TIG torch consumables and tungsten prep for the home/small fab shop: WP-17/18/26 consumable kits (collet bodies, collets, back caps, alumina cups), stubby and standard gas-lens kits, tungsten electrode types (2% lanthanated vs ceriated vs pure, thoriated as the legacy option) matched to DC steel/stainless vs AC aluminum, tungsten diameter by amperage, and dedicated tungsten sharpeners/grinders

Identify your torch family before buying any parts

TIG consumables are sold by torch family, not by brand, and the wrong family will not thread together. Most hobby and small-shop TIG machines ship with an air-cooled torch in the WP-17 or WP-26 pattern, and the water-cooled WP-18 shares the same small parts. The WP-9 and WP-20 family is a smaller, lighter design with its own collets, collet bodies and cups, and those are generally not interchangeable with the 17/18/26 parts.

Look for the model stamp on the torch head or the cable-end connector, or read the torch listing in the machine manual. If the head is marked 17, 18 or 26, shop for 17/18/26 kits. If it is marked 9 or 20, shop for 9/20 kits. Some manufacturers use proprietary part numbers, so when the markings do not match any of these, compare the thread and body shape against the kit photo before ordering.

Amperage rating is a second filter. Air-cooled torches are commonly rated for less current than water-cooled ones, and the WP-26 is usually rated higher than the WP-17 and has a flexible-head option on some versions. Treat the rating on your own torch as the limit, and do not assume a bigger cup or tungsten changes it.

What a consumable kit contains and how to read the listing

A typical WP-17/18/26 kit is a bundle of the wear and swap parts: collet bodies or gas lens bodies, collets in several diameters, back caps, alumina cups, and often a few tungsten electrodes. Contents vary a lot between listings, so compare the part counts rather than the headline piece count.

The parts that disappear first are cups, which crack from drops and thermal shock, and collets, which lose grip when the slit closes up or the collet is overheated. A kit that includes a spread of collet and body diameters is more useful than one with dozens of cups in a single size. Check that the kit lists the diameters you will actually weld with rather than assuming a single size is included.

Standard collet body versus gas lens, including stubby kits

A standard collet body releases argon from a few drilled ports, which creates some turbulence in the shield. A gas lens body places one or more fine mesh screens in the path, so the gas leaves the cup as a smoother laminar column. That lets you run a longer tungsten stick-out and a larger cup, and it makes the shield less sensitive to drafts and small changes in torch angle.

A stubby gas lens is a shorter body paired with a short cup for tight access, such as inside a tube corner. The short body gives up a little shielding length, so it is the right pick when the joint will not let a standard torch fit, not a general upgrade. Gas lenses cost more than plain collet bodies and are worth it for stainless and for any joint that needs reach. Keep spare O-rings and clean screens: a dirty screen produces uneven flow that looks like a porosity problem.

Cup numbers, alumina versus glass, and gas flow

Cup numbers describe the opening diameter in sixteenths of an inch, so a #5 is about 5/16 in, a #6 is about 3/8 in, and a #8 is about 1/2 in. A bigger opening covers a wider weld pool and heat-affected zone, and a longer cup provides more shield above the tungsten. The tradeoff is more argon per minute and a bulkier torch head that blocks sight lines.

Alumina (ceramic) cups are the default: they tolerate heat and are inexpensive. They crack when dropped and can chip on a hot start. Clear Pyrex-style cups are fitted to gas lens bodies when you want to see the tungsten and puddle more closely; they are more fragile and are specified for use with gas lens bodies, so check the listing. Some shops also use fused quartz cups, which tolerate higher temperatures than ordinary glass.

Flow rate is read in cubic feet per hour (cfh) on the flowmeter. A bigger cup or a gas lens generally needs a moderate flow, and too much flow pulls in air through turbulence at the edge of the shield. If you see discolored stainless or a gray, sooty aluminum weld with the cup in place, confirm the setup before blaming the tungsten.

Tungsten types matched to the metal you weld

The tungsten electrode type is defined by its oxide additive, and AWS color codes help identify it at a glance, although some brands vary, so check the printed label. Pure (EWP, green) has no oxide and was the classic choice for AC aluminum on transformer machines. 2% lanthanated (EWLa-2, blue) and 2% ceriated (EWCe-2, orange) are the practical all-round choices today. Thoriated (EWTh-2, red) is the legacy electrode for DC steel and stainless; it is slightly radioactive, and the dust from grinding is the concern, so most shops have moved to lanthanated or ceriated.

