Not too long ago we got an email from a customer wondering why–  since they had spec’d out Made-In-The-USA SYLVANIA tungsten electrodes– we had sent them GTP tungsten electrodes.  They even sent photos!

Back in 2008 OSRAM Sylvania Tungsten and Powder officially became Global Tungsten & Powders Corp. (GTP) a leading supplier of powders, semi-finished products and components made from tungsten, molybdenum and phosphor.  It’s only been recently that packaging redesign has reflected this change, so soon you’ll see these boxes in your own shop.

You may miss the the SYLVANIA packaging, but don’t worry, the insides are still the same top quality tungsten.

GTP Tungsten Rod is manufactured by powder-metallurgical manufacturing techniques. Hydrogen-reduced tungsten powder is produced to rigidly controlled purity, particle size, and size distribution. The raw tungsten is consolidated by pressing and sintering the material into billets, which are then worked by rolling or swaging them into rods. Smaller sizes are produced by subsequent drawings.  This controlled manufacturing process produces top quality tungsten.  (If you want to know more about how Arc-Zone.com rates its tungsten suppliers, check out Tungsten Electrodes:  What’s the Difference).

SYLVANIA® GTP is the only U.S. manufacturer of tungsten electrodes (and is in stock and ready to ship from Arc-Zone.com). All SYLVANIA® GTP tungsten electrodes comply with AWS Specification A5.12 98. For details, download the GTP Tungsten Technical Bulletin (.pdf).

And when you’re ready to order your Sylvania GTP Tungsten, head on over to our webstore and place your order.  And if YOU don’t like what you see when you open your box, give us a call. Remember we have a Satisfaction Guarantee, and a NO HASSLE return policy–  Our goal is to make sure you get what you need to Weld Like A Pro(tm) !

Found a very inspirational article today about a high school senior that was granted the wish of a lifetime after he was diagnosed with a cancerous brain tumor.  Luckily, Bill Stadelman was able to make a complete recovery.  As part of his recovery, the Central New York Make-a-Wish foundation was able to provide him with his very own welding shop!  Bill got the hook up with a converted barn housing his welding shop, a plasma cutter, band saw, and all kinds of accessories.

Bill’s favorite courses in school were the welding classes he took.  With a brand new welding shop to call his own, Bill is well on his way to making a living in the welding industry.

By Valerie Zehl

Bill Stadelman doesn’t usually smile, his sisters say.

On Wednesday afternoon, though, the 18-year-old was grinning ear to ear.

The Newark Valley High School senior is the latest recipient of a big surprise from the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Central New York.

Despite the weather and the lack of a street sign on his rural road, more than a dozen people converged to see Bill’s reaction when the door to his new welding shop yawned open.

CONTINUE READING OVER AT PRESSCONNECTS –>

And if you’ve got a welder who needs welding parts of any kind, check out Arc-Zone.com.  We’ve got all kinds of TIG Torches and parts, plasma torches and parts, and we even offer gift cards in time for the holidays so you can let your welder decide!

We came across a neat article on welding basics over at HotBikeWeb while reading up on some motorcycle repair information. It’s got a lot of great basic information as it relates to “virgin” welders and everything you’d need to know in order to get started welding:

By Bob Colvin

A few years ago on 60 Minutes Jesse James said, “There are two kinds of people in the world, those that can weld and those that can’t.” You see it every week on cable TV, a fabricator shapes a piece of metal or a couple pieces of metal and then pulls out a MIG or TIG welder, tacks the parts together, and then runs a bead fusing the two pieces together permanently-well hopefully. When they’re done it’s another perfect part. They make it look easy and after welding bits and pieces of metal together a masterpiece emerges. Can the home hobbyist/enthusiast do the same level of fabrication? Possibly, with the right tools and training almost anyone can create or repair anything. But where do you start? There is a lot to learn, but it’s not as daunting as you may think. It does take time and effort though.

