Whether you’re new to TIG Welding, or a master fabricator, the myriad adapters, connectors and couplers on the market can be overwhelming.  To complicate matters further, over the years manufacturers changed the design of their welding machines, taking advantage of inverter technology and streamlining the options.  There are many different styles of machines in the field today; these tips will make hooking up your TIG/GTAW torch to any machine easy.  We provided links to product pages as well if you find a connector that sounds familiar.

1. Know Your Welding Machine

To properly hook up your TIG torch to your welding machine, the first thing you need to know is what kind of connection your machine supports.  With older power supplies the TIG torch bolts onto the machine via a threaded stud terminal on the front panel of the power supply.  Newer welding machines make use of an international style Dinse connector which is a twist-locking quick disconnect system.  There are two sizes of Dinse connectors:  small, which the pin size is 3/8″ (9.5mm) in diameter, or the more common large Dinse connector with a pin size of 1/2″ (12.7mm) in diameter.  Some machines allow for a Gas Through Dinse connection, whereby your torch’s shield gas supply flows through the Dinse connector, eliminating the need for an additional gas connection.  The gas flows from your tank and flowmeter/regulator through the machine to the connector and into the torch.  Some power supplies use a Tweco type (also called American style) split pin connector that also twists and locks into place.

The newest twist on machine connections is happening with the increasing prevalence of import machines using a quick-disconnect for gas and water connections.  And some cases, the female receptacle on the Dinse plug may be slightly shorter than the industry standard, and you may need to trim off a portion of the male pin on the Dinse connector.

Consult your welding machine manual to know which connector type you have.  Or, if you no longer have your manual, contact the manufacturer directly and have ready your machine’s model and serial number.

2. Know Your TIG Torch

Different TIG torches have different TIG torch adapter connections at the machine end.  A water cooled TIG torch has a 7/8” x 14 left-hand threaded male fitting on the end of the power/water return line.  Generally an air-cooled TIG torch rated 200 amps or above has a 7/8” x 14 right-hand threaded male fitting and an air-cooled torch rated 150 amps or below has a 3/8” x 24 right-hand threaded male fitting on the end.  Some specialty torches like the CK TrimLine series use a “B” size 5/8” x 18 right-hand thread. While these fittings may look like parts you can buy at your local hardware store, they are unique to the welding industry and available through welding suppliers only.

3. Standardize Your Connections

Upgrade your machine(s) to accept a Dinse style connector to make switching from one torch to another easy.  For a large corporation, this means you can standardize your connections and run different applications at different times, or accommodate different shifts, removing and storing torches to protect them from theft or damage.  Even a small fabrication shop will want to be able to use different torches on the same welding machine.  With the Dinse connectors you don’t need tools to change your torch, and all your torches will connect the same way.  Also, the connection is insulated with a rubber or plastic boot.

If you have an older style welding machine with the threaded stud, you can buy a stud-to-Dinse female converter to upgrade your machine’s stud connection.  A machine with a Tweco style connection can also be converted to accept a Dinse style plug with an adapter that mounts onto the machine as well.

4. Use Quick Release Gas And Water Hose Couplers

Standard gas and water hoses require the use of a wrench to tighten the mechanical connection.  If you’re in the field or in the shop and need to change torches frequently, this can be cumbersome.  Like the Dinse connectors, quick-release hose couplers are available and allow you to change torches without tools.  These quick-release couplers thread onto the male fitting at the end of your gas and water hoses then mate to a corresponding female adapter that is mounted on your water cooler or gas connection.  They are similar to air line quick release couplers, and connect by twisting and locking into place.

Heavy-duty gas hose couplers are also available for just a couple dollars more and are a better choice for welding in the field.

If you’re not sure what type of adapter you need, give Arc-Zone.com a call toll free, 800-944-2243 (US) or 1-760-931-1500 (worldwide).  We have welding experts on staff that can help you find what you’re looking for!

When you’re welding in a production environment, you want to make sure you minimize your production variables.  And as great as some of the grinders we have are (we do have the most comprehensive line up of tungsten grinders in the industry) precision, pre-ground tungsten electrodes are definitely the way to go.  With a pre-ground tungsten electrode you’ll maximize your TIG or Plasma Arc Welding operations.  Pre-grounds  offer consistent finish, and a precision repeatability you’ll not find with a benchtop grinder.

Arc-Zone.com’s pre-grounds are made with exceptional quality electrodes that meet or exceed ISO 6848 and AWS A5.12 standards and prepared on precision CNC grinding machines.

We stock pre-ground tungsten electrodes for Weldcraft® WP-125 (MT-125) and WP-50 Micro TIG torches, and for your Thermal Dynamics® Plasma Arc Welding Torches.  Ready for immediate delivery — We can work with you to schedule deliveries based on your production demands.

• Precise… Maintain specified electrode geometry for precise welds.
• Practical… Our pre-ground electrodes minimize electrode shedding.
• Efficient… Use our pre-ground electrodes to eliminate the maintenance and repair of dedicated tungsten grinding equipment.
• Safe… Our pre-ground electrodes help you Improve safety and eliminate electrode grinding hazards.
• Cost-effective… Save time and money because there’s no need to stock bulk-quantities of expensive electrodes.

