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Re: tungsten carbide magnetic?



Original poster: BunnyKiller <bunikllr@xxxxxxx>

Hey David...

first off what kind of magnet did you check this out with? I just tried testing pure tungsten welding ( TIG ) rod on my extremely massive Neodynium magnet and found it to be paramagnetic... but then again the magnet will make aluminum paramagnetic ( this magnet is so strong it creates a "magnetic black hole" :) it will suck the keyring from your pocket at 2 feet , will mess up a TV at 5' , stop a DC motor at 6" (( if it doesnt suck it up first)) kill a cheap watch at 8" and gawd forbid ... Never let the matching other magnet even get close to it within 12" ( nearly impossible to get them apart).... uhoh Im rambling...
use the drilling blanks they are cheaper than pure tungsten at any diameter above 1/8"... drilling blanks dont have thorium ( as where the welding variety does and thorIUM is radioactive.... yes breathe deep when you run that gap ;) ) glowing in the dark is fun... :)


but do you need that extra diameter? I am using 1/8" dia pure welding tungsten no thorium ( and you know what power Im dealing with ;) ...
and have very little wear and erosion problems.. plus the minimal diameter makes it easier on disc design and dwell time...


and to be honest... Id worry more about vaporized cobalt than the thorium.... off topic Id really be worried about beryllium most of all check out the tables its some weird stuff...

Scot D



Tesla list wrote:

Original poster: "David Rieben" <drieben@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>

Hi all,

I have a question about the tungsten carbide drilling blanks that
I will be using for my ASRSG. I've noticed that they somewhat
have an attraction to a strong magnet. I know that pure tungsten
is not magnetic so I was wondering what additional materials
are generally added to the tungsten carbide alloy that makes
it somewhat magnetically attractive? I know that iron would
be a "bad" thing to have in your RSG electrodes. It seems
like I've heard that cobalt is a metal that's alloyed with tung-
sten to make tungsten carbide and cobalt is indeed a mag-
netically attractive metal (is paramagnetic the correct term for
tis?). I know that cobalt is also extremely hard, too but I'm
not sure how it stacks up for SG electrode use in alloy with
tungsten or the typical tungsten/cobalt ratios of the carbide.
I don't think there are many complaints from the tungsten
carbided users as to their suitablility for SG electrodes al-
though I do realize that pure tungsten is the first choice for
this. I just thought that I would run this question by some of
you more metallurgically inclined list members for your opinions ;^))

David Rieben


David