How long should gas tungston arc welding leads be?

Answer 1

It depends.

If you are welding at a production table then the 12' set should be fine.

If you're welding in a shop where you have to move around a lot then 25' is the way to go unless the machine is at one end and you cant move it and you do a lot of welding at the other end then by all means use longer cables.

Now some companies will not warranty 50' torch leads and you can get your torches to overheat alot faster but....

Now with field welding you shouldn't need a long set because you can run a tig torch off the HF box which you can set up where the work is. Or use a portable unit,i.e. dynasty 200, arcmaster 185, etc...

Answer 2

They are sold in standard sizes (36") so the real question is where should your hand be or how short of one can you use.

The idea is to keep the end of the filler rod inside of the inert gas jet, but NOT touching the electrode or you will corrode it if you do. So it is a matter of fine control. The problem with TIG welding is that it requires both hands a standard arc welder will feed the filler through the nozzle, but you can't have contact with a TIG welder so you need to hold it in a separate hand. But, you can do fusion welding on butt joints and and edge corners without using a filler.

The filler rod is manufactored and its size depends on the carbon content and the diameter of the rod.

According to: http://www.google.com/products?sourceid=navclient&ie=UTF-8&rlz=1T4WZPA_enUS224US224&q=tig+filler+rod&um=1&sa=X&oi=product_result&resnum=1&ct=title
"1/16" X 36" ER347 Avesta 347 Stainless Steel TIG Rod 10# Tube - $7.98 - Airgas, Inc.
1/16" X 36" ER316L Radnor® 316L Stainless Steel TIG Rod 1# Tube - $25.10 - Airgas, Inc.
3/32" X 36" ER308L Radnor® 308L Stainless Steel TIG Rod 1# Tube - $23.38 - Airgas, Inc."

According to Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tig_welding
"Manual gas tungsten arc welding is often considered the most difficult of all the welding processes commonly used in industry. Because the welder must maintain a short arc length, great care and skill are required to prevent contact between the electrode and the workpiece. Unlike most other welding processes, GTAW normally requires two hands, since most applications require that the welder manually feed a filler metal into the weld area with one hand while manipulating the welding torch in the other. However, some welds combining thin materials (known as autogenous or fusion welds) can be accomplished without filler metal; most notably edge, corner and butt joints.

To strike the welding arc, a high frequency generator provides a path for the welding current through the shielding gas, allowing the arc to be struck when the separation between the electrode and the workpiece is approximately 1.5–3 mm (0.06–0.12 in). Bringing the two into contact in a "touch start" also serves to strike an arc. This technique can cause contamination of the weld and electrode. Once the arc is struck, the welder moves the torch in a small circle to create a welding pool, the size of which depends on the size of the electrode and the amount of current. While maintaining a constant separation between the electrode and the workpiece, the operator then moves the torch back slightly and tilts it backward about 10–15 degrees from vertical. Filler metal is added manually to the front end of the weld pool as it is needed.

Welders often develop a technique of rapidly alternating between moving the torch forward (to advance the weld pool) and adding filler metal. The filler rod is withdrawn from the weld pool each time the electrode advances, but it is never removed from the gas shield to prevent oxidation of its surface and contamination of the weld. Filler rods composed of metals with low melting temperature, such as aluminum, require that the operator maintain some distance from the arc while staying inside the gas shield. If held too close to the arc, the filler rod can melt before it makes contact with the weld puddle. As the weld nears completion, the arc current is often gradually reduced to allow the weld crater to solidify and prevent the formation of crater cracks at the end of the weld."

Answer 3

I have to agree with Jeffery. But will add, that to limit voltage drop, longer leads may need to be larger wire size. If you are using high frequency, it might be preferable to keep the welding leads as short as possible and move the power supply closer to the work. Also considering the gas supply hose and cooling hoses (if using a water cooled torch) in most cases you'd be better off moving the welder or the work rather than changing the leads.

Answer 4

The leads should be long enough to reach your work.