The Top DSM Community on the Web

For 1990-1999 Mitsubishi Eclipse, Eagle Talon, Plymouth Laser, and Galant VR-4 Owners. Log in to remove most ads.

Please Support RTM Racing
Please Support STM Tuned

Your most recent welding pics

This site may earn a commission from merchant
affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

You don't care what two articles from a highly regarded publication in the welding community and the leader in aluminum filler materials have to say? I mean these two sources use experts to create their articles and technical documents for their customers. Being quick to disregard expert knowledge is not a good way to live.

The point I was making, before you ignorantly discounted it, is that thoriated tungsten is not the best for his application and it can cause a wandering arc when used for A/C welding. This is not an issue that you want to deal with when you are picking up a tricky skill set like aluminum GTA welding.

As for the radiation argument, it seems pretty stupid to expose yourself to un-necessary risk just to use an inferior product for your application because it "works well" for you.
 
I mean if you want to keep living in your bubble and just live by what people tell you work and don't work be my guest.
I am saying what I use and have used for years without issues. I would notice a wander arc if I had one but I do not.
And you can cry to me about exposing yourself to low levels of radiation blah blah blah. It's no more harmful than a cigarette.
So let me guess you don't drink or smoke or do anything that someone one wrote that you shouldn't do?
Give me a break. Think outside the box and try doing something different.

So let's look at this deeper. One article is from 2003 and one from 2001. The last is all about transformer machines even says ceriated tungsten for welding performs the best.
That long ago inverter machines didn't dominate the market with different wave forms which will have a HUGE difference on performance. And I also don't know a single person that uses ceriated on aluminum.
Even on the Lincoln square wave 225 red tungsten still works extremely well.
Also remember back then consumables, the quality of them and the ability to use different collets were not what they were today which can all have a direct affect on having a wandering arc.
But you stick to what you want I don't need to get into a pissing contest with you. Because I don't care what you want to use
 
Last edited:
Which tungsten would be best for an inverter based machine welding AC? What about DC?

I'll be sure I don't make contact with the dust when sharpening red.

Which inverter?
Red works well on aluminum.
The older stuff works the best but the current red stuff you buy still works good

I am using a 2015 AHP 200X.
 
Red works well
Blue works great
Ceriated works well but it can't handle as much cleaning as the other two above
 
I personally use 2% lanthanated for everything even aluminum. Works well for me, ive never tried the red though.

If your machine is not an inverter and is a traditional transformer. Pure green tungsten is the best for AC with a balled tip.
 
You don't care what two articles from a highly regarded publication in the welding community and the leader in aluminum filler materials have to say? I mean these two sources use experts to create their articles and technical documents for their customers. Being quick to disregard expert knowledge is not a good way to live.

The point I was making, before you ignorantly discounted it, is that thoriated tungsten is not the best for his application and it can cause a wandering arc when used for A/C welding. This is not an issue that you want to deal with when you are picking up a tricky skill set like aluminum GTA welding.

As for the radiation argument, it seems pretty stupid to expose yourself to un-necessary risk just to use an inferior product for your application because it "works well" for you.
When you weld, do you use a resporator? Do you know what you breathe when you weld stainless? Do you know what you breathe when you weld aluminum? Do you know how much more often you are breathing toxic chemicals WHILE WELDING vs if you are just grinding your tungsten tip now and then? (Unless you contaminate every damn bead)

This is 2015, what the hell doesnt cause cancer.

Heres a funny one for dsm community. "Motor oil has been knownby the state of california to cause cancer when left to absorb in your skin" now who else is guilty of not using gloves while working on their car. Lol
 
When you weld, do you use a resporator? Do you know what you breathe when you weld stainless? Do you know what you breathe when you weld aluminum? Do you know how much more often you are breathing toxic chemicals WHILE WELDING vs if you are just grinding your tungsten tip now and then? (Unless you contaminate every damn bead)

This is 2015, what the hell doesnt cause cancer.

Heres a funny one for dsm community. "Motor oil has been knownby the state of california to cause cancer when left to absorb in your skin" now who else is guilty of not using gloves while working on their car. Lol

I'm very aware of what is breathed in during welding, as I am responsible for welding and assist with air quality standards for a welding plant that deposits over $2.3 million in stainless weld wire every year. Aside from ventilation or respirators, this is a necessary risk, whereas the one I am talking about was both a pointless risk as well as an avoidable risk.
 
