TIG torch choices?

graham-xrf said:
The times I would get into welding aluminium fatter than about 3mm would be rare, and the welder is rated 200A, but I think the times one would be using 200A would also be few and far between.
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Just try welding even 3mm aluminum with less than 150A on the start up. We'll be expecting a post soon after about how you're having issues welding aluminum. :)

See it ALL the time on the welding forums. It is the #1 problem for new welders attempting aluminum. Same thing happened to me. Thinking you can weld 3mm aluminum with something ridiculous like 75-100A. Even with just 3mm alum, you need to POUR on the power, especially on the start-up. In the end, it all adds up to a smoking hot (air cooled 17 torch), that can get hot enough to damage the silicone hose material right at the fitting as it starts to heat up from the thermal transfer. Ask me how I know. :)
 
General Zod said:
Just try welding even 3mm aluminum with less than 150A on the start up. We'll be expecting a post soon after about how you're having issues welding aluminum. :)

See it ALL the time on the welding forums. It is the #1 problem for new welders attempting aluminum. Same thing happened to me. Thinking you can weld 3mm aluminum with something ridiculous like 75-100A. Even with just 3mm alum, you need to POUR on the power, especially on the start-up. In the end, it all adds up to a smoking hot (air cooled 17 torch), that can get hot enough to damage the silicone hose material right at the fitting as it starts to heat up from the thermal transfer. Ask me how I know. :)
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Been there, done that. Briefly though so didn’t cook my torch.
 
Asm109 said:
If Al welding is in your plans you NEED a HW20 water cooled torch. Once you use one you will never want to use an air cooled torch again, for anything.
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I hear ya - and I agree!
After binge-watching YT on all things TIG torch related on YT, and taking the good advice and explanations from @General Zod, I now think the best choice that matches my needs is a 20-series water cooled, even if I have to save up for it! The excellent pictures from @General Zod are also much appreciated.

To some extent, I am "future-proofing". The 20-series can handle a very wide range, and is small and handy. Lay on top of that things like "flexible", etc, and we end up looking at the CK range. The China imports come much cheaper - but likely less flexible in the cables/hoses.

One thing to keep in mind is that the presence of water cooling in WP-20 kit has meant that the build quality and design around some brands got scaled to heavily depend on it. The amount of conductor wire gets reduced to something smaller than could reasonably handle (say) 200A without the water. The size of the torch, and the internal constructions also have to have guaranteed water

Coolant failure!
To have the cooling pump fail, or forget to turn it on, will scorch everything immediately! You need closed cycle pure distilled water, likely with corrosion inhibitors, or one of those non-aqueous coolant fluids, and a flow sensor with interlock to stop the TIG if anything to do with coolant integrity is compromised. If you are adding water-cooled kit, expect that it needs with it's own control kit box, and this extra is non-optional!

Of course, this would be my initial purchase, hence all this research and discussion, for which I have to thank you all very much.
@Janderso and @DavidR8 will have purchased TIG kit already, and may be up to their ears in cables and hoses. Very clearly, in everything I have found, folk who have invested in 20-series water cooled kit have not regretted it. For some, it has made the difference to have TIG become their favourite weld choice method.

Here is a very useful video, with lots of actual welding, illustrating how all the torch sizes and types behave.

 
TIG is definitely my favourite welding process. I'm out of practice because I don't do it every day though.
 
I have a water cooled Weldcraft (before Miller bought them) water cooled Crafter with a Coolmate 3 cooler on a Sycrowave 180SD. I’ve had it over ten years and it’s great.

On my Primeweld 225 I have the CK 17 air cooled that came with it. I plan to add the same Crafter water cooled setup that’s now made by Miller.
 
A water cooled torch is great, especially for aluminum, but don't let the lack of one stop you from getting started and practicing a bit. You might be able to score a 17 size torch for less if you see it on craigslist or ebay. The thickest aluminum I have welded with my 17 torch is 1/4", and it gets hot fast. You need tricks to make it work.
 
ericc said:
A water cooled torch is great, especially for aluminum, but don't let the lack of one stop you from getting started and practicing a bit. You might be able to score a 17 size torch for less if you see it on craigslist or ebay. The thickest aluminum I have welded with my 17 torch is 1/4", and it gets hot fast. You need tricks to make it work.
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My choice was the CK 20 on 4m of cable. It's on it's way. :)
I am, of course, nowhere near fully equipped yet. I need the cooling system. I need some "consumables"

I do not intend to simply pipe chlorinated tap water through it and lead the warmed water into the garden. Now it is time to figure out flow rates, pressures, and whatever it takes to make that happen. I know I can rig up an effective cooling system, but at this stage, I start by looking for a unit that would connect to the pipes. So far - a surprising absence of them (UK).

Tungsten is tungsten - an element. So is lanthanum. So here we start asking, what exactly is Lanthanated Tungsten?
A straight alloy of tungsten and lathanum? Perhaps not! It is something called "lanthanum oxide doped tungsten". It seems the powder oxide is mixed into the tungsten, then the combination is sintered together.

I think I get it that the oxide lanthanum in the tungsten lowers the work function, very like thoriated tungsten, but without the radioactivity. You can do it with Cerium and Ytrium also.

2% (ish) lanthanated rods in a couple of sizes, I guess.
 
2%La Tungsten is a great all around choice for AC and DC. So is 2% Ceriated which I'm liking more and more. Then there is the CK LaYZr (Lanthanum-Yttrium-Zirconium) mix, and THEN there is the HTP QUAD tungsten with FOUR small alloy additions! And of course the tried "tri-mix" purple or E3 as it's sometimes called. All of them work pretty good, some favor arc starts, some favor higher amperage. Of course Thoriated is great for DC, sucks for AC, IMO.
 
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