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]
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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.

Another great tip from Weldcraft®

For excellent arc starts on low-amperage AC or DC applications, use 2% ceriated tungsten (color code: orange) especially on carbon and stainless steels.

For consistent performance on all metals, and for all machines, Arc-Zone.com recommends our new ArcTime™ Hybrid All Purpose Tungsten:

Professional yacht tower fabricators, manufacturers of aerospace parts, and mountain bike builders have all selected ArcTime™ because of its excellent ignition properties, low burn off rate and longevity. As an added bonus, this hybrid tungsten electrode works well with all power sources and all metals from mild steel to titanium.

“You’ll notice a difference just by striking the first arc– no finer electrode exists anywhere,” says Jim Watson, aka Joe Welder, president of Arc-Zone.com, Inc.

Another great tip from Weldcraft®

Maintaining good electrical contact between your tungsten and collet helps improve current transfer and weld quality. Keep your TIG torch components tightened and check regularly for worn parts.

At Arc-Zone.com we offer a free, downloadable PDF on the correct way to grind tungsten in our Welding Library, but here’s some quick tips from the Weldcraft® catalog to get you started:

• Grind your tungsten electrode Longitudinally, not radially
• Prepare a tip flat
• Use a dedicated wheel for grinding tungsten

We also recommend a dedicated tungsten grinder for TIG / GTAW welding and Plasma Arc Welding (PAW) applications.  Arc-Zone carries a full line from the handy, inexpensive Sharpie(TM) hand-held tungsten sharpening tool to the more rugged, precise DGP with a fully integrated vacuum system.

When cleaning contaminated tungsten, do NOT break off the end of the tungsten.

Breaking tungsten can cause splinter fractures, resulting in erratic arc. Use a cutoff wheel or the edge of a grinding wheel.

At Arc-Zone we would add the recommendation that you use a dedicated diamond wheel for grinding to avoid contaminating your tungsten.

Download your free guide to Selecting Tungsten Electrodes (.pdf) and Grinding Tungsten Electrodes (.pdf) — available in the Arc-Zone Welding Library.

Another great tip from Weldcraft®

Optimize shield gas coverage by using an appropriate size gas lens. Gas lenses help minimize rework and allow for greater tungsten extension for increased access to confined joints.

And check out the Large Gas Saver Nozzles available at Arc-Zone.com . Pretty slick.

We’re glad someone noticed. It’s about time!

As you know I’ve been on the lookout for women welders to interview (more coming later this week) but in the meantime, I found out about this new line of women’s welding wear. Isn’t it amazing how sometimes things just all fall in line?

Out here in California we’d say something like “Must be Mercury is no longer in retrograde…”

Introducing AngelFire™ by the experts at Revco®

Santa Fe Springs, CA – Women are different… Revco noticed. That’s why Revco Industries has launched AngelFire, an innovative series of premium welding protection designed exclusively for women. Finally, women can break free from male attire and work more safely in clothes tailored to fit a woman’s body. No more clumsy gloves. No more oversized jackets. No more sparks down the collar.

AngelFire, launching under the recently released BSX line, features a warm chocolate brown color and smaller sizes to appeal directly to women. Revco predicts this fashionable line of welding products will invigorate enthusiasm among woman welders who, up until now, have been limited to wearing bulky jackets made to fit men.

“Women had no other choice at all. Being a TIG welder, you don’t even bother wearing a jacket because you’d rather be comfortable at work and ruin your own clothing than deal with a bulky man’s welding jacket. It’s a nightmare,” says Pamela Lesemann, a 15 year welder and welding instructor. But now there is the new AngelFire jacket. Lesemann raves, “I love it; I think it’s great. It’s soft, comfortable and it fits. Finally, something different.”

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