Hot Rods TIG

I've always used 2% thoriated tungsten for my TIG torch, generally 3/32".

A very good buddy, who is a real professional welder (who makes the big bucks welding suspended from a bosun's chair over freeways) told me many guys have switched to lanthanated tungsten because they are better and not radioactive. He says it's a more stable arc.

Anybody familiar with these? Thinking I'm gonna get some and a Jazzy cup.

 

I have never heard of lanthanated tungsten, but I am more confused with the Nik-L-Nip in your avatar. What the heck is Nik-L-Nip?

 

Only the coolest candy from my generation! It’s wax coke bottles that have the flavored syrup/ water in them.

 

100%. Way better than those gross waxed lips.

 

I switched to Lanthanated, blue in color for my old transformer machines. Works great.

 

Nik-L-Nip was sold for a nickel when I was a kid, the four wax bottles contained sickeningly sweet flavored water. Some chewed the wax after consuming the drinks
You know you’re old when you remember paying 5 cents for a Hershey bar, what are they now two bucks, or maybe more?

 

I use lanthanated on everything AC and DC alike. I don’t have a water cooled torch and it doesn’t split on the end like the thoriated did after welding pretty hot for a while. I have a Miller 180 SD.

 

Big fan of the Nik-L-Nip

 

I like and still use 2% thoriated. Usually 3/32. The thing I like about them instead of the lanthanated is they break off clean for a regrind and the lanthanated will split and break uneven. They both work well however. Never have worried about the radioactive part.

 

I use both, however the new machine, an inverter Lincoln, doesn’t work with thoriated or pure tungstens. They recommend using the rare earth tungstens.

 

I thought it was just matching the color to the type of machine. But what do I know !