Tungstens

Tungsten electrodes for TIG in every common doping — ceriated (grey), thoriated (red), zirconated (white), lanthanated (gold and blue) and rare earth mixed-oxide types, in diameters from 1.6mm to 4.8mm. The sub-categories below split the range by type, and a tungsten electrode sharpener keeps points consistent between jobs.

Which tungsten electrode type for AC versus DC TIG welding?

• DC on steel and stainless — thoriated, ceriated or lanthanated all hold a sharp ground point; lanthanated is the modern all-rounder.
• AC on aluminium — zirconated is the traditional pick for its resistance to spitting; lanthanated and rare earth types also perform well on modern inverters.
• Mixed work — a rare earth or mixed-oxide tungsten runs acceptably on both polarities, saving regrinds when you swap between materials.

WeldCo's Melbourne and Adelaide counters stock all five families, so you can match the tungsten to the machine rather than the other way around.