Tig tungsten sharpeners

[Kaizen]

Any suggestions? Starting out so I sharpen a lot. Currently using a knife stone on bench grinder. Looking for either hand held like Eastwood or a wheel for bench grinder like diamond wheel of some sort?


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[pi_guy]

https://www.arc-zone.com/sharpie-gr...MIj-eo4L227gIVEVNyCh3USgS6EAQYASABEgKoN_D_BwE

Bought it over ten years ago. Perfect for travel to client sites.

 

[rsanter]

I bough one of the cheap diamond coated grinding discs to go on a bench grinder, then I attached it to the side of the stone on my bench grinder.
Use it only for the tungsten

 

[BD1]

I've been using the Harbor Freight diamond wheel. Works great mounted to the side of a bench grinding wheel.

https://www.harborfreight.com/repla...-volt-circular-saw-blade-sharpener-98862.html


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[dr_clyde]

I have a bench grinder I use in the shop as well as a Sharpie cordless grinder for in the field. I also have Techsouth corded grinder.

You should always have a bench grinder set up to grind in fresh tungsten as well as to clean off really bad boogers. If you dip it bad enough, it won't fit through the collet on the grinder, and a fresh tungsten will wear a groove in the diamond wheel pretty fast. I spin the tungsten in an old cordless drill and I can get a point lickedy split with that setup.

I absolutely love the Sharpie cordless grinder. I would strongly recommend the higher capacity M12 batteries, it will drain a standard battery pretty quick. It truly is the bomb for mobile work or even in the shop keeping a consistent point on the tungsten.

 

[ducatithunder]

I have a sharpie at work. Its nice but it not cheap. I used a cheap ebay diamond wheel set up that screws onto my dremel. It cost $60 IIRC years ago.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/TIG-Weldin...emsV2WithMLRv3&_trksid=p2047675.c100008.m2219.

I much prefer this one to the sharpie. Easier to use. Wheels are easy to replace and source. Both have a cutter for lopping off dipped tungsten. I have had the sharpie ingest cut off tungsten and jam causing the wheel shaft to bend, I have never had it happen to the cheap one.

 

[dr_clyde]

I have a sharpie at work. Its nice but it not cheap. I used a cheap ebay diamond wheel set up that screws onto my dremel. It cost $60 IIRC years ago.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/TIG-Weldin...emsV2WithMLRv3&_trksid=p2047675.c100008.m2219.

I much prefer this one to the sharpie. Easier to use. Wheels are easy to replace and source. Both have a cutter for lopping off dipped tungsten. I have had the sharpie ingest cut off tungsten and jam causing the wheel shaft to bend, I have never had it happen to the cheap one.

Make sure the Milwaukee die grinder is spinning the correct way. There should be an arrow molded in the rotary tool that shows the direction of rotation. I bought a Sharpie at a trade show that the grinder was wired backwards from the factory. The Sharpie shouldn't pull the tungsten in, it should only try to push it out. Milwaukee replaced the grinder under warranty.

 

[pi_guy]

I absolutely love the Sharpie cordless grinder. I would strongly recommend the higher capacity M12 batteries, it will drain a standard battery pretty quick. It truly is the bomb for mobile work or even in the shop keeping a consistent point on the tungsten.

I don't see the need for cordless, sort if you don't have electric in the field the welder will not do you much good.

 

[rlitman]

I've been using the Harbor Freight diamond wheel. Works great mounted to the side of a bench grinding wheel.

https://www.harborfreight.com/repla...-volt-circular-saw-blade-sharpener-98862.html

I have a similar setup, though I got my pair of 4" flat lapidary diamond discs on ebay for even cheaper than HF prices. I have them mounted to the side of the stones on a 5" HF grinder. It looks like a real bench grinder had a baby and works great on tungsten for less than $20 invested on my part.

 

[Kaizen]

https://www.arc-zone.com/sharpie-gr...MIj-eo4L227gIVEVNyCh3USgS6EAQYASABEgKoN_D_BwE

Bought it over ten years ago. Perfect for travel to client sites.

Thanks. Looks like the Eastwood setup


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[dr_clyde]

I don't see the need for cordless, sort if you don't have electric in the field the welder will not do you much good.

Having had both, I'm here to tell you cordless is SO much better.

Up in a lift, inside a tank, or just only having one outlet available. I made do with corded for years, and now, we never touch the corded sharpener.

Same for angle grinders. Now that I have my cordless Metabos, we only use the corded ones if we have a lot of cutting or metal finishing to do. Nothing beats a corded grinder for heavy work, but the utility and convenience of cordless is so good now it's hard to deny.

I have enough cords and hoses to deal with in the field. Taking one or two out of the equation is very nice. Just on the welder alone we have power in, gas in, purge line, ground and torch leads. That's five lines to trip on and deal with for just one machine. Now get the portaband, a tube sander or maybe a grinder, work lights, you name it.

 

[Kaizen]

I have a similar setup, though I got my pair of 4" flat lapidary diamond discs on ebay for even cheaper than HF prices. I have them mounted to the side of the stones on a 5" HF grinder. It looks like a real bench grinder had a baby and works great on tungsten for less than $20 invested on my part.

For diamond discs is there a grit that’s best?
I would like to get away from abrasive discs so hoping diamond will last longer and not groove


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[rlitman]

For diamond discs is there a grit that’s best?
I would like to get away from abrasive discs so hoping diamond will last longer and not groove


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I use 80 on one side to take the blobs off and 120 on the other to finish. I don't sharpen often, but I own a lot of tungstens. I'll sharpen at least 50 at a go (I only sharpen ONE end), once or twice a year. Haven't worn a groove yet.

 

[zmotorsports]

I have an old Weld Craft tungsten sharpener that I have had for many years now and really like it.



Just this past year did I have to replace the diamond disc. It has been trouble free since day one. I don't have any experience with some of the less expensive newer units that have come out lately though.

 

[Kaizen]

I use 80 on one side to take the blobs off and 120 on the other to finish. I don't sharpen often, but I own a lot of tungstens. I'll sharpen at least 50 at a go (I only sharpen ONE end), once or twice a year. Haven't worn a groove yet.

Lol. I go through a package of sharpened tungsten in a session. I also sharpen all at once and just one side. Part of the learning process. Definitely harder then mig.


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[pi_guy]

Having had both, I'm here to tell you cordless is SO much better.

There were some decisions to make one is charging batteries for tools and the like. I can only fit so much in a Suburban. Being on the road there are only so many outlets in a hotel room. They get rather annoyed if you start sucking down amps. As it was with three laptops and phone and crew & car radios there is only so much time you want to play with charging batteries. Plus times the welder would not get used for weeks and having a battery powered sharpener would not be charged.

At the time did not see any good battery powered ones.

But for 90% of my welding at the track was done at a table* which I carried I used the bins that I transported tools and equipment in as a stool. Since this is happening in the paddock where there is electric and generator power made more sense to stick with electric tools. I carried a heavy extension cord with break out box.

*HF lasted less than 3 months then developed wobble you can't TIG weld items with a wobble replaced it with the Miller portable table 8 years ago no wobble.

 

[redmondjp]

Old-school trick: chuck up the tungsten rod in a hand-held drill and spin it while you are holding it against the grinding wheel. This is how I learned how to do it.

 

[C91x]

Am I really missing out by not having one? I have a 12" dayton disc sander and i use that while spinning the tungsten in my hand. I don't seem to have issues with the arc but maybe I do and just don't notice it because that was I'm used to. Is it worth the purchase?

 

[slowtwitch73]

I think it makes a difference. I did it on a grinder with tungsten in drill for years. It works.. but it's nice to not have all that grit from the wheel around the shop. Frees up half the grinder for other things.

 

[Chevy-SS]

I bough one of the cheap diamond coated grinding discs to go on a bench grinder, then I attached it to the side of the stone on my bench grinder.
Use it only for the tungsten

Yep, this ^^^^^^^^^^^^ is what I did. Works perfectly. Very quick & easy.

 

[Kaizen]

Am I really missing out by not having one? I have a 12" dayton disc sander and i use that while spinning the tungsten in my hand. I don't seem to have issues with the arc but maybe I do and just don't notice it because that was I'm used to. Is it worth the purchase?

Hell if I know. I’ve seen all arguments for how to sharpen and what to use. I need a new wheel so figured I should look into it.
Guess it comes down to quality of consistent weld. Personally trying to perfect things so I can get better. I know I **** at tig but I can sharpen stuff great. With my current grind wheel I see scratches. Diamond is supposed to be smoother


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[slodat]

I have the Sharpie from Arc Zone. Easy peasy. Very happy with it.

 

[zmotorsports]

Am I really missing out by not having one? I have a 12" dayton disc sander and i use that while spinning the tungsten in my hand. I don't seem to have issues with the arc but maybe I do and just don't notice it because that was I'm used to. Is it worth the purchase?

I don't necessarily think you're missing out, you can do just as good of work without one of the fancy handheld sharpeners but they sure make it nice and convenient. I used a dedicated wheel for the first 15 or so years of TIG welding before buying my Weld Craft tungsten sharpener. Even though mine is a corded sharpener it sure is handy to grab the sharpener and touch up the tungsten after a dip or contamination. I feel it has helped me be more proficient more than anything.

 

[dr_clyde]

A dedicated tungsten grinder is all about convenience. It won't make you a better welder, it won't make your welds somehow better, and it won't make your coffee for you.

What it does do is free up a bench grinder wheel or allow you to take your sharpening right to where you are working, allow for consistent grinds, and makes it fast.

You can sharpen your tungsten on pretty much anything.

 

[pepi]

Lots of ways to skin a cat, HF tool modified. Replacement wheel 10 bucks, had rotate the tungsten, drill used for photo.