Full disclosure: I know very little about TIG welding. I’m okay with a MIG rig, and I can stick weld well enough to hook things together, but I’ve never handled a TIG torch. So when I received a press release from Weldcraft indicating that they’d expanded their gas lens line a bit, I had to hit the ‘net to discover that a gas lens is simply a fitting that re-directs the gas normally emitted from the torch, focusing it to provide more even coverage and flow for a given welding situation.

It makes sense to me, then, why Weldcraft would be proud of offering a relatively wide range of lenses in standard size, large diameter, and stubby to fit just about all their air and water-cooled TIG torches.

Gas Lenses Improve TIG Welding Performance [Weldcraft]

If you want to know how the welding supply industry is reacting to the cordless market, take a gander at the Trek 180 battery-powered MIG Welder. It’s awesomeness in a 52-lb. box.

We’re not saying this is meant to replace a larger shop model, and neither is Hobart. What the Trek 180 is designed to do is take care of small jobs when you are away from anything resembling civilization. The rig can run off its own 120 amp 17VDC battery or from an 115V power outlet with a 20 percent duty cycle.

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Are you going through enough LP or oxygen that you don’t have enough safe storage space?  With an aluminum gas cylinder cabinet from SECUREALL you can save space in your shop and store gas outside.

SECUREALL constructs their LP and oxygen cylinder cabinets from 12 ga aluminum with expanded metal sides and doors. The top is solid metal and the floor is framed to prevent the cylinders from contacting the ground. All-welded construction makes the cabinets tamper-resistant and the aluminum is both spark resistant and won’t corrode even if left in the elements.

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Weldcraft recently rolled out two Crafter Series TIG torches, the CS125A and CS200A. Weldcraft says the new lightweight bodies help minimize welding operator fatigue. Though anyone can use them, they look as though the designers had in mind pros that are going to have their hands on the torches all day.

Both torches feature Weldcraft’s D-Handle design, which allows the welder to orient the torch by touch and feel for a little more control. Both are air-cooled as well, which eliminates the need and expense for cumbersome water-cooled systems. The CS125A is rated at 130 amps DC and 100 amps AC. Its bigger brother, the CS200A, puts out 200 amps DC or 150 amps AC capacity and both pump out a 60 percent duty cycle.

From what we hear thus far, expect to see these torch bodies at the local welding supply shop soon with a buy-in price of about $50.

CS125A and CS200A [Weldcraft]
Street Pricing [Google Products]

Even with my limited personal experience with welding, I’ve always been a fan of Miller helmets. One, they seem to be pretty rugged, and two, helmets like the Titanium Elite series Silver (Model 234939) don’t look like the stuff that was handed out in shop class back in the day.

This brain bucket features an aluminum heat shield that protects the analog lens in high amperage 300 plus amp operations and a silver-colored shell reflects heat to keep the helmet (and the noggin inside) cool(ish). The 234939 also has a quick-release snap-off frame for easy-access lens changes.

It’s a good looking, well-designed helmet that will keep your head out of harm’s way, and if you’ve got around $270 you can have one of your very own. Just don’t expect it to stay Lancelot-shiny for very long; it is meant to be used in a welding shop, after all.

Titanium Elite series Silver, Model 234939  [Miller]
Street Pricing [Google Products]

Blazer’s line of utility torches are powerful little monsters — you can adjust the flame from a smoky, match-like burn to a nearly-invisible jet of 2,500-degree plasma, hot enough to turn steel into a molten puddle. They run on easily-obtainable butane and can handle everything from soldering heavy-gauge wire to applying heat shrink.

You’ve got to be careful with this little bugger, but it’s a kick-ass tool for electronics techs, hobbyists, and anyone who needs to apply a bit — or a lot — of precise heat. Street pricing is about $40.

Blazer GB-2001 [Blazer]
Street Pricing [Google Products]

It seems almost everyone has come out with some kind of configurator these days. Dell lets you design your own laptop, car manufactures let you design your car, even ice cream parlors let you design the perfect cone — so it makes sense that Tregaskiss has a configurator that lets you design your own Mig gun.

The configurator has four steps that allow customers to customize their Tregaskiss brand Tough Gun line Mig torch according to amperage, cable length, neck style and a few other options.

