New Tungsten Sharpeners, Innovative, Priced Well

[christian]

Yeah,

I noticed a seller on Amazon having a clever new style tungsten grinder that will fit on a Dremel tool, of which I have two.



https://www.amazon.com/ALUMINUM-Elec...4889437&sr=8-3

I mean, I already have a dedicated Dremel-style tungsten sharpener that has a fixed-angle to it, and it doesn’t need any collet change-outs, like the typical Sharpie designs ($250-$400) seem to do. So, I do still like my current one OK, and it was only about $150, including the rotary tool, some years ago.



But, this new style on is priced well, at about $98, if you already have a Dremel or similar thread-on style tool. It’s “4-sizes x 4 degrees”, with tungsten cut-off feature.



My sharpener didn’t have a tungsten cut-off ability, until I made a channel in the billet aluminum head.

Anyway, I’ll probably get one of these clever new tungsten grinding heads to fit on one of my variable-speed Dremel tools, just to get the different grinding angles, and because the cut-off feature looks a little better than the way I made mine do it.

Eastwood has a similar designed one that comes with the rotary tool too, at about $149, but only handles 1/16” and 3/32” tungstens, with two grind angle for each. Which is all I use, anyway. So, that’s a good value too, I think.



https://www.amazon.com/Eastwood-Tung...XV76NN1DJYZXPJ

It's such a great time for newbies.

I mean, only 5 or 10 years ago, these kind of choices, features, and values were not available.

And that's a victory for the Market (consumer)!

[christian]

Gee,

I noticed further, that's there's a 3rd generation version of this thing, priced a little higher too.

Not that I'm affiliated with, compensated by, or shilling for the seller or producer in any way.

I'm just sharing as an enthusiastic welding market consumer/observer.



https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07ZF8JPQ8/ref=emc_b_5_t



Not that I'm affiliated with, compensated by, or shilling for the seller or producer in any way.

I'm just sharing as an enthusiastic welding market consumer/observer.

Honestly, I kind of like the Eastwood, since it has open slots, rather than having to shove a fouled tungsten into a barrel/collet hole, which can be problematic for a boogered-up tungsten, causing me to gave to step up to the larger tungsten hole size to grind some, before getting back to the prescribed size hole for grinding. And sometimes that doesn't even do, so a flap disc is sometimes called for. But that Eastwood one looks like you can lay a tungsten in the slot to more easily knock off any molten metal that will often suck up onto a tungsten beyond the tip. The Eastwood doesn't seem to have a cut-off ability, but I could cut a slot on that head, like I did for my current turret-head style sharpener, to make it cut a tungsten tip off. And I don't use Thoriated, so I don't really need to capture the ground off tungsten dust.



Some things just get better and better!

Wheeeee.............

[ProMetalShop]

Christian, I seen these about a month ago, and gave them quite a bit of consideration. They do warn that there are some knock offs. I have a dermal, but thinking I would purchase another one, and dedicate it as a sharpener.

[christian]

Well,

I bought the billet or extruded "aluminum" GEN 2 tungsten grinding head that threads onto a Dremel, of which I have two, one being under-utilized, of course, which seemed to influence my decision a bit.



I’ll include a pic of my current turret-head style rotary tool. It’s an OK one, but it’s ready for a new diamond wheel anyway. Maybe I’ll give it away for free to some Everlast Forum member here who doesn’t have one yet, and actually owns an Everlast TIG welding unit. See details below.



Anyway, there was a $10-off coupon on Amazon today for this item (Black Friday?), free shipping, and no sales tax (out-of-state seller on Amazon), so the total came to $88.99.



Otherwise, there were a couple similarly-designed, lower-priced tungsten sharpening head designs that fit up to existing rotary tools too. But, they’re made from Delrin or some other molded plastic, in which several buyer/users on Amazon complained that a tungsten being ground heats up too much that he allen-headed collet/barrel will begin to melt the plastic threads that it’s seated into. So, the material being used on those cheaper "knock-off" heads make them a poor choice, to me.



So, after my new tungsten grinding head arrive to me, I think I’ll give my old one away, which will include the rotary tool, too. Free sipping will be included in that portion of the North American continent commonly called the 48-state area. And I’ll include a new diamond cutting wheel on it, from the new head assembly, since there are 5 new ones included from the Amazon seller.

How To Win A Free, USED, Dedicated Tungsten Grinding Rotary Tool:

Just be the first one to post within this thread a pic with the panel of an Everlast TIG welding unit that you own and which has your face in the pic next to the panel. Ha, ha, ha…

Then privately message me an address where you want it sent.

That’s it!

[christian]

Gee,

I've noticed how well the Everlast forum included pics in the threads lately. And I like how it shows them in less-than full size, until you click on them too, and people will often reply to a post, which otherwise will often duplicate a big, fat photo over again, needlessly and redundantly.

The internet "link" tool for a YouTube video player window still doesn't seem to work, but still a hyper link to the YouTube page itself. No biggie.

[ProMetalShop]

Glad you decided on the Gen 2, have you tried it as of yet ? There is nothing like consistency to help eliminate the guess work of trouble shooting your welds. So does the head fit just Dremel brand, or all or most dremel style tool ?

[christian]

Nah,

I just ordered it today.

Yeah, it apparently threads onto any rotary tool with 3/4"-12 threads, like the Dremel tool.

https://www.amazon.com/ALUMINUM-Elec...4889437&sr=8-3

Glad you decided on the Gen 2, have you tried it as of yet ? There is nothing like consistency to help eliminate the gnuess work of trouble shooting your welds. So does the head fit just Dremel brand, or all or most dremel style tool ?

