Help finding a tungsten supplier

By Tony Montana Date 02-19-2003 17:05

Hello all,
I'm new to these forums, boy do they contain a wealth of information! I did some searching through the archives regarding alternate tungsten types. However, I didn't quite find exactly what I was looking for.

We are a high end manufacturer of titanium, steel, and aluminum bicycle frames. Currently we are using 2% La tungsten for steel and Ti, and pure tungsten for Al. We'd like to try switching to 2% La for steel and Ti (radioactive inhalation hazards scare me, no matter how slight they may be), and Ceriated tungsten for Al (due to recommendations on this forum and from other bicycle framebuilders).

Here's my problem. We are located in a small rural town where none of the welding supply shops carry these electrodes (they haven't even heard of them). I would like to find a mail order (pref. web based)supplier to order from. Can anyone here recommend one?

According to the posts that I've read Sylvania is the best bet for CeW, and International Tungsten for LaW. Any thoughts here?

Also, one poster mentioned NaNO3 chemical sharpening for CeW due to difficulty in mechanical sharpening. I've never heard of chemical tungsten sharpening (pardon my ignorance), can anyone elaborate and possibly give me a source for ordering?

Thank you in advance.

By M.L.

Date 02-19-2003 19:22

Try the ESAB web page they can tell you about any suppliers in your area.www.ESAB.com

By jwright650 (*****)

Date 02-19-2003 20:48

Also try ARCET, HOLOX, WELDEX and AIR PRODUCTS they are suppliers located in my neck of the woods. I know there are lots more, but my mind has taken a leave of absense. Type in Welding suppliers in your browser and you should get a ton of returns.
John Wright

By jwright650 (*****)

Date 02-19-2003 20:55

All of those I posted are on the web, just type in thier name to find thier addy or links.
John Wright

By M.L.

Date 02-19-2003 20:51

Fibre Metal, Weldco

By smithdos (*)

Date 02-20-2003 21:18

Ditto with the suppliers.

Never heard of "Chermical Sharpening." Just use a dedicated grinder - many manufacturers are out there. Our grinder sharpens Lanthanated, Ceriated, Pure, and Thoriated without any problems.

Dave

By Tony Montana Date 02-20-2003 22:07

Thanks for all of the tips, guys. You're a big help.

By Paul Gilley (*)

Date 02-26-2003 00:11

Try www.weld-direct.com for tungsten electrodes and many other welding supplies. Large selection and reasonable prices.

Paul Gilley, Welding Instructor

By cccasey (**)

Date 03-07-2003 05:35

There's nothing wrong with them there radioactive alpha particles they'll put hair on your chest! J/K If you're still curious about the chemical tungsten sharpener try your search engine, about 10 useful sites popped up when I tried it.

I've experimented with the chemical sharpener before, it's basically a granulated powder which reacts to a hot tungsten electrode to re-point the end. The trick is learning just how far to dip into the powder and how long to hold it there. The manufacturers claim that it extends the life of the tungsten, I personally haven't used it enough to verify or dispute that claim. I do know that if improperly used, an intended 3:1 tapered end can easily become a 10:1 taper. It's not that expensive to purchase so give it a try.

By Tony Montana Date 03-07-2003 16:13

Thanks for the tips on chemical sharpening, I think we'll give it a try.

General FYI: I ended up getting the tungsten from ArcZone.com. Very helpful nice people there. They had good recommendations and their prices and products look to be very good as well. Worth checking out if you're looking for a reliable web/mail order supplier.

Thanks again everyone!

By brande

Date 03-08-2003 04:06

Profusion (I think spelling is right) has a good selection and lots of good technical info on their site. Last I checked, you can order right from them.
Give it a try.

Good Luck
Brande