Tungsten is available in many colors and types, which tungsten do you need for your welding job?

Tungsten electrodes (tungsten pins) can be roughly divided into types that can be used for TIG welding of different types of metal and types with which you preferably only weld 1 type of metal.

It goes too far to cover all colors of tungsten here, but here are a few tips:

The color green is only used for TIG welding of aluminum.
The colors purple (lilac), turquoise and blue are excellent for use when welding both ferrous steel, stainless steel and aluminum.
The colors gold and gray are often recommended for TIG welding of ferrous steel and stainless steel, where the gray can also be used for aluminum.
The color white is specific for welding aluminum where a longer service life is desired than the green color that has no additive (dope).

What is important when using the tungsten electrodes?

The most important thing is that the tip of the electrode is correctly ground for the application you are using it for. We will explain in another post how best to sharpen the tip, but remember that you always sharpen in the lengthwise direction of the electrode. It is also very important that the tungsten electrode is clean. If you accidentally hit the workpiece with the tungsten, it is contaminated and needs to be resharpened.

What thickness of tungsten electrode do you need?

The electrode thickness you use also depends on the welding position, grinding method and personal preference, but the values ​​below can be used as a rough guideline.

Tungsten thickness for TIG welding on DC current:

1.0mm electrode 15 - 50 amperes
1.6mm electrode 50 - 120 amperes
2.4mm electrode 80 - 150 amperes
3.0mm electrode 130 - 250 amperes

Tungsten thickness for TIG welding on AC current:

1.0mm electrode 20 - 30 amperes
1.6mm electrode 30 - 80 amperes
2.4mm electrode 60 - 130 amperes
3.0mm electrode 120 - 200 amperes