Tungsten Angles, CK Tungsten Grinder, & 2% Thoriated on Aluminum

Can you weld aluminum with 2% thoriated?  Yes you sure can.

Is 2% thoriated the best choice for aluminum?  Nah.

Probably not.  But if you prep the tip before welding, it does OK....way better than just letting it round however it wants.

Since 2% thoriated has gotten a lot of bad press (some of it may have been inaccurate or exaggerated). 

Manufacturers seized that opportunity and created some really good alternatives to 2% thoriated. 

So if you are concerned about the radioactive claims, there are plenty of other choices.

2% thoriated is still one of the best performing tungsten electrodes for DC welding.

So what is the best alternative  to 2% thoriated for tig welding on DC ?

My main choice is still 2% lanthanated, but the best choice will depend on what type of welding you do.

Some folks who weld mostly on DC but occasionally need to weld aluminum like ceriated. I know a few people who build custom motorcycles who like ceriated because it stays sharp a long time on DC without dealing with potiential safety issues associated with 2% thoriated.  They only occasionally weld aluminum so they are mostly interested in their tungsten staying sharp on DC.

Another popular choice is CK worldwide LaYZr.  My friend Brad Goodman aka @deepsouthdimestacker on IG loves CK LayZr tungsten.  He does a lot of aluminum in the .090” to .125” thickness range and LaYZr holds a nice consistent taper on AC at medium amperages.

Brad also welds quite a bit of stainless and 4130 chromoly.

LaYZr also works really well on DC.

My personal preference for all purpose tungsten is 2% lanthanated. 

I think its a great all around tungsten I like the fact that a 3/32” tungsten can handle more amperage than most other types of tungsten on AC.  I have been using 2% lanthanated for over 10 years and it makes things simpler for me only keeping up with one color.

If you have a 200 amp tig welder a 3/32” 2% lanthanated tungsten will handle anything the welder can do from razor blades to AC aluminum at 200 amps.