CONTINUE READING OVER AT HOTBIKEWEB–>

If you’re looking to get into welding but don’t know where to start or what you need, head over to Arc-Zone.com.  We’ll get you equipped with one of our TIG Pro Kits, or one of our TIG Torch Packages.  And if you’re ready to start some welding education classes, Arc-Zone offers a special 10% educational discount to welding students.

Master fabricators are always looking at ways to improve their weld quality…  This article has some great tips:

22 possible causes of weld metal porosity
Take a look at gas flow, material conditions, and consumables to prevent this defect
By Phil Evans, Contributing Writer, The Fabricator

Porosity is a weld defect that is fairly common, but also fairly easy to fix. What issues contribute to weld porosity? This checklist gives a welder a good idea of what might be causing the problem.

Weld metal porosity is not a welcome sight in a weld bead, but it shows up all too often. Porosity is weld metal contamination in the form of a trapped gas. Shielding gases or gases released as a result of the torch being applied to treated metal are absorbed into the molten metal and released as solidification takes place. In other instances, the shielding gas doesn’t completely reach the weld pool and the atmospheric air adversely affects the weld bead. CONTINUE READING OVER AT THE FABRICATOR–>

These tips are nothing new, but its always a good reminder (or a great checklist if you’re a noob!) You’ll notice that many of these welding tips have to do with shield gas, especially the delivery of it (are you outta gas??  is your torch properly maintained?  did you check your O-Rings lately?) and quality of materials.

Our own Joe Welder offers these instructions for taking care of your TIG  / GTAW torch:

And at Arc-Zone.com can set you up with all the equipment you need to ensure your welds are top quality!

Happened upon a great article –really informative–about welding aluminum over at The Fabricator.  We get lots of calls from customers trying to weld aluminum, and wondering what the best way to go about it is.  This article answers many common questions about welding aluminum:

By Matt Tavernelli

The reactive nature of aluminum to the welding arc, which is much more pronounced than that of other base materials, presents many challenges, including excess heat input and burn-through, porosity, poor bead appearance, poor fusion, and cracking.  Technology advancements have made tackling these challenges easier by providing a balance of high travel speeds with a narrow, focused arc.

CONTINUE READING OVER AT THE FABRICATOR ->

And for anything you need to start welding aluminum, be sure to head over to Arc-Zone.com, where we’ve got all types of  TIG rod available, as well as TIG consumables and TIG torches.

Great article here at The Fabricator magazine about how to select a MIG gun:

Welding guns 101: light- or heavy-duty?
Which semiautomatic GMAW gun is right for the job?

By David Bellamy

From tacking operations that require short arc-on times to completing long, continuous welds on thick plate, the welding gun needs to offer the appropriate welding capacity for the job.

When it comes to choosing welding equipment, welding operators may find themselves contemplating which power source to use—and rightly so. The power source significantly affects weld quality, productivity, and overall costs of welding. But having the correct semiautomatic gas metal arc welding (GMAW) gun for the job is equally important.

CONTINUE READING AT THE FABRICATOR –>

And when you’re ready to buy your MIG torch, check out the line-up at Arc-Zone.com: from hand-held to machine MIG guns and replacement parts to nozzle cleaning stations, wire feeders and flow meters, we’ll get you dialed in!

Miller Electric Mfg. Co. has just introduced WeldX™, a revolutionary new apparel line for personal welding protection that is lightweight and breathable, yet provides exceptional flame and spatter resistance–available at Arc-Zone.com!

This stylish safety apparel comes in classic black and is sixty percent lighter than most leathers and also lighter than many flame resistant cotton garments, WeldX represents the next generation in protecting welders from the hazards of heavy-duty welding, while also reducing the potential for heat stress-related injuries.

The WeldX line offers protection in a welding apron, welding bib, cape sleeves, welding jacket (pictured above) and welding sleeves.

Originally developed for military applications, Miller’s new WeldX fabric combines the lightweight and breathability benefits of cotton with exceptional spatter and flame resistance to provide maximum welder protection.

