Arc-Zone.com is one of the few places you can buy CK Worldwide TIG Torches…  they’ve got a pretty impressive line (and if you don’t find it on the Arc-Zone.com website, give us a call–we can get it for you!).  One of the products from CK that will really improve your TIG Welding is the Gas Saver(tm) nozzle.

Now if you answered What’s a Gas Saver?... you have got to check this out. The Gas Saver is a super-sized Pyrex glass nozzle. You’ll get excellent visibility of the weld puddle and the tungsten electrode– ideal for inside corners, inside pipe and around tubing etc. You’ll also save shield gas consumption and experience improved flow patterns of your shield gas, which as you know means less turbulence, less contamination and awesome welds… Arc-Zone.com sells the individual parts, and kits that include the Standard Diameter Gas Saver and the Large Diameter Gas Saver…

Crazy Germans and their sausage.  And I fully mean that as a compliment, because we here at Arc-Zone.com were all amazed and highly entertained by what happened next.

German welders + sausage + welding machine = Electric grill for men??

Adventurous Germans Grill Sausages with an Industrial Welder

“Eventually, the tube was so hot that the arc had to be shut down because the fat was on the verge of spontaneous combustion.”

By Vin Marshall  Posted 03.22.2010

Barbecue grills don’t typically require eye protection, but then, they’re typically not made from a giant TIG welder and an industrial sausage positioner either.

That’s something these Germans set out to change with the “Electric Grill For Men.”

What would you do if you needed to endurance-test a large industrial welding power supply?

You’d probably rig up something like the apparatus pictured here, in which a TIG welding torch draws a continuous arc along a slowly rotating piece of aluminum tubing mounted in a work positioner normally used for pipe welding.

As the long weld bead is laid down, the power supply is tested to verify that it can maintain its rated output and duty cycle without melting down. In the process, a great deal of heat is generated.

CONTINUE READING ONLINE ->

Interested in learning about restoring classic cars? Well, you’ve come to the right place!

The folks over at Second Chance Garage have given us a step-by-step guide to choosing the right welder for the job:

Selecting the Right Welder for Classic Car Restoration Projects

What Welder To Use?

The most common welders used in auto restoration, therefore, are MIG (metal arc welders, gas or flux-cored), TIG (tungsten arc welders using shielding gas) and Arc Welders (the traditional “stick” electrode).

To choose the most appropriate one for your needs, you have to consider the following parameters:

* What is the maximum and minimum thickness of metal to be welded? Fortunately, automobiles use metals that fall into a relatively narrow range.

* What is the metal type? Again, automobiles generally are made of steel and, rarely, aluminum.

* What is the normal position the welding “head” will be put in? Do you need to do a lot of welding overhead? The answer is usually no here.

* How much current is available in your shop and do you have 220 volts? Check your circuits.

Let’s be frank. Our overwhelming favorite type of welder is the MIG. We’ll explain why shortly, but first we’ll give an overview of the other contenders. Here we go!

CONTINUE READING ONLINE ->

Want some free Miller welding equipment???

This month, Miller Electric is giving away over $2,000 worth of welding supplies to one lucky grand prize winner!

To enter for a chance to win, just sign up for one of Miller’s eNewsletters to keep in touch with industry news and the latest how-to advice!

Complete Grand Prize Package:

• Choice of Millermatic® 211 Auto-Set™ MIG welder, Diversion™ 165 TIG welder, OR Spectrum® 375 X-TREME plasma cutter
• ArcStation™ welding workbench
• Performance Series™ auto-darkening welding helmet
• Arc Armor combo welding jacket
• Pair of MIG, TIG, and Metalworker gloves
• iPod touch

There is a new welding process, recently developed in Europe, that is said to not only improve welds but also lower the skill required to make them.  It uses a “manual and automated GTAW wire feed control combined with a hot-wire power source” that improves the wire feed, weld pool, and weld deposition and decreases gas consumption.

Enhancing the GTAW process

By Ed Craig, Contributing Writer
September 15, 2009

Gas tungsten arc welding (GTAW or TIG), a popular process for high-quality manual welding, has its limitations and requires highly skilled operators. A process used in Europe addresses those limitations, enhances productivity and weld quality, and reduces the skill level required to GTAW.

For at least six decades, traditional gas tungsten arc welding (GTAW or TIG) has been considered the process of choice for attaining high-quality welds in any metal application. However, this process has certain drawbacks, such as the weld energy limitation influenced by the weld pool dynamics and typically slow manual wire feed rates. Manual GTAW requires highly skilled operators who possess the dexterity necessary to feed the wire. Manual GTAW techniques vary, and the weld-wire-to-arc and weld puddle placement are inconsistent.

CONTINUE READING ONLINE ->

POWER MIG^® 140C
POWER MIG^® 180C

Perfect for around the house or
around the shop, POWER MIG®
welders feature Diamond Core
Technology™ and a professional
grade drive roll system.

Precision TIG^® 225

The experts’ choice, with the
widest operating range in its class
and patented Micro-Start™ II
technology.

