Tungsten grinder?

coolidge

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Spent like 2 hours trying to find a reasonable cost tool for tungsten grinding and failed. The Black and Decker dremel type grinders are close to $400 I can't see spending that on a dremel. Baldor grinder and diamond wheel about $500. Anyone use a belt sander for grinding their tungsten's?
 
Morning Coolidger,

I use a 1" belt sander to sharpen mine. Works well.
 
I have always used a belt dedicated to tungsten sharpening that I use in my 2x72 belt grinder. It works well as long as you only use the belt for tungsten sharpening so it doesn't contaminate the tungsten.
 
Excellent news, I thought I remembered a forum member who said he used a belt sander. Made in USA Kalamazoo with Baldor motor $269, Grizzly $230, Jet $379, figured I would just go with the Kalamazoo.
 
One of the best, if not the best TIG welder I know uses a bench grinder with a alox wheel near his welding table. He does nothing but sharpen his tungsten with it. If you had a spare grinder, like some of us, or wanted to buy a light duty HF model you could use that and have it near your work area. Just have to remember not to use it for grinding anything else.
 
I chuck the tungsten in a cordless drill on slow speed and apply the tungsten to the belt with the length of the tungsten parallel with the direction of the belt travel. This is so that any grind lines are parallel with the length of the tungsten and not around the circumference. In my experience, If you apply the tungsten to the belt from the side and have perpendicular grind lines the arc will be erratic.
 
One of the best, if not the best TIG welder I know uses a bench grinder with a alox wheel near his welding table. He does nothing but sharpen his tungsten with it. If you had a spare grinder, like some of us, or wanted to buy a light duty HF model you could use that and have it near your work area. Just have to remember not to use it for grinding anything else.

I started with a cheap grinder and wheel, after it ripped the tungsten out of my hands half a dozen times and I had tungsten tips all stuck in the wheel I gave up on the going cheap route. The problem is the cheap grinders wobble, the wheels wobble, the thing vibrates etc.
 
I chuck the tungsten in a cordless drill on slow speed and apply the tungsten to the belt with the length of the tungsten parallel with the direction of the belt travel. This is so that any grind lines are parallel with the length of the tungsten and not around the circumference. In my experience, If you apply the tungsten to the belt from the side and have perpendicular grind lines the arc will be erratic.

Correct parallel with the length of the tungsten.
 
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