tig welding rod advise ?

[powernut]

hi all wounderig if anyone can point out the colour codeing meaning on the tig rods that fit in the tig gun , as there differnert types for alloys, stainless, midsteel , etc and ive noticed they have a colour mark on the top of them , any ideawhat they all are
i.e i need mostly to know , for mild steel, alloys,stainless , before i order some

 

[gaz_moose]

white alloy
red steel
blue everything

i think thats it,
oh and its called a torch not a gun and they are called tungston's.or refered to as electrodes.

 

[powernut]

white alloy
red steel
blue everything

i think thats it,
oh and its called a torch not a gun and they are called tungston's.or refered to as electrodes.

lol right im with ya , looking at my tugstun its grey ?any idea gaz,

right so i need either white or blue for any type of steel tiging or just white?
what is recomended for stainless blue or something else ?
evern thow there are asorted tunston sizes , whats preferd or will any do ,,

 

[wyn]

I'm using grey (Ceriated) on my tig at the mo.
They are good for all materials AC or DC.

There is some good info in this PDF that hotrodder linked to on another thread

 

[powernut]

cheers wyn there that many colour types/sizes/ things like ceriated/ tungstuns , starts getting a bit confuseing

found this which may help and knowing what im buying
Pure Tungsten (TP) – green tip - Pure tungsten readily forms a ball on the end. It is generally used with transformer-based power sources for AC welding of aluminum.

2% Thoriated Tungsten (TT2) – red tip - This tungsten is the most common tungsten currently being used. It is generally utilized for DC welding of steel and stainless steel and offers good overall performance. A drawback is that this tungsten has a low level radiation hazard.

2% Ceriated Tungsten (TC2) – grey tip – 2% ceriated is an excellent substitute for 2% thoriated tungsten if you are using a transformer-based power source for DC welding. This tungsten is popular for thinner materials because it requires less amperage to start. It offers a stable arc and can be used for both AC and DC welding with inverter power sources.

2% Lanthanated Tungsten (TL2) – blue tip – 2% lanthanated is probably the most popular substitute for 2% thoriated tungsten. It offers good arc starting characteristics and longer life than 2% thoriated. It can be used for both AC and DC welding with both inverter and transformer power sources.

Tungsten
Type Diameter
.040" (1.0mm) 1/16" (1.6mm) 3/32" (2.4mm) 1/8" (3.2mm)
Pure Tungsten TP-7040 TP-7116 TP-7332 TP-718
2% Thoriated TT2-7040 TT2-7116 TT2-7332 TT2-718
2% Ceriated TC2-7040 TC2-7116 TC2-7332 TC2-718
2% Lanthanated TL2-7040 TL2-7116 TL2-7332 TL2-718
Amperage - AC 20-30 30-80 60-130 120-200
Amperage - DC 15-50 50-120 80-150 130-250