GAS LENS

I am new to tig welding and have recently bought a Miller Dynasty 200DX. I got the contractor kit with it that included a Diamond Back DB1725R torch. This is a 150amp air cooled torch. I will be using this welder in a hobby environment on mostly 1/8" or less mild steel, stainless and aluminum. I am using it on a 240-volt single phase circuit.

My question is, would it be worth while for me to get a gas lens kit for this torch? The people selling the kits make a lot of claims about saving gas and better gas coverage, etc. When I inquired at my local supplier they did not seem too hepped up about gas lenses. But, they sell gas. So is a gas lens better or is it just another doo dad that is really not necessary?

Also what would be the best tungsten to use for the above mentioned material? The torch came with red 2% thoriated. I have read a lot about the uses of the various electrodes but I am assuming that those recommendations may or may not apply to an inverter type machine such as mine. I know that with an inverter they do not suggest balling the tungsten for aluminum. Are there other differences?

Thanks in advance for any input.

Reply to
bitternut
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they (gas lens) allow for a smaller cup opening and lower gas pressure. have always worked for me; wouldn't leave home without one....

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Reply to
dogalone

Bitternut, I'm a bit suprised that you're asking this question as this issue has been discussed a lot over on the hobart forum, where I know you frequent. Use lanthanated or ceriated and use an angle grind with a small flat at the tip. Miller's document below summarizes the history, differences, and why things are different for the square-wave inverters w/out continuous HF:

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good luck!

Reply to
dave seman

Considering the price for a gas lens, yes it is worth considering.

Lanthanated is supposed to be the best all around tungsten and is not radioactive.

Jerry, who also beginned with an inverter not too long ago.

Reply to
jerry_tig2003

Gas lenses are all I use. I buy standard collet bodies and cups for my students at school because they are more protective of the tungsten.

I like students to use a standard collet body and cup until they stop rapidly destroying tungstens.

Once they have some muscle control, then they can be trusted with a gas lens collet body and cup.

Your 150 amp air cooled torch is a #3 series torch. This means it uses the same consumables as a 300 amp water cooled torch.

What I recommend is getting a set of #4 series gas lens collet bodies, and collets from CK Worldwide. This gives you a collet body that screws into a #3 torhc, but is as small as a #2 series gas lens and uses #2 series gas lens gas cups.

It makes the whole torch much smaller and easier to handle.

3# series gas lenses tend to be HUGE, whereas #4 gas lenses are much smaller.

Check out this page.

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It should give you a better idea of what I am saying.

You can order anything from CK Worldwide through

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As to tungstens.

1%, 1.5% and 2% Lanthanated are all I use for most stuff AC or DC. 2% lanthanted just recently became available.

For heavy AC I use Zirconiated.

A very good source for tungstens is Aglevtech's eBay webstore.

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Reply to
Ernie Leimkuhler

Also

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Reply to
DEA

Thanks for the help in clearing the waters and the links. As Dave mentioned I do hang out at the Hobart site and have read many of the posts but a lot of the info given there was not specific to any type of welder ( transformer or inverter ) . Some of the info was contradictory. It seemed like the more I read the more confused I got. Another confusing thing is that I bought an inverter and the contractor kit that Miller sells with it gives you thoriated tungsten, but a lot of people like Ernie say to use lanthanated with an inverter. Mr Tig says the best is thoriated but he is not specific as to what type of welder it is best for. I think he means for transformer type tigs. I don't know how I missed the article on the Miller site about inverters. Thanks to Dave for the link to it.

In conclusion I will be taking the advice given and switching to lanthanated tungsten with gas lenses. Now I know just what to buy and where. Thanks for sharing your knowledge.

Reply to
bitternut

Thanks for the help in clearing the waters and the links. As Dave mentioned I do hang out at the Hobart site and have read many of the posts but a lot of the info given there was not specific to any type of welder ( transformer or inverter ) . Some of the info was contradictory. It seemed like the more I read the more confused I got. Another confusing thing is that I bought an inverter and the contractor kit that Miller sells with it gives you thoriated tungsten, but a lot of people like Ernie say to use lanthanated with an inverter. Mr Tig says the best is thoriated but he is not specific as to what type of welder it is best for. I think he means for transformer type tigs. I don't know how I missed the article on the Miller site about inverters. Thanks to Dave for the link to it.

In conclusion I will be taking the advice given and switching to lanthanated tungsten with gas lenses. Now I know just what to buy and where. Thanks for sharing your knowledge.

Reply to
bitternut

When you are starting out you will spend more time grinding tungstens than welding. Use up the thoriated tungstens, just buy Lanthanated tungstens in the future. Never buy pure tungstens. They are a waste of money. Lanthanated tungstens are much better on AC.

Reply to
Ernie Leimkuhler

Ernie Leimkuhler wrote in news:170120041420475302% snipped-for-privacy@stagesmith.com:

Ernie, what dictates whether you will use a 1%, 1.5% or 2% Lanthanated Tungsten?

Reply to
Marty Escarcega

Well at first all I could find locally in Seattle were 1% or 1.5%, so I bought those. Later I found 2% on the internet so I buy those now.

The difference is hard to spot. I can tell that the 2% lasts a little longer, but I doubt most people will notice since they will trash their tungsten before they get to that point.

Kind of like asking a marathon runner about shoes. The marathon runner can probably tell the difference between too very similar shoes, but most people couldn't.

I didn't even know there were 2% Lanthanated tungstens until I went to an open house at TEC welding in Kent WA. Their store is across the street from CK-Worldwide's factory.

The CK guy on hand was using tungstens with a Blue band. I had never seen Blue tungstens before.

Reply to
Ernie Leimkuhler

Ernie Leimkuhler wrote in news:190120041345582804% snipped-for-privacy@stagesmith.com:

So, would Lanthanated be the general purpose do all tungsten good for most all work or are there still others better than others? My work would be mild steel, maybe stainless occasionally.... Thanks again Ernie for your unselfish sharing of your knowledge! Marty

Reply to
Marty Escarcega

If you only buy one kind of tungsten, buy Lanthanated tungstens.

Ceriated is a little better for low amperage micro welds, since it can initiate a weld a slightly lower amps than anything else, but at higher amps it breaks down faster.

Zirconiated is the best for high amperage AC.

All I buy are Lanthanated tungstens in all sizes and then some BIG Zirconiated tungstens for fixing heavy aluminum castings.

Reply to
Ernie Leimkuhler

Ernie Leimkuhler wrote in news:190120041604026930% snipped-for-privacy@stagesmith.com:

All I have is the older Syncrowave 180SD. Sounds like Lanthanated is the way to go for me. I might try my hand and aluminum and stainless, but most of the work will be mild steel tubing....

Thanks Ernie Marty

Reply to
Marty Escarcega

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