E3 Tungsten electrode

Danylo66 · Sun Oct 30, 2016 11:31 pm

I have tried to use E3 Tungsten, and have had very little success. I have an Everlast 140st SMAW/GTAW. Just to give you some background on me.I am new to Tig welding and this is my first machine. I have tried 2% Thoriated it works fine.Seems to tollarate my mistakes. I have yet to get some 2% Lanthenated, hard to find locally. Id order it in online if I knew it would work as well as the Thoriated.
I`m under the impression that this E# does not work well with lift or scratch start.
Has anyone else had this same experience?

exnailpounder · Mon Oct 31, 2016 8:27 am

Danylo66 wrote:I have tried to use E3 Tungsten, and have had very little success. I have an Everlast 140st SMAW/GTAW. Just to give you some background on me.I am new to Tig welding and this is my first machine. I have tried 2% Thoriated it works fine.Seems to tollarate my mistakes. I have yet to get some 2% Lanthenated, hard to find locally. Id order it in online if I knew it would work as well as the Thoriated.
I`m under the impression that this E# does not work well with lift or scratch start.
Has anyone else had this same experience?

I can't vouch for E3 for anything but HF but I tried it and it seems ok. 2% Lanthanated is great. I use it on everything and no complaints. Nowadays I use my thoriated tungsten when I know I am going to dip or get my electrode crapped up like welding where there was zinc or not being able to get a weld surface really clean so I don't crap up my good Lanthanated. The 1.5% Lanthanated will work in a pinch but the 2% holds up way better.

Danylo66 · Mon Oct 31, 2016 7:36 pm

Thanks for that input. I'll have to order some 2% lanthenated on line and give it a try. Good excuse for getting a Tig finger as well. I unfortunately most suppliers that I've been to around my area don't carry 2% lanthenated. I'm happy with the Thoriated, It works well, but nervous about the dust while grinding. I do ware a mask tho.

rick9345 · Mon Oct 31, 2016 9:42 pm

I'd more wary of the wind blowing from Detroit than the grinding dust.

Danylo66 · Tue Nov 01, 2016 12:07 am

Point well taken.
I`ve been to Detroit many times. Must say one of my favorite Cities. Thanks.

entity-unknown · Tue Nov 01, 2016 10:32 am

Nailer! I'm with you n Jody n plenty of his followers on the 2% Lanthanated but that's a damn good idea for those grey ended sticks I got. I was wondering what the heck I do with those

exnailpounder · Tue Nov 01, 2016 3:50 pm

entity-unknown wrote:Nailer! I'm with you n Jody n plenty of his followers on the 2% Lanthanated but that's a damn good idea for those grey ended sticks I got. I was wondering what the heck I do with those

I bought a tig welder from a guy about 4 years ago that came with tons of tungsten and even came with a little HF grinder to sharpen with. I have since sold the welder but kept everything else. That extra stuff is sure nice to have around to clutter up my shop

GreinTime · Wed Nov 02, 2016 2:09 am

entity-unknown wrote:Nailer! I'm with you n Jody n plenty of his followers on the 2% Lanthanated but that's a damn good idea for those grey ended sticks I got. I was wondering what the heck I do with those

Ceriated is one of my personal favorites!

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Danylo66 · Wed Nov 02, 2016 2:16 am

Grein Time
Which Ceriated the Orange lable or Grey?

Wed Nov 02, 2016 11:26 pm

Danylo66 wrote:Grein Time
Which Ceriated the Orange lable or Grey?

Isn't grey usually Zirconiated?

Steve S

Danylo66 · Wed Nov 02, 2016 11:48 pm

Otto Nobedder, my chart shows Grey listed for several Allowing elements, Ceriated,Lanthenated Yttrium and others. Zirconated asBrown or Wite. That's as much as I know anyway. Still learning.

RamboBaby · Wed Nov 02, 2016 11:57 pm

Once you try the 2% lanthanated you'll forget all about the thoriated. 2% Lanthanated is the diggity dank schiznit, yo! This electrode in 3/32" holds up to 225 amps ac with 30% cleaning action just fine in a #20 water cooled torch. In fact it held up much better in my inverter machine than 1/8" thoriated did at 200 amps because the thoriated tungsten split down the middle. I think that the thoriated just didn't like the arc produced by the inverter because I never saw thoriated split in the old boss's lincoln square wave machine. I first bought the lanthanated based on Jody's recommendation when I got my welder. The old boss tried it out side by side with his thoriated and was thoroughly impressed with how much better it could handle the heat. I had very little experience at the time and asked him how he could tell. He had me strap on a hood and showed me the liquified tungsten rolling around on the end of his thoriated and then showed me how that wasn't the case with my lanthanated. Then his girlfriend started screaming and cussed us both for spending that much money on the lanthanated. We had just returned from the LWS and she was pissed when she saw the bill.

Artie F. Emm · Thu Nov 03, 2016 6:20 am

RamboBaby wrote:girlfriend started screaming and cussed us both for spending that much money on the lanthanated. We had just returned from the LWS and she was pissed when she saw the bill.

Doesn't have to be expensive. I found good prices for 2% lanth at WeldingCity.com.

GreinTime · Thu Nov 03, 2016 11:58 pm

Danylo66 wrote:Grein Time
Which Ceriated the Orange lable or Grey?

I have CK Grey band Ceriated, but the new Dynasty 350s we got at work have Orange Ceriated included. I don't think there is a difference.

Steve,

Zirconiated is typically Brown from what I've seen, although as Dany points out, Grey can be anything the manufacturer decides, as long as it's not pure or thoriated. It's kind of a catch all.