I use that E3 stuff ( purple) - I think its called "rare earth" material I like it for the minimal hobbiest welding that I do

2% Thoriated, 2% Lanthanated, E3, I have used all of them on Miller inverters at work and at my place. They all work well. Some show the tips after so many arc strikes and that there is less spitting etc, less degradation, etc. Take it for what it is worth - I weld between 2 - 8 hrs a day on stainless steel and have about a dozen half sticks of tungsten (mixed types) sharpened on both ends in my tungsten holder. If the tip becomes remotely fuzzy (or if I dip it), I swap it out. I can never tell what type is in the torch.

Not sure if I have shown any orbital GTAW pictures here or not, but I recently did a pharmaceutical job and had to provide some test coupons for x-ray. I will have to take some pictures of the setup, but there is a computer control unit, a water cooler, and a weld head connected with argon, water, power & ground, and control cables. A little bulky and cumbersome, but provides consistent and beautiful results.

3" x 16 gauge 316L tubing.

You must be logged in to view this image or video.
You must be logged in to view this image or video.
You must be logged in to view this image or video.
 
Some more work - not a lot of welding per se, but more of a lot measuring and accuracy. I bent the 1/2" tubing by hand and welded the tubing hangers.

Swagelok anyone? :p

You must be logged in to view this image or video.
You must be logged in to view this image or video.
You must be logged in to view this image or video.
You must be logged in to view this image or video.
 
That is good looking work. What's the machine do if you don't mind me asking?

It is a Baldor 10 HP motor coupler to a 10:1 gear reducer, coupled to a Positive Displacement pump. This particular one is going to a juice plant. Suction on top, discharge on bottom, with 4" sanitary fittings. Used for moving orange, strawberry, etc, whatever is being processed at the time.
 
Looking great everyone, keep the pics coming!

I got to say though that I agree with iwishihadatalon, in that I try not to use the thoriated tungsten whenever possible. Once I took the welding post from the last guy, immediately I switched to using the lanthanated tungsten at work and tucked all the red tipped one's in a corner.

There is so much dust and fumes I breath in on daily basis even when wearing a resperator, any way I can cut out more nastiness the better. Some days when I don't even do any welding or grinding I still get black boogers in my nose just from all the dust already in the working area.

I guess, my point being is that I'd rather have lanthium dust laying everywhere than thoriated. And I also agree with what Code4 said, it doesn't usually matter to me the type of tungsten that I use, unless in very rare special circumstances like pure tungsten on aluminum for certain machines or using a thicker tungsten for x-ray welds.
 
Got a new job at black works racing! Love it! Manifolds as hell the right way! Fully Purged and welded with a dynasty200dx def gonna buy a 210Dx
You must be logged in to view this image or video.
You must be logged in to view this image or video.
You must be logged in to view this image or video.
 
Last edited:
^That's awesome man, congrats! How clean is the environment if I could ask, is it as dusty as making skid pads?

Also, what is the technique people use for staking dimes on stainless pipe. For some reason it's a lot easier for me just to weave it out but would be nice to be able to do it the other way too. Do you manually pulse it to get the stack?
 
^That's awesome man, congrats! How clean is the environment if I could ask, is it as dusty as making skid pads?

Also, what is the technique people use for staking dimes on stainless pipe. For some reason it's a lot easier for me just to weave it out but would be nice to be able to do it the other way too. Do you manually pulse it to get the stack?
No foot pulse just dab and move torch. I try to keep my bench clean as possible. And use denaturated alcohol to clean. Heres another i did today. Then finishing this twin scroll for a co worker thay welded rhe runners, I'm jist attaching them to the collector and welding the head flange here.
You must be logged in to view this image or video.
You must be logged in to view this image or video.
 
What's the proper procedure for welding pipe to flange? Gap, no gap, bevel or not to bevel...

Does the outside get welded first while purging and than just welding on the inside? I always wondered what's the proper way to get that done.
 
What's the proper procedure for welding pipe to flange? Gap, no gap, bevel or not to bevel...

Does the outside get welded first while purging and than just welding on the inside? I always wondered what's the proper way to get that done.
Yep, when welding the inside you usually go low heat fuze. To the flange no gap, no gaps anywhere on anything.
 
Rolling it back old school...

16 year old 6013 welding rod, mild steel, frame on a 36ft horse trailer....
You must be logged in to view this image or video.
 
Last edited:
Soon would be welding some Stainless using flux core gasless SS wire. Does anyone has suggestions/ideas/recommendations on how to do it best? Anything to watch out for?
 
Support Vendors who Support the DSM Community
Boosted Fabrication ECM Tuning ExtremePSI Fuel Injector Clinic Innovation Products Jacks Transmissions JNZ Tuning Kiggly Racing Morrison Fabrications MyMitsubishiStore.com RixRacing RockAuto RTM Racing STM Tuned

Latest posts

Build Thread Updates

Vendor Updates

Latest Classifieds

Back
Top