Flame resistance is inherent to WeldX – laundering will not degrade its performance over time. WeldX is based on a fabric technology that has proven its performance and durability in iron production, race car driving, high voltage electrical work, firefighting and other potentially catastrophic applications. The fabric consists of a blend of oxidized acrylic fibers and modern strengthening fibers, which are then treated with a proprietary compound that allows the resulting material to “shed” spatter and sparks upon contact. The proprietary compound is embedded into the individual fibers rather than being applied topically, allowing the garment to retain a high degree of pliability and maneuverability. In even the most extreme environments, WeldX will not burn, melt, ignite or shrink.

The newest addition to Miller’s popular Arc Armor™ line of welding protection, WeldX garments are available as standard welding jackets, sleeves, cape sleeves, bibs and aprons, offering a range of protection options for a variety of applications and industries. For most applications, WeldX will deliver the highest level of welder protection required without a corresponding increase in heat stress, keeping your welders safe, comfortable and more productive.

About Miller
Miller Electric Mfg. Co., headquartered in Appleton, Wis., is a leading worldwide manufacturer of Miller brand arc welding equipment and is a wholly owned subsidiary of Illinois Tool Works Inc. (NYSE: ITW).
For more information, visit Miller’s Web site at www.MillerWelds.com

Joe Bruen, a new customer of Arc-Zone who’s got a welding business in Londonderry, New Hampshire, called the other day and said, “I got my Sharpie DX today, everything was great, customer service was great, and it works perfectly. My only complaint is that one of the M&Ms in the bag was broken. Keep up the good work.”

We love it when our customers call us…  even if they don’t have such glowing praise– bottom line is we are focused on doing our best for our customers, so we look forward to hearing from you, whether you have a comment on one of our products, something we need to add to our store, or a way to improve our website– let us know, and we will work to make those changes!

But it sure is nice to get compliments, so welcome aboard, Joe!

The extremely popular 2010 Fabtech  expo is right around the corner, and Miller Electric Mfg. Co. is introducing some really cool new products, including the new Titanium Series welding helmets as well as the new WeldX protective apparel (available at Arc-Zone.com).  And if you’re looking for other TIG related products to go with your Big Blue welder generator, be sure to check out Arc-Zone’s TIG parts and accessories.  And be sure to look for Joe Welder himself, who will be attending this year.

(more…)

This Bitchen New Bag was introduced at the AWS/Fabtech Welding Show in Atlanta on 11/03/2010….  and I got an up close look at it.  I can tell you–  I’m getting one for my shop!

These welding gear packs are going to be popular for Christmas so PRE ORDER your BSX Welder’s Helmet Bag / Gear Pack today!

BSX Welders GearPack / Helmet Bag is styled in black and gray with red accent piping–  AND it’s rugged making it a great way to Store AND Transport your welding gear.

This specialized backpack is constructed of high-quality materials and engineered with a quick-action HelmetCatch (which makes it easy to access your helmet). The side pockets fit two pairs of gloves, and the large storage area with rigid side walls  protects and stores your torch, and other tools–  and even your lunch box!

Roll to the jobsite, welding class or through the airport with the BSX Helmet Bag and you’ll be noticed!  We even joked around the office that this would make a great backpack for cycling to school (with a place to store your bike helmet) or the bowling alley (with a spot for your bowling ball)!

The exclusive quick-action HelmetCatch™ makes this gear pack stand out above all others. It introduces a secure 5-point rigging system and fast drawbridge action designed to make protecting your helmet a snap. The padded construction of the HelmetCatch™ helps protect the expensive lens from bumps and scratches, while the unique shape accommodates welding helmets of all sizes. The gear pack itself can be worn over the shoulders as a rugged backpack with fully adjustable ergonomic straps, or it can also be carried by its sturdy, rivet-reinforced top handle.

Constructed with rigid walls, the GB100 supports a welding helmet and heavy duty welding gloves on the outside, while leaving plenty of storage room within. The inside features pockets designed to organize hammers, brushes, tip cleaners, electrodes and more. A utility carabiner and a free lunch cooler are also included with the package.

Pre-Order your bag Today from  Arc-Zone– they’ll be available in December.  Just in time for the holidays.