expected lifespan of a gas lense

[Robbbby]

i just took a look at my 3/32 and the outermost screen is breaking apart, and the little ring around the hole that the tungsten goes through is also falling apart. i went and bought a new one and after very little use the ring has fallen apart on this one as well.

[OldSparks]

This must be an aluminum thing. I only weld mild and stainless and the lenses don't show any wear at all. Only problem would be with accidental arcs on dirty material in the overhead. This could cause slag particles to stick to the screen.

[Rocky D]

Sounds unusual...things that destroy gas lenses are welding in AC, or DC galvanized....but when they just fall apart in the middle, I would say that's a mf'g defect. IN AC , the HF will travel up the tungsten, and fry the screen lens that's why you change to a solid collet body when welding aluminum...don't use a gas screen lens for aluminum.

[Robbbby]

wow, i did not know that you cannot or shouldn't use a gas lense for ac. thanks for that little bit of info, i have a bunch of aluminum to weld soon and would have probably went and bought another gas lense.

the ones i currently have that are falling apart have only been used for mild steel and aluminum. i'll try and get pictures, maybe that will help to figure out my problem.

[Jonesy70]

you can use them, but Rocky is right...they will not last very long! Personally...I would rather use the gas lense for the gas coverage...but my job buys gass lenses by the hundreds for the bulk discount...so if I nuke a few while aluminum welding...they don't miss them

[gtcway]

I just got a gas lense for my thermal arc 185. As far as I know, inverter tig welders don't use high frequency full time. Will this let me use the gas lense for AC welding? Most of the welding I do is aluminum.

[SundownIII]

gtcway,

You are correct. A gas lens used on an inverter (non-continuous HF) will last a lot longer than a gas lens used on a transformer based (continuous HF) machine.

The HF starts on an inverter, though, will take a toll on the gas lens.

[gtcway]

Okay thanks, I'll order a few spare to keep on hand.

[awill4x4]

What a lot of people don't realise is that there are a number of screens in a gas lens not just the outer one you see. I regularly unpick the outer screen with a sharpened 1/16" tungsten when it's badly contaminated and just continue using them with the inner screen with no difference to the welds deposited.
Let's face it, you're going to throw them away anyway so why not give it a try, it effectively doubles the lifespan of the gas lens.
Regards Andrew from Oz.

[Aeroweld]

I'll go so far as to say that welding on galvanized will destroy a gas lens. And I'll also agree that "droppings" from overhead or slag popping from a dirty steel weld will trash one. But I have never had a problem with using a gas lens with AC HF. I am using a Miller Dial-Arc 250HF and my Trailblazer 250 w/251HF box: neither are inverters. I think I bought some new lens' for my series 19 torch on the dial-arc two or three years ago after maybe 10 years usage. I've had the same 1/8" gas lens on my mobile torch for a couple of years. Since buying a Maxstar 150STL a couple of years ago, the Trailblazer and HF box only do aluminum.
BTW, I'm using straight Argon 100% of the time. Are you guys that are tearing up gas lens' w/AC HF using a mix? Helium?

Like awill4x4, I too have peeled off the outer screen if it becomes clogged from "junk". Have never noticed a difference in weld quality with one layer removed.