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Gavin Melville · Sat Nov 05, 2016 3:10 am

I thought the E3 electrodes were good until I got 2% lanthanated. I still use thoriated for DC though. https://youtu.be/DzEuV83UGMY

Sat Nov 05, 2016 12:50 pm

Danylo66 wrote:Otto Nobedder, my chart shows Grey listed for several Allowing elements, Ceriated,Lanthenated Yttrium and others. Zirconated asBrown or Wite. That's as much as I know anyway. Still learning.

Yeah, I'm so accustomed to using red and green, which are universal across all brands I've used that I forget there's no industry standard for how makers mark their tungsten. I'll see if I can find the chart with grey as zirconiated so I can see who the maker is.

Thanks to all who corrected me. I hate giving out bad information.

Steve S

Danylo66 · Sat Nov 05, 2016 3:07 pm

Id like to say thank you to all of you. I did not expect to learn so much. Hopefully everyone gets this message. The chart I used was from weld.com, it does not mention manufacturers.

rick9345 · Sat Nov 05, 2016 4:26 pm

E3 BAH!
Diamond Ground Products -Cryo-T Pink
Works AC/DC
ANSI Class EWTh-2
ANSI/AWS A5. 12, JIS
DIN EN 268-48,ISO 6848

(4% Thoriated)( fairly recent addition for DGP)

wrong amperage for the tunsten size being used,affects weld quaility,grinding long and thin is a crutch to get by.
I understand having to use what is available. But choosing the wrong size seems so unprofessional.
opinions will vary

Danylo66 · Mon Apr 03, 2017 8:59 pm

rick9345 wrote:E3 BAH!
Diamond Ground Products -Cryo-T Pink
Works AC/DC
ANSI Class EWTh-2
ANSI/AWS A5. 12, JIS
DIN EN 268-48,ISO 6848

(4% Thoriated)( fairly recent addition for DGP)

wrong amperage for the tunsten size being used,affects weld quaility,grinding long and thin is a crutch to get by.
I understand having to use what is available. But choosing the wrong size seems so unprofessional.
opinions will vary

Have not ben on the forum for a while. ive never hears of the pink ones, Ill get some and give them a try. Hey why not. Thanks.

LtBadd · Mon Apr 03, 2017 9:01 pm

Danylo66 wrote:
Have not ben on the forum for a while. ive never hears of the pink ones, Ill get some and give them a try. Hey why not. Thanks.

I've heard that if you call Diamond Ground Products they'll send a free sample (tungsten)

Olivero · Tue Apr 04, 2017 10:38 am

Diamond group will send a free sample if you call them.

I felt pretty adventurous one day and asked for the 4% thoriated one.... Still dips in the puddle when my hand moves the wrong way, not good enough then, gotta be puddle dippin' free.

Olivero · Tue Apr 04, 2017 10:57 am

rick9345 wrote:E3 BAH!
Diamond Ground Products -Cryo-T Pink
Works AC/DC
ANSI Class EWTh-2
ANSI/AWS A5. 12, JIS
DIN EN 268-48,ISO 6848

(4% Thoriated)( fairly recent addition for DGP)

wrong amperage for the tunsten size being used,affects weld quaility,grinding long and thin is a crutch to get by.
I understand having to use what is available. But choosing the wrong size seems so unprofessional.
opinions will vary

I just got off the phone with DGP, Cryo T is meant for steel, not aluminum. They also take into consideration if you have an inverter or transformer type machine.

Apparently the Chinese is the ones making E3 so the QC is probably non existant and is a copy of the Tri Mix.

I keep getting variying results with my E3's sometimes they are great, sometimes not, last night I was trying to weld aluminum outside and they just kept sucking.

Now I am getting a sample of their Tri-Mix since that's what's recommended for my inverter machine when doing aluminum, I guess I can use it for steel and aluminum but I am really wanting a better aluminum electrode.

Farmwelding · Tue Apr 04, 2017 11:01 am

Olivero wrote:Diamond group will send a free sample if you call them.

I felt pretty adventurous one day and asked for the 4% thoriated one.... Still dips in the puddle when my hand moves the wrong way, not good enough then, gotta be puddle dippin' free.

Yeah if you could find some tungsten that doesn't dip you make sure we are all the first to know. or maybe some combination of elements that resist certain metals or a magnet for steel that repels the torch if you get too close...

I think Im on to something here

or maybe not...

Olivero · Tue Apr 04, 2017 11:05 am

Farmwelding wrote:
Olivero wrote:Diamond group will send a free sample if you call them.

I felt pretty adventurous one day and asked for the 4% thoriated one.... Still dips in the puddle when my hand moves the wrong way, not good enough then, gotta be puddle dippin' free.
Yeah if you could find some tungsten that doesn't dip you make sure we are all the first to know. or maybe some combination of elements that resist certain metals or a magnet for steel that repels the torch if you get too close...

I think Im on to something here

or maybe not...

That would be awesome. I used to sling the hose up through my drop ceiling in the shop to try and help the dipping phenomena, still dipping it like fries in ketchup.....

Danylo66 · Tue Apr 04, 2017 6:39 pm

Farmwelding wrote:
Olivero wrote:Diamond group will send a free sample if you call them.

I felt pretty adventurous one day and asked for the 4% thoriated one.... Still dips in the puddle when my hand moves the wrong way, not good enough then, gotta be puddle dippin' free.
Yeah if you could find some tungsten that doesn't dip you make sure we are all the first to know. or maybe some combination of elements that resist certain metals or a magnet for steel that repels the torch if you get too close...

I think Im on to something here

or maybe not...

Nope you are definitely onto something.