Tungsten grinders

Date 02-07-2016 22:32

Hi guys and girls,
I'm retired after 50 yrs of welding and fab. I now teach at my local Jr College. One of the classes that I teach is GTAW for beginners. Most of these kids are very good gas welders so the transition is almost seamless to GTAW. The problem I have is that there is one tungsten grinder for 16 students. It's the wheel type just like any pedestal grinder. It has many ditches in it and the angle is somewhat dangerous. The school doesn't spend a lot of money on the welding shop. Getting a grinder is going to be a job for me. I will buy one for the students if I can find the right one. There's the second problem, I don't know enough about tungsten grinders and which will work best for greenies. I have always used a 4.5 inch angle grinder and my cordless electric drill. There are not enough grinders and drills for that.

Maybe one of you that has a lot of experience can point me in the right direction on the proper type and brand.

I love teaching but that doesn't make me know everything.

Dennis

By mcostello (**)

Date 02-08-2016 01:26

Could You ask one of the Manufacturers for some samples or seconds, even a returned grinder would be better than none. Builds brand loyalty.

By 522029

Date 02-08-2016 02:15

I use a "Sharpie" from Arc-Zone. In use now about 6 years with no problems. Diamond Ground has some great ones but this is also reflected in their price. The Sharpie was $300.00 ish when I bought mine.

HTH
Griff

By Lawrence (*****)

Date 02-08-2016 12:45

I really dislike the "ditches" tungsten's make in a grinding wheel... The wheel needs to be dressed almost daily, and in a busy shop and this rarely occurs. Therefore dangerous in my opinion.. A parting grinding wheel is a clear and present danger, with thousands of stories... There are zero stories of thorium poisoning of TIG welders..

For beginners and non automated use... I still prefer an old fashioned 2" belt sander with an 80 grit belt.

Thorium? Well yes.. it's radioactive... But, there is not a single case in the entire world of medicine that relates tungsten electrode grinding of thoriated electrodes to ill health in a welder, cancer or even heartburn. Zero.

Besides, schools can get great pricing on multi-purpose electrodes that are not thoriated.. Get those. Better yet, put them on your students mandatory tool list (1 pack of 3/32" Cerium or Lanthanum 1.5) problem solved.

Tungsten itself however, has been related to some problems.

It is pretty easy to get a belt sander hooked into an existing fume extraction system.

Oh, but Lar, won't my electrode get contaminated if I sharpen it on a shop beltsander? I'm so glad you asked... No, it will not. Tungsten is the hardest element on the periodic table, nothing can impregnate it or smear onto it during sanding/grinding operations.

Fancy tungsten sharpeners are clearly the best, but not everybody can afford one... And beginners tend to load up diamond wheels with aluminum left on the tungstens... A problem you will never have with a belt sander.

By Blaster (***)

Date 02-08-2016 15:19

We use a belt sander with no tool rest and a drill motor - very fast and safe. Beginners get La tungstens.

For the 2nd and 3rd year students welding pipe, we have a nice very nice Sharpshooter tungsten grinder with vacuum attachment. This grinder uses a very long lasting quality diamond wheel. The 2nd and 3rd year students use Th tungstens.

By 803056

Date 02-08-2016 02:52

Any grinder used for sharpening EWTh-X should be enclosed or has some means of capturing the grit. Thorium oxide used to dope the tungsten electrode is an alpha particle emitter. The students should be informed of the health hazards and the steps they can take to ensure their personal safety. Generally, good hygiene will flush any contamination on their hands. In other words, wash your hands after sharpening the tungsten and before eating or drinking. If the welder is a smoker, don’t worry about the tungsten, the tobacco will kill him first.

Al