Getting tungsten out of Ali

[cardiffrob]

I...ummmm...know this bloke who tried to weld 8mm ali together with full power from my...HIS...TIG welder and got a blob of Tungsten laying right at the finished surface of the component. Any suggestions as to how it should be removed? Carbide grinding bit? Cobalt drill?

 

[Fazerruss]

The tungsten will be as hard as the (tungsten) carbide bit so you will need to dig around it to get it out. Then re weld.

 

[cardiffrob]

so you will need to dig around it to get it out

He....you mean he....

 

[anto44]

Just a suggestion. Heat it with the tig torch to just melt the metal around it and flick it out with a stainless rod. Don't know if it would work.

 

[Appyasme1]

Carbide bit will work fine.

 

[slim_boy_fat]

He....you mean he....

I suspect he thought you offering help to this random 'bloke'......

 

[Richard.]

As mentioned above drilling or burring it to destruction isn't gonna happen as the tungsten is gonna be harder than your drills. Remelting the Alu and flicking it out could work if your fast enough but it could also make things worse and allow the tungsten to sink further in. If possible I'd tunnel under it with a small drill bit a few times allowing you to get something under it and pop it out. Then I'd reweld the area (with a slightly longer arc length than previous )
A picture would make it much easier to accurately determine the best technique.