Step 1:  Select amperage, cable length, and handle and trigger styles
Step 2:  Select neck length and angle, plus nozzle, contact tip and liner styles (and wire size)
Step 3:  Select a power pin style for their wire feeder
Step 4:  Review and print the provided part number or contact Customer Service for additional assistance and ordering

It’s a nice setup that lets the pros or more experienced welders get exactly what they need without having to worry about mix/match issues associated with hunting it down in a static catalog.

Torch Configurator [Tregaskiss]

Skulls and welding go hand in hand.  There’s just something “right” about a welder strapping on a flaming death skull and wielding fire to hook metal together.  Miller clearly gets it. They also get that no matter how cool it looks, the functionality needs to be there as well. They achieved both with the Digital Elite series helmets, but they’ve now added more skulls to the lineup with the Wicked model 241462.  We approve.

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You may have seen optical tables on TV or in a lab somewhere — thick metal-topped tables with threaded 1/4″ holes spaced every inch or so.  They’re very flat and stable, and the grid of holes allows you to precisely place equipment.

Strong Hand Tools’ BuildPro Welding Table is reminiscent of this design, but instead of threaded holes, the ground-steel 5/8″-thick plates have CNC-machined 5/8″ through-holes spaced in a grid every 2″ apart.  The table is flat to within 0.004” per foot, and the hole spacing is accurate to ±0.0015″.

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I’m not sure why this welding helmet is painted this way;  I’ve never seen one quite like it, so I wonder what the artistic statement is.  Not that it really matters — the helmet will still do its job even if, worst case, the paint burns off.

If it had slightly different colors it would remind me a great deal of those dazzle-painted ships back in WWII.  Either way, reader Cchauvet won’t have trouble finding this one in a pile of plain old gray helmets — which is probably the point.

Toolmonger Photo Pool [Flickr]

Welding gear is expensive — even if you start with a basic unit, all the accessories you need will cost you some more of your hard-earned bucks. Wouldn’t it be convenient if there was a complete package that could hook you up with everything you needed? Here comes Lincoln Electric with the Lincoln Welders Backpack.

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When wire welding, the material you put into the weld is just as important as the skill you do it with — the wrong stock can actually make a great-looking weld that won’t hold up very well.  McKay makes it easier to choose just the right stock with the announcement of two new lines of aluminum solid welding wires and TIG cut lengths:  Smootharc 4043 and Smootharc 5356.

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Not sure if you’ve sharpened your tools or drill bits to the perfect angle?  This universal grinding gauge from Silverline Tools will help you check.

Made from heavy-duty 14ga stainless steel, the grinding gauge can check 55°, 60°, 90°, and 120° internal and 60°, 90°, and 120° external angles.  Silverline manufactures their tools for the UK so the etched graduations read in metric.

Five bucks will buy you this gauge at Jack’s Tool Shed.

Universal Grinding Gauge [Silverline Tools]
Universal Grinding Gauge [Jack's Tool Shed]
Via Amazon [What’s This?]

We’re big fans of custom tools. Not only do they say something about you as a tool guy but they’re a fun way to set yourself apart from the herd. This fine example of a custom welding helmet from reader Lungofish struck us as a sweet way to get art into the shop. He writes about the process:

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If you’ve ever watched the hardcore guys weld on aluminum, stainless, or chromoly, they’re often holding a TIG torch in their hands. TIG rigs can be a little frightening at first but are super-handy for automotive fabrication work. With the new Diversion 165 TIG welder Miller has attempted to simplify the correct TIG unit setup and provide you some power as well.

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Hobart is reskinning their OpticArmor auto-darkening hoods to appeal to the off-roading crowd. The new welding hood provides the same protection as the rest of the OpticArmor line but now sports some sweet new graphics as well.

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OxArc is selling the Bessey WMS-3 Compact Magnetic Square for $5.  With 55 lbs of pull, it’ll work for a variety of setups when welding — at this price there’s no reason to suffer with a cheap import when you can get a US-made one.

Bessey Compact Magnetic Square [OxArc]
Street Pricing [Google]
Via Amazon [What’s This?]