have radioactive properties from the Thorium. In short, he didn't test red.

I disagree. People are moving away from them because they suck at AC, and with the recent proliferation of AC/DC capable TIG welders that have hit the market in the last say 10 years that have made it affordable for any joe blow to own one, it makes more sense to buy a tungsten that is capable of DC and AC. You get more radiation from one x-ray done to your body than snorting a lifetime of thoriated tungsten dust.

DougW wrote:I swear.... You are a HOOT! LOL... You don't even know my last name yet you know my welding trends? LOL...

I certainly don't know your welding trends, but I do know that the majority of people don't weld aluminum the majority of the time, but I also added that all of our mileage varies. No worries, you might want to get more proficient on your video and reading skills before buying product next time. I don't have anyone playing pranks on me with my torch during my lunchtime either.

Oscar wrote:I disagree.

Nothing wrong with disagreeing.

I stopped using thoriated solely because of the zoomies. Whether or not it's a big deal...I dunno...not a doctor. But why chance it if there are other flavors that work just as good, or are more efficient? I do still have a few sticks left knocking around in the drawer, though.

Someone else, elsewhere, had said there's more radiation in a banana than in a stick of thoriated. LOL. Maybe so...

Spartan wrote:I stopped using thoriated solely because of the zoomies. Whether or not it's a big deal...I dunno...not a doctor. But why chance it if there are other flavors that work just as good, or are more efficient? I do still have a few sticks left knocking around in the drawer, though.

Someone else, elsewhere, had said there's more radiation in a banana than in a stick of thoriated. LOL. Maybe so...

My LWS told me they stopped carrying it because of similar. I don't know how true it is, but I also don't find it too harmful for me to avoid it, knowing there's something there.

OTOH, a local AIRGAS told me they sell red exclusively to PG&E. Maybe so, but PG&E also has a number of law suites against them for the fires in California and/or their neglect in regard to maintaining the power lines. Which also means nothing for their use of thoriated tungsten, but I do know I don't shop at AIRGAS.

I use red for stainless. I use blue frequently for DC and AC. I also use purple on AC and have grey for kicks and still use greens in my Dynasty. Of them all, I still feel the greens produce the best arc despite having an inverter. Go figure.

All the BS about 2% being " harmful " originated from a welder at a ukistan nuclear facility going through the rads dosimeter at the end of shift with a packet or two of electrodes still in his overall pocket and the meter went haywire; naturally the
" elf and safety " parasites saw it as an opportunity to expand their bureaucratic empire and the whole myth took off across the world.

This came from a Binzel UK welding engineer, who had held a nuclear ticket, that I spoke with some years ago at the Essen Welding and Cutting Expo regarding all the different electrode flavors that were coming on the market and the difficulty in getting 2% thoriated.

As an aside, at the same time I also talked to the CK reps about chinesium tungsten quality and he said that CK had three suppliers they used and had a QC rep in country to maintain standards.

Life was much easier when there was just 2% thorium and brown zirconium...............about 95% of one's TIG problems could be ascribed to operator error.

kiwi2wheels wrote:about 95% of ones TIG problems could be ascribed to operator error.

That can be said of welding with red on AC, I've seen a number of accomplished tig welders saying they use red on AC with little problems.

cj737 wrote:I use red for stainless. I use blue frequently for DC and AC. I also use purple on AC and have grey for kicks and still use greens in my Dynasty. Of them all, I still feel the greens produce [i]the best arc despite having an inverter[/i]. Go figure.

I had a job using some EWM 500A inverters requiring 5/32" tungstens ; I was given some white zirconium. Couldn't get them to work at all, they looked like 2%, regardless of the balance setting. Told the foreman, who seemed aware of the problem, and got given a packet of pure. They worked OK but it took some fiddling to maintain any consistency. There were no other types in 5/32" to try.

Interesting was that I was on the late shift, so usually had a different machine and had to go through the same rigmarole setting the machine for electrode stability, the settings varied considerably between different machines. My guess is that it was due to the machines never getting the grinding debris blown out of them on a regular basis, or ? They weren't big on any preventative maintenance.

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TraditionalToolworks wrote:

kiwi2wheels wrote:about 95% of ones TIG problems could be ascribed to operator error.

That can be said of welding with red on AC, I've seen a number of accomplished tig welders saying they use red on AC with little problems.

Very true. A friend used to weld Weber DCOE style spun bellmouths that were about .050" onto 3/16" flanges and they looked as if they were done by machine. He was using a Lincoln Square Wave TIG 355

The only thing about 2% is never use it on aluminum, using AC, in an area that is going to be machined ; the machinists get seriously pissed when they hit a tungsten spit ! So will you when you have to grind it out and reweld it.................

Here's an article from 2003, that advocates 2% for inverters...................

https://www.thefabricator.com/thewelder ... minum-gtaw

My feeling is these days, it depends a lot on the brand of tungsten and machine when it's an inverter.

kiwi2wheels wrote:

TraditionalToolworks wrote:

kiwi2wheels wrote:about 95% of ones TIG problems could be ascribed to operator error.

That can be said of welding with red on AC, I've seen a number of accomplished tig welders saying they use red on AC with little problems.

Very true. A friend used to weld Weber DCOE style spun bellmouths that were about .050" onto 3/16" flanges and they looked as if they were done by machine. He was using a Lincoln Square Wave TIG 355

The only thing about 2% is never use it on aluminum in an area that is going to be machined ; the machinists get seriously pissed when they hit a tungsten spit ! So will you when you have to grind it out and reweld it.................

Here's an article from 2003, that advocates 2% for inverters...................

https://www.thefabricator.com/thewelder ... minum-gtaw

My feeling is these days, it depends a lot on the brand of tungsten and machine when it's an inverter.

That's a good article, and also a good reminder that when someone starts getting cocky telling you how proficient they are at something, laughing in your face, it usually means they may not know WTF they're talking about.

At least in my case I admit I don't know WTF I'm talking about, but when someone gets cocky about it, well, usually a red flag. I'll refrain from commenting to DougW in the future.

TraditionalToolworks wrote: I'll refrain from commenting to DougW in the future.

And for that I will be eternally grateful!!!!!