Ordering Options

• Use your welding equipment manufacturer’s part number (if available)
• Complete form (below) specifying, material type, length, diameter, grind angle, tip flat and finish.
• If you are not sure what you need, or if you would like us to make a recommendation — take a moment to describe your welding equipment and application in the field below. Based on that information an Arc-Zone.com Plasma Arc Welding Specialist will provide you with a electrode solution engineered to improve your weld quality and productivity.

Note: Our pre-ground electrodes are produced on precision CNC grinding machines. To cover our set-up costs, we require a 50 Piece Minimum Order.

Place Your Order Here!

ArcTime™ Brand Hybrid, One Tungsten Blend For All Materials

ArcTime™ Brand Hybrid, One Tungsten Blend For All Materials

State-of-the-Art, Non-Radioactive Tungsten Electrode Formula: For all metals, compatible with all welding machines.

Fabricators from around the world are using ArcTime™ Hybrid tungsten electrodes to improve weld-quality, lower tungsten inventory costs and minimize weld defects.  What started as “cult  product” with a few specialty manufacturers of yatch towers, aerospace parts, mountain bikes and race cars has grown into our most poular tungsten electrode product.

Professional fabricators choose ArcTime™ because of its excellent ignition properties, low burn off rate and tip longevity.  In other words, this stuff lasts!

As an added bonus, ArcTime™ hybrid tungsten electrodes work well with all power sources and all metals from mild steel to titanium. The material is clearly differentiated by it’s Sky Blue™ color code.

The NEW ArcTime™ offers all that, at a price even a hobbyist or small weld shop can afford.

We are so certain that you will benefit from the new ArcTime™ Hybrid, we are offering a Unconditional Money Back Guarantee backed by our industry-leading No-Hassle Return Policy.

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

ArcTime™ Hybrid Performance Tungsten Electrodes™ pass Arc-Zone.com’s 5-Point Inspection Program and are delivered complete with Arc-Zone’s popular Guide to Tungsten (pdf), and Material Safety Data Sheet (pdf) .

See What Customers Are Saying:

Amazing TUNGSTEN. I never have to switch it out when I weld something new and the arc always strikes perfectly. I am on this for the rest of my welding days!!

Date Added: 05/14/2009 by Roger Wilcox

Some of the best large tungsten I have ever used. I am a definite believer from now on. And they set me up with a Net account in a couple of minutes. A wonderful experience.

Date Added: 05/25/2009 by Duncan Moore

We started using the ArcTime after we had some major quality issues with our tungsten supply. One of the challenges of being a government entity is the material is supplied for a variety of reasons, and most times quality is not one of them! We were using the 1.5% and 2% Lanthanated material, and it varied in performance and each supplier had a box with a different label on it which did not sit well with our welding shop instructor. We tested the ArcTime material and were very pleased with the look of the material, the supporting documentation and most importantly the performance. We do maintenance welds on Aluminum ship hulls – the ArcTime hybrid tungsten out performs all other materials, and saves us a lot of headaches. Now we can focus on welding!

HT2 Hull Technician Pacific Fleet (sent via email)

Date Added: 06/25/2008 by Arc-Zone Admin

Check out what our very own Roxy Fuel has to say about ArcTime™:

Try it for yourself, then tell us what YOU think!

A lot of folks wonder what the difference between inexpensive import TIG Torches you see being sold at a lot of online welding suppliers, and the quality name brand– and yes, more expensive TIG torches such as the ones carried by distributors like Arc-Zone.com.

One of the biggest differences between brand-name and no-name torches is the materials used in manufacturing…

Copper
There is tellurium copper, which is very basic plumbing type copper and then there is leaded nickel copper which is a high conductive, high tensile strength copper alloy. This is important for two reasons, one it’s a better conductor, and two it is more durable, the TIG torch body threads last longer, collets don’t buckle and twist etc.

Silicone Rubber
Weldcraft changed the rules when they introduced the Silicone rubber molded TIG torch. Prior to that all torches were molded in a hard plastic material. Difficult to hold, impossible to bend and very susceptible to arcing out. You would think that silicone rubbers are all the same, but again there is a big difference in the material quality, and how much heat it takes before it begins to breakdown, and how well it is bonded to the copper TIG torch body. Materials and preparation are key here and come back to the basics of production standards
(more…)

I wrote a post a few weeks ago and made some pretty pointed comments about some of the manufacturers/re-sellers in the TIG business. I immediately got a letter from an Attorney claiming that the comments were out of line and not necessary. While I understand the concern, what I was trying to say is that many companies have no ENGINEERING expertise and no Electrical or Mechanical Engineer on staff.

It’s not like back in the 1970s when you could simply tinker with a few parts and market it as better– who would know. Today it’s different. Equipment has improved greatly; machines are far more sophisticated and complex electronically.

