Took me 3 years to figure out I was grinding my tungsten backwards

Finally saw a guy at the shop prep his tungsten by going lengthwise instead of across the tip and it clicked why my arcs were wandering all the time. Anybody else have a basic habit they just never questioned?

2 comments

2 Comments

emmar7518d ago

Three years for me too, man. I was at a welding supply place picking up filler rod and the guy behind the counter just flat out said "you're grinding that wrong." I felt like an idiot standing there holding my tungsten like it was a crayon. Went home and tried it lengthwise on a fresh 3/32 and the difference was night and day. No more chasing the arc around the puddle, it just stayed where I pointed it. Made me wonder how many other simple things I was doing completely backwards without even knowing.

felix_martin5618d ago

That part about "grinding lengthwise instead of across the tip" really got me thinking. I spent years sharpening my tungsten like I was sharpening a pencil, going around and around in circles. What nobody told me is that the grind direction actually controls where the electrons want to leave the electrode. If you grind crosswise, those tiny grooves make the arc spiral off in a random direction. Took a old welder at a trade show to point out that I was basically making my own arc wander problem. Now I always grind lengthwise so the electrons have a nice straight path to follow. It's one of those small things that changes your whole day once you get it right.