The Welding Electrode. What It Is and Where To Buy Electodes Cheap

Welding electrodes are a common feature of welding, primarily found within TIG welding and are used as a means to conduct both heat and electricity to better ensure the smooth operation of the arc welding. Commonly, as a direct result of the demanding nature of welding, metals and materials, which have a high resistance to heat and electricity (as well as a high melting point), are used, one such material is tungsten. Tungsten is unique in that it is the metal with the highest melting point as well as excelling in conducting both heat and electricity. As stated earlier, electrodes are commonly encountered during TIG welding and they fall into two broad types, some electrodes have a clean finish to them which means that they have been chemically treated to clean them to remove any impurities that may compromise the finished product.

The other category is "ground finished", whereby the electrodes offer greater conduction of both heat and electricity, and generally there is a range (dependent on the material used) for the price of different electrodes. Typically, welding electrodes that consist of pure tungsten are much less costly, although tend to burn out quicker than alloy based electrodes, and in comparison, electrodes that are made up zirconium oxide have a much, much longer lifespan. As a personal aside, tungsten is an ideal choice for the uncertain hobbyist who is on a limited budget.

Cost should not be the only consideration when choosing which particular welding electrode to use, consideration should be given as to the effectiveness of a given electrode to provide weld metal that are chemically compatible with the metal that is to be welded. The actual method of welding will also greatly impact upon the choice of electrode, MIG welding makes use of consumable welding electrodes, whilst for TIG welding non-consumable electrodes are acceptable.

Once you have your desired electrode, make sure to grind and shape it into a "point", this is crucial for a more accurate and focused arc.

Welding rods or electrodes can also be further sub-divided as "fast-fill" electrodes. These are designed specifically to melt quickly, whereas the "fast freeze" welding rods are designed to solidify quickly, the intermediate electrodes are categorized as "fill-freeze" or "fast-follow" electrodes.

Make sure to insert the bare end of the electrode into one of the pairs of grooves in the electrode holder, be aware of where you point the electrode, and make sure to position the electrode tip slightly above the metal to be welded.

You will not be able to see where the electrode is until the arc is started once the helmet is down, try to get a "feel" for where the electrode is in relation to the metal some people find it helpful to practice this with the machine off. Remember, safety is paramount and if dedicating some time to this will better ensure your safety, the please take all efforts to fulfill this!

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