Aspiring TIG welders will soon understand the importance of good tungsten electrode grinding skills. It only takes a moment of distraction or slight shaking of the torch to insert the electrode into the molten pool to bulge and stop its important function. Coupled with the cumbersome nature of this work—tungsten must only be parallel to the long axis, never perpendicular, and polished at a consistent angle—electrode maintenance can become a major obstacle for TIG beginners.

A custom tungsten grinder like this might just be something that flattens the learning curve. It was found through [The Metalist], who turned an electric mold grinder into a pencil sharpener for tungsten electrodes. What we find fascinating about this build is the manufacturing method used and the simplicity of the toolkit needed to complete it. The enclosure of the accessory is made of aluminum tubes and sheet scrap, welded together, and then formed into a smooth one-piece form that almost looks like a casting. Highlights include the mechanism for adjusting the grinding angle and the ingenious method of cutting the attachment body so that it can be clamped on the nose bridge of the mold grinder. We also think that including a filter to capture tungsten powder is a good choice; most TIG electrodes contain a small amount of lanthanum or thorium, so it is best not to inhale their slight radioactivity.

We like this construction, it makes a tedious but necessary job faster and easier to bear, anything that can make us a better welder-from simple special fixtures to large rotating tables-in our All of the books are fine.

OK. As a HAD, I insist on the concept of "pencil sharpener" which automatically cuts off the rechargeable key chain. Maybe the LED is bright enough to use the mask, and the reservoir may need to accept a hot rod.

This is a great design, portable, compact, and built-in safety. As Dan pointed out, the high brilliance of this piece reflects the passion for making it. Tools that are about to meet demand, such as this one, really highlight the aspect of form following function-it fully meets the intention of the builder and will obviously become a very useful shop equipment. well done.

NIT: "Most TIG electrodes contain small amounts of lanthanum or thorium, so their [sic] are slightly radioactive"

This somewhat distorts the radioactive part of TIG welding. There are many more tungsten electrodes than lanthanum or thorium electrodes. You buy the electrodes you need. If you need thorium electrodes, you buy thorium electrodes. If you need lanthanide electrodes, you buy lanthanide electrodes. If you don’t need those things, you can buy electrodes that do not contain thorium or lanthanum. I personally buy electrodes that do not contain thorium or lanthanum because I am welding in a residential area.

I'm already fighting with other TIG welding false information from other sources (this also summarizes all/most TIG welding is radioactive), please try to avoid contributing more FUD.

Otherwise, great tool, I have been using a 3D printed jig to polish my tool at the end of a dremel type thing, but it eventually melted. I just got a metal jig, but I haven't used it to sharpen anything yet. It is great to have a closed grinding opportunity.

Try chemical sharpening and see if you like it.

I don't think lanthanum and tungsten are obviously radioactive. It is 1% lanthanum, and lanthanum is 99.9% non-radioactive isotope. I have used a lot of thorium and tungsten due to years of welding, but have completely moved to cerium or lanthanum because I feel uncomfortable with thorium (when I placed it near my Geiger counter, it was several times the background radiation. )

The half-life of 138 La is 102 billion years...

The half-life of 180 W (tungsten) is 18 million years.

Impressive work. It’s a bit more complicated than I think. Just my thoughts.

An accessory like mine is about $20. Like many things on HA, it has to do with process and challenges, not cost or necessity. In this case, why not make it as complicated as you like?

It is interesting to compare these methods. The machinist will use the square stock to make the end pieces and connect the pipe, while the welder adds metal to the end of the pipe to build it.

This is a good build. However, this is not the best way to grind TIG electrodes. When there is no bench grinder, I only use this method, using an angle grinder. Vertical grinding at the edge of the grinder will produce a straight line at the electrode tip, so the electron flow path is smoother. This is how we teach at Lincoln Electric. Obviously, you can still use this grinding method for welding, even for rough-grinding lazy butt grinding, but it will not be so pleasant.

If you care about these details. I am willing.

A good idea, although it will eventually grind tungsten perpendicular to the electrode, I found that even in the rough tig work I did it would be different. I found that putting the electrode in the drill chuck and sanding it along the belt machine worked very well-I just made sure to replace a belt that was not full of other rubbish.

This guy is brilliant, but he will really benefit from a lathe.

Please be kind and respectful to help make the comment section great. (Comment Policy)

This website uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how to handle your comment data.

By using our website and services, you explicitly agree to the placement of our performance, functionality and advertising cookies. learn more