Tungston contents and questions.

[CRS51]

Hello all, could anyone explain what exactly is in a tungston ? What I mean is what are they made up of other than tungston and why are some 1% and others 2% etc and is there a "good make" of tungston or are they all a similar breed ?
Many thanks in advance and am sure more questions will come as I have started practising with the tig welder again.
Cheers Chris.

 

[shenion]

Here is the Miller Selection and Preparation Guide for Tungsten Electrodes.

 

[hotrodder]

A more indepth (perhaps headache inducing) explanation of why and how the different oxides improve performance here... http://www.diamondground.com/TungstenGuidebook2011.pdf While different flavours and brands do perform differently it's more about longevity of the tip than anything else. That Diamondground handbook is more applicable to mechanised welding like tube mills and orbital welding than manual welding. While learning (and so likely constantly contaminating tungsten) the only thing that really matters is that any grinding scratches run axially rather than radially and that the tip is concentric

Tip geometry also effects things offering a trade off between arc stability and tip life. Again not something to worry too much about while learning and more of a deal with automated kit than manual welding but useful to know- for example grinding a longer, finer taper with a smoother finish for low amperage work. IIRC the TIG tutorial/FAQ here mentions that one, there's also a little more depth on the subject here... http://www.pro-fusiononline.com/tungsten/geometry.htm

 

[CRS51]

Thanks guys
Chris.