[christian]

Yeah,

When this thing arrives, I may use a Dremel cutting wheel to cut a little channel to lay the tungsten into, like the Eastwood ones have, as a sort of catch-all slot to remove any molten blobs that suck up on a tungsten tip, rather than using the cut-off slot.



Otherwise, you have to back out and interchange one or more of those allen screws, to have your preferred tungsten size (I'm almost exclusively using 3/32") placed in whatever particular degree angle you like. I'll probably mover that 3/32" on to the 30 degree hole. My old, turret-head had a fixed angle of about 20 degrees for all three tungsten sizes.

[christian]

Gee,

Instead of a slot, maybe I'll just drill an oversized (1/4") 5th hole at a real flat angle, to initially knock off any blobs that get sucked up onto a tungsten.

Or, just remove one of those allen head screw/collets that have a flat angle, as I'll never need all of those angles or tungsten sizes.

[christian]

Well,

This thing arrived today. It works well. Screwed right on to a Dremel. The 3/32" slot is at 20 degrees, and maybe I'll just leave things as they are for a bit. The fresh new diamond disc cut fast and without much pressure, which showed how much the old unit called for a new disc.

The diamond wheels/discs are a little bigger than the one on my old unit, so the old one will not get a new wheel.

[ProMetalShop]

Not sure why their upside down when copied to my album.
https://www.everlastgenerators.com/f...3&d=1575596846

[ProMetalShop]

Let’s see if this works.... wow that’s to large, I’ll have to change the settings.

[christian]

OK,

ProMetal, even though you're a little further up on the North American continent, I'll send you my older tungsten sharpener at no cost, so long as the shipping price isn't a real shocker, so to speak.

Nice brake in the background there.

I'll also send a new diamond wheel/disc from the new tungsten grinder, as it can probably be made to fit into the old one, with a bit of grinding using a burr bit in the upper interior of that turret head. I tried it, and it goes in up until the last 1/4", but I just didn't have a good burr bit to cut very quickly.

So, if you do a quick mod to this old unit, it will undoubtedly be great. But it works OK now, as the old wheel/disc is just fairly worn and smaller than the newer one. Of course, you could just get some new ones of the slightly smaller style, which it was designed for. But bigger seems better for these wheels, and it won't take much grinding (1mm to so).

Just shoot me a CAN address in a PM and I'll get it moving in your direction.

[christian]

OK,

I got a little compulsive and found a hole saw and burr bit to ream that barrel out on the turret head a little bit so that a new, slightly larger diamond wheel/disc fits into the old tungsten grinder.



So, my old tungsten grinder is very fit for usage now.



Why did I buy a new one again? Ha, ha, ha...

Anyway, I'll send it along when you forward a shipping address to me, ProMetal. You're going to like it even more now!

[christian]

Gee,

I don't know why I thought it might be a Canadian address.

Anyway, I've sent a tracking number to you via PM, Pro Metal.

[christian]

So,

Yeah, this new tungsten grinder head, since I already had a spare Dremel rotary tool was a good value, especially since it came with the 5 double-sided diamond wheel/discs.



It might still be a good value to others too, that don't already have a spare Dremel tool around, as they can often be found as a bare-tool (used) in a pawnshop for about $20.

So, for around $120, a groovy, dedicated, hand-held tungsten grinder, with 5 wheels, can be easily had.

I mean, Sharpie charges $19 just for one spare diamond wheel/disc.



And, not that I think I'll ever want to purchase any more diamond wheel/discs in the next decade, they are extremely reasonable from the same seller or producer as the grinder head (25mm @ 9.90 for 10 = .99 cents each).

[ProMetalShop]

Christian, thank you for your kindness, I received the Tungsten grinder yesterday, and had a chance to use it as I was welding a panel for the 34 Ford hood support. Worked great, where did you get the diamond cutting wheels ? I should put a few in stock.

[christian]

Nice,

Amazon!

The 25mm ones.

[christian]

Gee,

These tungsten grinder heads for Dremel tools keep getting better, and cheaper ($49, free shipping, no-tax, 6061 aluminum CNC)!



https://www.amazon.com/3mirrors-Elec...grinder&sr=8-5

This one is only for two sizes, but allows two angles for those two sizes. I mean, I still like mine, as it has the 1/8" ability too, which I'll often use for a 3/32" tungsten, just to get the tungsten tapered down for the 3/32" slot.

Of course, it would be an easy task to drill any of those existing hole/slots for 1/8" too.

And, again, "Not that I'm affiliated with, compensated by, or shilling for the seller or producer in any way." Inadvertently, maybe, I suppose.



So, more choices and better prices for TIG welding customers is a MARKET VICTORY!

[MC5W]

I see that the technology has improved over what went on during my first TIG course in 1984. I have been over to Arc-Zone and some of their tingsten grinders are as easy to use as a power pencil sharpener. Am I right about that? Kind of hard to tell how to use them from the website pictures.

Back in 1984 when I was taking a TIG course my instructor used a bench grinder to grind the tips. I did not ask what kind of grinding wheel it was. Sintered aluminum oxide ( most common bench grinder wheel ) has a hardness of 9.0 versus 9.5 for silicon carbide ( second most common grinding wheel ) and 10 for diamond and boron nitride.