How to Grind Tungsten on a Bench Grinder
Tungsten is an electrode used in tungsten inert gas (TIG) welding. Grinding tungsten improperly will result in poor weld quality, as the current will not flow from the tungsten to the weld joint properly. A bench grinder will produce the correct taper and grinding mark direction needed for the tungsten electrode to function correctly. Using a bench grinder will not ensure that you will grind the tungsten properly. The correct method of grinding the tungsten for TIG welding comes with practice.
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Things You'll Need
- Sturdy leather work gloves
- Safety glasses
- Tungsten electrodes
- Bench grinder
- Small container of water
Instructions
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1
Put on the leather work gloves and safety glasses.
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2
Turn on the bench grinder.
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3
Hold the tungsten vertically with one end pointing directly at you while keeping the tungsten at a 45-degree angle. Press the tungsten against the grinding wheel. Evenly rotate the tungsten with your fingers while the tungsten is against the grinding wheel. Slowly change the angle of the tungsten from 45-degrees to 15-degrees while rotating the tungsten around the wheel of the bench grinder.
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4
Place the tip of the tungsten in the water to cool the tip. Examine the grooves that the grinding wheel placed on the tungsten. The grinding marks should be running straight down towards the tip of the tungsten.
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5
Continue grinding the tungsten as described in step 3 until the tip is needle sharp and two to three times longer than the diameter of the tungsten electrode. Dip the end of the tungsten back into the water to cool the point.
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6
Flip the tungsten. Repeat steps three, four, and five to sharpen this end of the tungsten as well.
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7
Insert the tungsten into the TIG torch. Repeat the process of sharpening the tungsten when the tungsten loses its fine sharp point.
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