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.

Got a call from Matt up in North Dakota today. Brrrr. After we compared weather (Bismark 11, Carlsbad, CA 59) and talked politics (it’s Super Tuesday) we got to the real reason he called.

Matt is taking TIG Welding classes, and is setting up his weldshop. He just bought a Lincoln Invertec machine and needed a whole TIG torch set up to go with it.

His first question was “Do you sell Lincoln torches?”

(more…)

The latest press release from Weldcraft features the WP-18 water cooled TIG torch, engineered for high-amperage, continuous duty welding applications.  I’ve posted the official press release from Weldcraft.

Arc-Zone.com carries a full line of air-cooled, water-cooled, hand-held and machine TIG Torches, including the WP-18 and the WP-19P.  And, we have all the accessories and TIG torch replacement parts.

Things are laid out  a little differently in our new webstore, but I think you’ll find its all there.  Let us know if you have any trouble finding anything.  Arc-Zone.com has LIVE Chat available over the internet, or you can always give us a call.

At Arc-Zone.com we frequently get inquiries from customers looking for other TIG torches, or want to know the difference between one brand versus another. They’ve seen a Weldtec torch, or heard about CK or their local welding supplier sells Best Welds. At Arc-Zone.com we sell Weldcraft TIG Torches.

Not all TIG / GTAW welding torches are created equally. One difference is in the quality raw materials used and the quality of the manufacturing process. I can’t think of a specific example with a tig torch, but I have seen, for example, a cheap gas lens that basically was not brazed and the screens were just stuffed in so the gas flow– well– didn’t. And then the thing fell apart.

Both Weldtec and CK are fine brands. I haven’t heard much about the Best Welds brand. It should be noted, however, that many of these TIG Torch brands call themselves “Weldcraft style.” Bottom line is that Weldcraft is an industry leader and innovator, known for quality products.

Weldcraft® is not the cheapest brand in the marketplace, but using the best engineered torches will get you the best performance from your TIG welder.

When it comes to cables and hoses, it’s not just rubber / braided versus vinyl. The tubing all looks the same, but if the insides are not constructed to spec, and are not taut on the inside (which is difficult to see from looking at the cable) you’ll not get good power flow and if the fittings are not constructed well the cable could in fact pull out.

We recommend the rubber mostly because vinyl is really just a fancy word for plastic, and heat and plastic is not a good combination.

There are a lot of options from Air-Cooled (great for TIG Welding in the field) or Water-Cooled (smaller, lighter and stays cool longer in your hand), from Micro-TIG (for small work) to Flexible Head TIG torches (for– well, flexibilty!) . If you need some help deciding, you can always call Arc-Zone. We have a toll free number 800.944.2243 (US) or call 760.931.1500. Ask for Jim Watson, he’s our TIG Torch expert.

Another good tip from the Weldcraft Catalog:

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.

By the way… Arc-Zone.com carries a full line of replacement parts, including collets, collet bodies, gas lens collet bodies and even tungsten for your TIG / GTAW torch.

The WP-26 is not a new TIG/GTAW welding torch, but as part of the Contractor’s Kit you can purchase with your Miller it is one of the more popular in the Weldcraft line. It is an air-cooled torch, and accepts tungsten from .020″ to 5/32″ diameter making this welding torch well suited for heavy duty field work.

-Five torch options to meet a variety of needs
-200 amp air-cooled capability
-Flexible neck, gas control valve options available

Read the WP-26 Press Release from Weldcraft or purchase your own WP-26 TIG Torch Package at Arc-Zone.com.