"Univeral" TIG tungstens???

Lanthanated and Ceriated tungstens are both AC/DC tungstens.

Lanthanated is my favorite for most general TIG. You can get them in 1% (black or grey), 1.5% (gold) and 2% (blue).

1.5% is the most common in the US. I also buy Zirconiated tungstens (brown) for high amperage AC only.

Ceriated tungstens are Orange.

Does anyone have experience with these:

thnx

Huntingdon Fusion makes a similar mix tungsten. I believe they are using both Lanthana and Ceria.

Taking Ernies excellent advice..I just about only use 1.5% Lanthanated electrodes now, and have (for me..a dauber) gotten excellent results on aluminum etc with them.

Gunner

"Pax Americana is a philosophy. Hardly an empire. Making sure other people play nice and dont kill each other (and us) off in job lots is hardly empire building, particularly when you give them self determination under "play nice" rules.

Think of it as having your older brother knock the shit out of you for torturing the cat." Gunner

I have some 3/16" 2% lanthanated ones, universal electrode.

i

I have ordered some Lanthanated ones in 2 thicknesses, and have also bought some Ceriated ones to try. many thanks for the detailed advice, I'd almost forgotten what a great resource news groups are, having spent too much time surfing the web! Have a happy Christmas and a healthy New Year.

I just bought a ten pack of 5/32" zirconiated tungstens from tungsten-direct (Ebay store) for $34.50. The local stores all wanted over $120 for the same quantity and would have to order them in. Ordered them Monday afternoon and they arrived this afternoon (Friday). Will be trying them out sometime next week.

They *look* the same (IE: same surface finish) as the small tungstens I bought from the local linweld and even had better packaging. Interestingly enough, Linweld's tungstens were all made in china last time I looked. I suspect they all come from the same source.

StaticsJason

There are only something like 3 companies in the entire world that actually MAKE tungstens. Everybody else is just brokering them. Russia and China are the 2 biggest producers.

Historically, Mexico has low grade Tungsten ore. During WW II, tons and tons and tons of it was brought north to El Paso Texas and made into huge mountains down by the East-West Railroad. I-20 IIRC finally got it 'moved' - The ore was finally turned into metal at the old and local famous Foundry at the base of the mountain range. No telling what happened to that source. Maybe Ge or someone bought it for tubes, light bulbs.....

The grade was so poor - story goes - that it wasn't worth shipping anywhere else.

Martin Martin Eastburn @ home at Lions' Lair with our computer lionslair at consolidated dot net NRA LOH & Endowment Member NRA Second Amendment Task Force Charter Founder

Ernie Leimkuhler wrote:

Looked it up in my Gov. book -

China had 134,500 short-ton units of WO3 while the U.S.A. had 9,000 in 1954. Suspect the main ore is in China. Us, Portugal, Bolivia, Burma, Korea all have some (others very small). Martin Eastburn @ home at Lions' Lair with our computer lionslair at consolidated dot net NRA LOH & Endowment Member NRA Second Amendment Task Force Charter Founder

Ernie Leimkuhler wrote: