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User Manual
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5
CHAPTER 5: TUNGSTEN ELECTRODES
THE SINGLE MOST IMPORTANT VARIABLE IN THE WELDING PROCESS IS THE ELECTRODE . The
Orion welder comes standard with (5) 0 .5mm and (5) 1 .0mm electrodes . The 1 .0mm electrodes
are a good all around electrode while the 0 .5mm electrode is excellent for very small projects . The
larger 1mm electrode allows more energy to come out at one time . The smaller 0 .5mm electrode
may be better for cases when less energy is desired .
HANDS ON: Make a weld using 15 Ws using a sharp 1 .0mm electrode . Now make a weld using the
same settings using a sharp 0 .5mm tip .
In the ‘HANDS ON’ examples above, more energy was transferred from the Orion into the piece
for the same setting using the 1mm electrode . For very small parts using the small electrode is
sufficient . This option reduces the peak weld current versus using the large electrode and can
also allow for a smaller weld spot . For larger parts use the 1mm electrode . The 1mm electrode is
used when needing additional weld current (more melting for same energy) . The larger electrode
is recommended for metals such as silver, due to higher welding energy requirements of such
metals .
*Note: The 0 .5mm small electrode will “burn” or oxidize at higher energy settings . As a general
suggestion, the 1mm electrode is a good choice for most applications, even very small ones Left:
Using too much energy with the 0 .5mm electrode will cause it to overheat and reduce its life .
Right: A 1 .0mm electrode can weld at a variety of energies without overheating .
Why Use Tungsten Electrodes?
1 . Hardness – tungsten is extremely hard and is therefore able to hold its shape during the
welding process .
2 . Tungsten’s melting temperature is much higher than most other metals . This means the
metals being welded will melt before the tungsten .
Melting temperatures of selected metals:
The table shows a variety of metals and their corresponding melting temperatures . Note
that tungsten has a significantly higher melting temperature than the other metals . This is an
important attribute of tungsten that aids the welding process . While welding, electrons from the
weld plasma impact the work piece and form a weld spot . At the same time, positively charged
gas atoms impact the electrode . Both of these processes create heat . However, more heat is
