We were honored to join Team CK Worldwide in Las Vegas this year for the Fabtech Show. They hooked us up with a welding cell and a CK-MT200-AC/DC TIG Welding Machine. We added in a Monster Nozzle, ArcTime Tungsten, and the Cordless Sharpie Grinder to keep that tungsten (and arc) on point. None of these activities would have been possible without a little (or A LOT) of help from our dedicated Employees, our Pro Partners, and the most amazing group of Arc-Zone Customers-turned-Ambassadors on the Planet.

So what exactly went down at Fabtech?

Check it out!

Winners of the Daily Razor Blade Challenge

11/16 Wednesday: Rush Kane
(Instagram: @KaneKid)

11/17 Thursday: Karsten Anderson (Instagram: @kid_the_welder)

11/18 Friday: Ed Haroutonian (Instagram: @mobileweldspecialist)

11/18 Friday Special Winner:
D. Joshua Burgess
(Instagram: @deweyjoshua)

Thank You Dave Blackburn!

Arc-Zone would like to tip our hood to David Blackburn.  Dave drove out to LV and partnered with the Arc-Zone and CK Worldwide crews to literally make the #Razorbladechallenge happen. Dave tirelessly got each and every participant set-up to #weldlikeapro. He even supplied the Razor blades!! It’s guys like Blackburn that are driving our community forward. The unconditional support is rare in this day and age..  Thanks Again, Dave!

Thank you to everyone who took the time to participate in the Razor Blade Challenge!

Tom Thesing, Mark Winchester, Walter Posten, Richard Cretsinger, Julian Hernandez, Johnny Branch, Bill MCcann, Tim Rust *Woodward Inc, Aaron Biefer, Eric Williams, Mitchell Doyle, Brian Doyle, Cody Stromberg, Dave Sauvageau, Josh Himmer, Curtiss Anderson, Isaac Carrion, Richard Bishop, JD Brewer, Michael Smith.

Haunted Houses, ghosts & goblins, headless horsemen, and creepy clowns make October a scary month, but there’s all kinds of scary things lurking in your weld shop year-round.

Protecting yourself from flames, sparks, and miscellaneous flying objects doesn’t have to be a scary thing!  Here’s a rundown of the basics:

Welding Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)

Helmets and Head Gear

A welding helmet is probably the first thing that comes to mind when you think of welding PPE. Other than a torch, a helmet (like the one worn by Arc-Zone PRO Partner, Nick Mishler- pictured left) is the accessory most associated with welding.

From passive to professional auto-darkening welding helmets, we’ve got what you need to protect your vision. If you need help selecting the proper PPE, start with this handy guide, “Choosing Welding Helmets and Goggles.” And make sure you and everyone in your weld shop are keeping an eye on safety with our “Eye Care for Welders” (pdf) guide.  Arc-Zone also has safety goggles, helmet bags for welders on the go, cheater lenses for welders of a certain age, and replacement parts for your helmet. Continue reading →

Why would you want to use a Wedge Collet?

The purpose of the collet is to hold the electrode firmly in place – day in and day out. The solid design of the Wedge Collet makes it more durable than the slotted, traditional version. In addition, the wedge collet fits all the standard TIG torch brands. So, if you use a Miller®/ Weldcraft, Esab®, Lincoln®, Linde®, Tweco®, Weldtec, or other Weldcraft-style torch, you can enjoy the benefits of a wedge collet:

• Lasts 10 times longer than standard split collets
• Improves arc starts and arc stability
• Requires less pressure from the backcap which improves thread life on torch head
• Tungsten is in direct contact with collet body creating less resistance
• Runs cooler minimizing the down time of replacing collets
• Eliminates twisting and deformation of collet

You can purchase the wedge collet separately for your TIG torch or you can get it as an essential part of your Kits at Arc-Zone.com.

One of our favorite products from CK Worldwide is the Gas Saver Kit, which provides a large inert atmosphere with consistent gas flow over your weld zone. It’s great for welding reactive metals like titanium, molybdenum, nickel-based and aluminum based alloys, as well as non-reactive metals like stainless steel.

If you rig up your TIG torch with the Standard Gas Saver™ kit, with its ½” Pyrex® glass nozzle you can save up to 40% of shield gas consumption. You’ll also experience better gas flow patterns and you can allow your electrode to extend up to six (6) times your electrode diameter. Gas Saver™ kits are easy to install and add very little extra to your torch—you’ll still experience the comfort and control you’re accustomed to.

The Large Diameter Gas Saver™ nozzle has a 1-1/8” (28.5mm) orifice and is used to provide the ultimate shield gas coverage for your weld.

With either the Large or Standard Gas Saver kit you’ll see better than ever:  the weld puddle and tungsten electrode, inside corners, inside pipe and around tubing. Gas Saver™ kits are available in tungsten electrode sizes from .040″ (1.0mm) to 1/8″ (3.2mm).

Monster™ Nozzle Series Pro Kits: 
For those that want it all. You get one of each Monster TIG nozzle size, wedge collets, and all the torch parts needed to start welding.  Each kit is packaged in a convenient, high-quality kit box with a technical “how to” and lid card for easy re-ordering.