Miller and other manufacturers note that ceriated and lanthanated hold up better than thoriated on AC. Lanthanated tends to start easily and hold its shape, so if you only stock one type, it is the simplest answer for a shop that switches between steel and aluminum. Pure tungsten balls up readily on AC and is cheap, but it erodes faster and starts less reliably on inverter machines.

Tungsten diameter by amperage

Diameter sets the current a tungsten can carry before the tip melts or spits. A thin electrode concentrates the arc for low-amp work on sheet and thin stainless; a thick one carries higher current but is harder to start at low amperage and wanders.

These ranges are approximate, since charts differ between makers and depend on electrode type. AC carries less current per diameter than DCEN, so size up for aluminum at the same amperage. Home and small-fab machines usually cover the thin to mid-thickness range, which makes 1/16 in and 3/32 in the two diameters worth buying first. Match your collets and collet bodies to the same sizes, because a mismatch between tungsten and collet is the most common cause of a loose electrode and an unstable arc.

Sharpening: dedicated grinders and handheld tools

For DC work, grind a pointed tip with the grind marks running lengthwise along the electrode, not around it. Circumferential marks make the arc wander. A common taper length is about two to two and a half times the diameter, and a small flat at the tip prevents the point from burning off at start. For AC, a small truncated tip is generally preferred over a large ball on inverter machines.

There are three tool types. A bench grinder wheel reserved only for tungsten works but is easy to contaminate if shared with steel. A dedicated diamond-wheel tungsten grinder controls angle and keeps the dust contained, which also helps with thoriated electrodes. Handheld battery sharpeners hold the electrode at a set angle and are compact for a small shop. Whichever you choose, keep it exclusive to tungsten.

A dull wheel or one used on other metals drives contamination into the tungsten. Replace the diamond wheel when it stops cutting cleanly, and keep dust away from your face when working with any tungsten, especially thoriated.

Common failure modes and how to avoid them

Most TIG trouble traces back to a handful of causes, and consumables are among the cheapest to fix.

• Tungsten inclusions: dipping the tungsten into the pool contaminates the weld. Stop, regrind to a fresh point, and continue.
• Wandering arc: usually the tungsten is ground circumferentially or the collet is not gripping. Regrind lengthwise and replace a worn collet.
• Gas leaks: a missing or aged back cap O-ring lets air in at the rear. Replace the cap or O-ring.
• Stuck or seized parts: overtightening a cup or collet body onto a hot head makes it hard to remove later. Snug is enough.
• Cracked cups: hot starts and drops are the usual cause. Keep spares in the right number size.
• Weak starts: mixed-up sizes between tungsten and collet, or a contaminated tip.

Keep a small labelled case with a few collets, bodies, a back cap in each length, and two cup sizes. A tungsten that has been dropped or contaminated should be cut back to clean metal, not just reground.

Shop tungsten electrode sharpener grinder for TIG torch consumables and tungsten prep for the home/small fab shop: WP-17/18/26 consumable kits (collet bodies, collets, back caps, alumina cups), stubby and standard gas-lens kits, tungsten electrode types (2% lanthanated vs ceriated vs pure, thoriated as the legacy option) matched to DC steel/stainless vs AC aluminum, tungsten diameter by amperage, and dedicated tungsten sharpeners/grinders

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FAQ

Are WP-17, WP-18 and WP-26 consumables interchangeable?

The collets, collet bodies, gas lens bodies, back caps and cups are generally shared across these three families, which is why kits are sold as a 17/18/26 set. Check that your torch head is actually marked 17, 18 or 26 rather than assuming. WP-9 and WP-20 torches use a different, smaller set of parts.

Which tungsten should I buy if I weld both steel and aluminum?

A 2% lanthanated tungsten is the simplest single choice, since it works on DC for steel and stainless and on AC for aluminum. Ceriated is a reasonable alternative. Thoriated is the legacy option and is mainly a concern because of grinding dust.

Do I need a gas lens, or is a standard collet body enough?

A standard collet body is fine for flat joints with a short stick-out. A gas lens gives a smoother shield, which helps on stainless and when you need a longer stick-out for inside corners. A stubby gas lens is for tight access when a standard torch will not fit.

Do I need a dedicated tungsten sharpener?

You can sharpen on a bench grinder wheel kept only for tungsten, but a dedicated diamond-wheel grinder or handheld sharpener holds the angle more consistently. The key is to grind lengthwise and never share the wheel with other metals.