In business you have to make many choices — As you know we chose to tie our wagon to the Weldcraft® brand of TIG torches. I have an extensive history with that company and was instrumental in establishing Weldcraft® as the undisputed world-wide leader in TIG and for a short time Plasma Arc Cutting torches. A lot has changed since I left the company: new ownership, factory relocation, management changes…. Weldcraft has gone from a business run out of one guy’s garage to being a part of ITW, a publicly traded, well-respected multi-national corporation.

That brings me to my point. What’s the Difference?

We just received a shipment of the new Weldcraft WP series TIG torches and they are nice. They use a new, patented scalloped or textured ergo style torch body with improved design features. You can’t miss them, they are Red!

Another huge differentiator is the collateral material included with each New Weldcraft TIG Torch. The information is very well laid out and includes great technical information, hook-up instructions, welding techniques, welding symbols, duty-cycle ratings, grounding information, amperage ratings for different tungsten sizes and more. This kind of information comes from having a full bank of engineers on staff, and sharing technical information with sister companies like Miller Electric.

When you compare what you get from other companies it is clear that Weldcraft® is on solid ground and back on their way to being the TIG Welders Choice™

It’s all about who builds them! Sure there are many differences in materials and workmanship, and I’ll talk about those in future posts, but the bottom line is you want to buy from a company that actually knows something about what they are making or selling, how and what it is used for, and what it’s going to connect to.

If you look at the industry there are many companies that sell TIG torches — SouthWeld, ProFax, American Torch Tip, Thermacut, Abicor Binzel, CNI, Kuton, MasterWeld, Radnor, Best Welds, Anchor brand, CM Industries etc. etc.

What’s the Difference?

Most of those companies buy from the same importer that buys from the lowest cost supplier in China. We have been there and have seen first hand the so-called factories where these items are built. That’s fine for some things, but as we have seen more and more in the consumer products market, these products are not made to any standards.

Remember these are electrical components that deliver power from your expensive TIG welding machine to the part you want to weld. Most of these companies offer Zero innovation, 100% reverse engineered product– and I’m being kind. The majority of those parts are built to no specifications of any kind — they receive a sample part and they reproduce it.

No matter what you hear “parts are not parts” there is a huge difference, starting with materials: Tellurium copper versus leaded nickel copper, silicone rubber versus hard plastic and even the kind of teflon that is used for insulating gaskets. And then there’s the workmanship: soldering versus brazing, how the cables are made, etc.

One of the things we pride ourselves on at Arc-Zone.com is offering only the best quality TIG Torches.

by Jim Watson 

A variety of tungsten electrodes are available from resellers who put their label on it and offer it for sale.  Often this material is considered a commodity and is bought at the lowest price.  That’s great for the Purchasing Department’s bottom line, not so good for a welding department’s quality and productivity

While it’s true that most of the tungsten electrodes on the market today come from China (in fact most all the tungsten ore has come from China for years) not all manufacturers are the same – not even close!

Let’s take a closer look at some of the problems we’ve seen with these cheap “reverse engineered” tungsten electrodes:

Varying Diameter – without strict adherence to specifications, the tungsten electrode diameter can vary causing problems with tungsten gripping in the collet/collet body of your TIG torch or your tungsten sharpener.

Bent Electrodes – especially with 1/16” and smaller diameter tungsten electrodes.  This can cause problems with arc performance.  See photo below.

Inconsistent Finish – spotty texture and uneven ground finish indicates a total lack of production quality.  A poorly textured finish can also contribute to arc performance problems.

Flaking paint – tungsten electrodes are color-coded with a swab of paint on the end to distinguish one blend from another. When the paint flakes off, not only does it render the color-coding system useless, it can contaminate your weld.

That’s what you see, but what’s more important is the make up of the base material prior to extrusion.  Tungsten electrodes are produced by mixing chemical compounds raw tungsten and specific dopiants which make up each blend thoriated, lanthanated etc.  Consistent mixing, the extrusion process, and adherence to documented procedures is the real key to a high-quality end product.

We field more technical calls from customers with poor weld quality, and inferior tungsten performance than all other products, well other than junk gas lenses…  more on that later.

 Bottom line, when considering tungsten electrodes — you get what you pay for.

NOTE:  Reverse engineer
to disassemble and examine or analyze in detail (as aproduct or device) to discover the concepts involved in manufacture usually in order to rpoduce something similar.  Similar. Not the same….

This blog offers a fresh and brutally honest perspective on welding industry news, reviews of innovative companies and products, and profiles of those who are making an impact in the metal fabrication industry.

What we hope you’ll find: tips, tidbits, perspectives you won’t find elsewhere, as well as insights, original interviews and more that should be of interest to the metal fabrication market worldwide. We promise to keep the content fresh, and interesting.

This Blog is primarily written by Jim Watson (aka Joe Welder), a master fabricator, welding equipment designer, industry professional, online distributor, and owner of Arc-Zone.com, Inc.

Contact us with your suggestions, comments, corrections, errors, praise or flames. We will be editing comments for SPAM, and inappropriate content (you know what that means!)