Grinding Tungsten

[Qucifer]

Can somebdy please clear this up for me. What kind of protection do you use while grinding on tungsten?

[Qucifer]

Ill be a little more specific. How far do you guys go to protect yourselves from the radioactivity from grinding on thoriated tungsten rods?

[lorenzo]

:laugh: Ah.......... I'm guilty...... NONE. I'm waitint o develope some irrevesable health condition so I can sue the manufacturers........:laugh:

[Doolittle]

Hold my breath (not really)? I do wear safty goggles (hate it when something gets in my eye). I dunno, we fondle(heh) our tungstens quite a bit, but Im not about to put rubber gloves on to put a piece of tungsten in my torch..

Its good to be concerned, hell maybe the lanthiated would be better (I can really tell no difference between thoriated and lanthiated).

[Qucifer]

Ive only got a couple of hours of experience TIG welding. I fired up the machine for the first time since I moved to Oklahoma, and logged about an hour of practice today. The thoriated thing just popped into my head when I was grinding a couple of electrodes. I held my breath, but who knows how many swimmers I lost this time. I think im going to look into the Lanthiated stuff just for some peace of mind. I hear it holds up pretty good compared to the radioactive stuff. I just want an idea of how concerned some of the experienced tiggers are when grinding tungsten.

[zapster]

I hear it holds up pretty good compared to the radioactive stuff. I just want an idea of how concerned some of the experienced tiggers are when grinding tungsten.



Radioactive..:rolleyes:

I should be glowing bright green by now..

...zap!

[MicroZone]

I did notice a green "aura" about you in the last picture. :laugh:

[prop-doctor]

i don t think about it.
now if i were to grind on them for 8 hrs at a time
but do use a face shield when grinding

[zapster]

I did notice a green "aura" about you in the last picture. :laugh:



Its done with mirrors..:eek:


...zap!

[bruceb]

The amount of radioactivity in these tungstens has less risk than breathing air in a large populated city.

You will live longer by the stress of not worrying about it than the effects of the radioactivity itself..:)

[Qucifer]

Which large populated city are you reffering to? Chernobyl maybe :blob2:

[zapster]

Whats the big deal anyway here?:rolleyes:

You'll die sooner in a bus crash..
Grinding tungestion will not kill you if you take the proper steps..


1.. Do not take the sharp end and stick it up your nose..:nono:
2.. Do not stand in the path of someone sharpening tungestion that will let go if it gets hot..:nono:
3..Do not attempt to use said sharpend tungestion to dislodge food substances embedded from in between your teeth where as the sharp point can and will break off at the most inopertune time and then become stuck in your throat where as all the Heimlek maneuvers in the world will have no effect on giving you the most remote chance of survival...:waving:

...zap!

[Qucifer]

I know that it wont kill you unless you overdo it. I just wasnt sure what other guys were doing to protect themselves, and now that I see most of you dont worry about it, then thats good enough for me.

[bruceb]

Which large populated city are you reffering to? Chernobyl maybe :blob2:

Chernobyl, if you happen to eat the ground tungsten dust.

[hotrodder]

comedy comments aside, thoriated tungstens ARE radioactive. thorium emits alpha particles. there's no danger from holding one, it's grinding dust that's the hazard. having said that breathing any grinding dust is pretty dumb.

remember at school how alpha radiation can be blocked by a piece of paper? being an alpha emitter, once inside the body it stays there (Thorium dioxide has been identified as a carcinogen)

IMO lanthanated outperform thoriated (with an inverter at least) everywhere- easier starting, tip lasts longer, very stable arc at low amps and they work well on AC too, retains a sharp point and doesn't split.

[weldingman24]

this site has some info on the amount of radiation the typical welder receives in a year in mrems, and some other cool stuff too
http://www.orau.org/PTP/collection/consumer%20products/weldingrod.htm

I don't really worry about it but if you are either use another type of tungsten or use a shop vac with a hepa filter connected to the back of the grinder as a dust collector. Or just use a dust mask when grinding (you should anyway) and wash your hand when done.

[MJDamiani]

Thorium is most abundant in the North East. There are Thorium deposits everywhere around here and the red tungsten electrodes do not even read on my EOD issued Geiger counter. Radioactive yes... not measurable, also yes. If it bothers you, get the non-radioactive substitute electrodes. For me, I know that the thorium electrodes will not kill me unless someone shoots one through my head, and that may only make me angry.

[TIGBOY]

Ive Seen Someone At Welding School Grind A Long Peice On A Bench Grinder And Somehow It Caught And Jabbed About 2 Inches Into The Palm Of His Hand And Down Into His Wrist,he Is Very Lucky That All He Had Was A Puncture Wound.it Was Not Thorated Or He'd Have Some Serious Problems.