Thread: TIG Welding Aluminium back for more Q's

i will more than likely get another tig machine if the buyer picks up mine, im looking at a few new tig machines all below

lotos 200A 12 months warranty Lotos TIG200 200A AC DC Square Wave Inverter Aluminum TIG Stick Welder W Pedal | eBay

everlast micro 185, 5 years warranty and a local dealer Welders, Arc Welder, Tig Welder, Welders For Sale, Welder Repair, Plasma Welder, Aluminium welder Australia

boc smootharc 185 18 months warranty, and a local dealer BOC Smootharc 185 AC/DC TIG Welder | BOC Australia

and last option i like the idea of spray welding, point and shoot, is the lotos mig spol gun Lotos MIG175 175A MIG Welder With Free Spool GUN AND Helmet Warranty Included | eBay

Definitely go for the tig option. Either the BOC or the Everlast would be my choices, but, be aware, they won't do anything that your old tig wouldn't do and you will have the same issues and challenges no matter what tig welder you choose and mig will open it's own can of worms if you go that way too.

Originally Posted by cwcarter

Agree with Mick with using 2.4mm, much more universal. Ive tested all the tungsten types on ally and was using 2% lanthanated as my preferred type until I gave the BOC rare earth ones a go. They are a 3 mix type tungsten and I give them a big thumbs up

Curious to know the parentage of the BOC rare earth electrodes (turquoise end)..... at this point, this is my best guess:
BOC has a relationship with EWM Germany, for sourcing welding machines and torches. EMW sells Wolfram German tungstens and are described as such on EWM online shop (UK). BOC Smootharc Elite TIG 230 AC/DC comes with a turquoise end tungsten. Wolfram turquoise end tungsten is their best WS2 Witstar, secret formula presumably trimix of Lanthanum, Cerium, Yttrium. Chart on the bottom of the last page of Wolfram Industrie – TIG-Welding Guideline shows Wolfram's advice on best tungstens to use. It shows WS2 as best for welding every metal except tantalum and tungsten. WS2 brochure says only pure could be better for aluminium welding. Wolfram Industrie - Download Known downsides of pure are possible problems of wear rate and spitting at high current. EWM Wearing Parts Sets for AC/DC machines include pure tungstens.

Other BOC tungstens are still of uncertain parentage. BOC documentation does not describe the origin of any of its tungstens.

BOC Australia ebay shop has better prices on rare earth tungstens than the real shops, only in 3 packs 150mm long, a bit shorter than the usual 175mm.

Guys how long does a collet body and collet last generally?

I see Ebay sellers with electrodes selling 10 packs of nozzles and collets and collet bodies etc and wonder why they sell in such quantities - surely they last quite a long time in general use?

Both collets and collet bodies last a long time.
The biggest killer is not tightening the collet body properly and putting a new electrode in a hot body as when it cools down the contraction often snaps the end off where thew gas holes are.