Ceramics breaking

[Drains]

Not me, I hasten to add, but a pal of mine is getting through ceramics like they're going out of fashion. The ends keep dropping off. Is he over-tightening them (like I suspect?), or is there something else going on. I've had this happen a couple of times (in a couple of years), but he's getting this every few minutes.
Suggestions?

 

[Paul.]

I've overheated them and had them fall apart, one lad I worked with had a habit of hooking the torch in a handy hole in the bench, that didn't do them much good either. they seem more fragile when they are hot, perhaps he's just a bit heavy handed with them?.

 

[shenion]

I've done it assembling the torch wrong. The ceramic should seat against the insulator before it reaches the end of the threads.

I make sure to screw the collet/ferrule all the way in first. then screw on the ceramic. The back cap is screwed in last and used to set the force on the tungsten.

Could also be missing the insulator/spacer. I went through 2 gas lens ceramics before I realized the "kit" I got was missing the insulator so the ceramic screwed all the way on to the end of the threads. The end would pop off.

 

[Shox Dr]

It's got to be something he is doing, I been TIG welding for 6 yrs and I bet I have broke less than 5, all been dropped on the floor

 

[Drains]

I should have mentioned, they're gas lens ceramics.
It must be something like what Scott says - incorrect seating, forcing threads etc. He said the ceramic wasn't seating on the insulator. Surely it doesn't need to though, although it looks wrong, as the shielding gas is dircted through the gauze out of the front of the torch. That's what I told him anyway.
I'm also wondering now if he's using the back cap correctly.
He showed me the BOC ceramics he was using, on a Binzel torch. The thread length was different to my ceramics, so I gave him one of mine to try out and he broke that.

 

[langy]

My gas lenses come with a small spacer thingy, Does he have that ???

I should have mentioned, they're gas lens ceramics.
It must be something like what Scott says - incorrect seating, forcing threads etc. He said the ceramic wasn't seating on the insulator. Surely it doesn't need to though, although it looks wrong, as the shielding gas is dircted through the gauze out of the front of the torch. That's what I told him anyway.
I'm also wondering now if he's using the back cap correctly.
He showed me the BOC ceramics he was using, on a Binzel torch. The thread length was different to my ceramics, so I gave him one of mine to try out and he broke that.

 

[pedrobedro]

I've had the end drop off like a ring on a couple of gas lenses but they lasted a while before that happened. I thought it may be down to over tightening to touch the brass inside. Is he screwing the gas lens all the way in ?

 

[Shox Dr]

I got a box of Gas Lenses a while back and they didn't seat on the White Insulator I sent them back

 

[shenion]

My gas lenses come with a small spacer thingy, Does he have that ???

Yes, that is what was missing on mine. Caused the ceramics to 'pop their tops".

He said the ceramic wasn't seating on the insulator.

Definitely sounds like the spacer is missing.