Ranger^® 10,000 Plus
Kohler^® or
Subaru Robin^®

Perform a variety of AC or DC welding
jobs, with plenty of AC generator
power for lights, tools,
and more. Perfect for construction,
maintenance and the farm.

Ranger^® 225 GXT

All the advantages of the Ranger®
10,000 with an enclosed case!
Perform a variety of AC or DC
welding jobs, with plenty of AC generator
power for lights, tools, and
more. Perfect for construction,
maintenance and the farm.

Check out the Lincoln website for more information about the RULES and REWARDS.

In my last post, I neglected to mention that Arc-Zone.com is on YouTube with some great how-to welding videos.

Our most popular video so far, is How To Build A Water Cooled TIG Torch.  Arc-Zone.com founder Jim Watson will take you through the steps to putting your torch together…  and you’ll get a sneak peek at Rachel, our own Roxy Fuel (welding posters and calendars coming soon).

A welding helmet is one of the most important pieces of safety equipment you’ll need as a welder, protecting your eyes… There are tons of options out there for welding helmets, and a big part of your decision will come down to personal choice. Some folks will want to go with something fun, like the Hollywood Hog Welding Helmet (pictured right).

OR, you may choose something like the Jackson Halo X with the NexGen auto darkening lens and hot flame design (pictured left)

You have to keep safety in mind foremost, but also fit and comfort, especially if you’re going to be wearing it all day long.

I found some great tips on buying a welding helmet I thought I’d pass along to you:

Tips for Choosing the Right Auto-Darkening Helmet

By Greg Coleman, Product Manager with The Lincoln Electric Company

Perhaps a welder’s most personalized accessory is his or her helmet.

There are a number of factors to consider when selecting a helmet that is safe, comfortable and functional.
…..

• Does the helmet meet current safety standards (ANSI Z87.1) to address light leakage as well as flame and impact resistance?
• Does the helmet include power circuits for extended dark storage so it always starts right out of the box?

Is the cartridge rated to darken at the low end amperages you will use?

CONTINUE READING AT WELDING MAGAZINE ONLINE–>

–and–

Welding Helmets – What you need to know before you buy

By Caleb Krisher, Product Manager for Hobart Welding Products

On the job or in the garage, every welder needs protection to prevent eye damage.

As a general rule, spending more on a welding helmet will increase comfort, improve your welding ability, result in higher quality welds and ensure your safety.

Unfortunately, selecting a helmet can be confusing if you’re not familiar with the latest auto-darkening lens technology and national safety standards.

This article will help you sort through the clutter and point out the most important things to consider before investing in this important piece of safety gear, while showcasing some of the industry’s top trends and designs.

CONTINUE READING ONLINE AT WELDING MAGAZINE–>

And, when you’re ready to buy , check out the selection of welding helmets at Arc-Zone.com, from stylish fun graphics to classic black welding helmets that you can personalize with your own collection of decals.

I was invited to guest blog over on the Miller Viewpoints blog…  while I appreciated the opportunity, and am truly honored that they asked, I have to say it was a little different blogging through a corporate machine.  First off, they wanted 250 words.  Two hundred-fifty words?  Are you kidding me?  that just gets me started! “The 250 words is just a rough guide,” they assured me.

So, I turned in my 876 word piece, Weld Like A Girl: Tips for Women in the Welding Industry. And waited.

Five days later, word came back. “Because it’s longer than we typically use for a single post, we’re going to make it into a series…” said my Miller contact.

Sounded fine with me.  I was proud of what I wrote, and three posts is better than one!

And so I waited some more as the edits, the approvals, and the blog post itself wended its way up the corporate chain of command. Word finally came back a week and a half later, “….they would only approve uploading the first topic, covering ‘Knowledge is Queen’”

[sigh]
(more…)

At Arc-Zone.com we get a lot of requests for tungsten electrodes made in the U.S.A. And until recently, we weren’t able to offer that.

Sylvania (yes, the lightbulb people) are at present the only US source for tungsten electrodes. Nearly every tungsten electrode comes from China (75%) or Austria, Bolivia, Portugal, and Russia.

If you’re interested in learning more about tungsten production, there’s a great new website that offers some of the most comprehensive information about tungsten and tungsten electrodes for welding that I’ve seen in a while. (Yes, I may be a little biased, but there really is some good information about tungsten there.)

Now, Arc-Zone.com offers Sylvania Tungsten Electrodes, made in the US, and ready for immediate delivery:

• PURETUNG® / Pure Tungsten (Color Code Green)
• 1% Thoriated (Yellow) Tungsten Electrodes
  
• 2% Thoriated (Red) Tungsten Electrodes
  
• 1.5% Lanthanated (Gray) Tungsten Electrodes
  
• 2% Ceriated (Orange) Tungsten Electrodes and
• ZIRTUNG® / Zirconiated (Brown) Tungsten Electrodes
  

Arc-Zone will be stocking the standard 7″ length in diameters, 0.040″ to 1/8″ though other diameters are available. Contact sales –at– arc-zone.com for details.