When NOT to use a gas lens?

DennisCA · Wed Mar 15, 2017 6:51 am

I remember this from a video where Jody said the guy who was welding in the video (not him, maybe it was Roy Crumrine) used a regular collet body and that there were reasons for doing that sometimes. But said reasoning could wait for a future video...

Well I never did find that video, not sure it has been made yet, so I am asking here. I have never actually used a collet body, only gas lenses since the very start, so my experience with regular collet bodies is nill. I can't honestly see a situation where I would prefer it, seems it's just better at wasting gas to me.

exnailpounder · Wed Mar 15, 2017 6:59 am

I feel the same way. I use a gas lens all the time.

cj737 · Wed Mar 15, 2017 7:13 am

When you use a small cup (#5 or smaller) the gas flow is pretty normalized so a gas lens is not truly effective. It never hurts, but its not needed as it is when you get to #6 and above. Of course, if you have to use a long stick out, then all bets are off with the smaller cups and gas lenses.

pavetim · Wed Mar 15, 2017 12:52 pm

Kind of piggy back on your question does it benefit or negate at all using a bigger cup. Say I have the room but I am only welding 16 ga steel would a 8 cup be detrimental at all? I know uses more gas but is that it?

LtBadd · Wed Mar 15, 2017 1:18 pm

Use a standard collet body when the gas lens is too big to get into where ever you need to weld

cj737 · Wed Mar 15, 2017 1:39 pm

pavetim wrote:Kind of piggy back on your question does it benefit or negate at all using a bigger cup. Say I have the room but I am only welding 16 ga steel would a 8 cup be detrimental at all? I know uses more gas but is that it?

There's not really a detriment to using a gas lens. If you are using a larger cup, then it's certainly beneficial, and even on thinner metal as you get more gas coverage to evacuate the oxygen from the weld and limit contamination. You should also be able to travel faster with a larger cup in your scenario.

Oscar · Wed Mar 15, 2017 2:26 pm

if you weld on crappy old steel, old crusty aluminum castings of unknown alloy compositions , or attempt to tig something/somewhere there might be the a draft/breeze that could blow your argon away, the puddle may start to fizzle/spit back at the cup, and if you're running a gas lens, you just ruined the first layer of mesh screen.

Olivero · Wed Mar 15, 2017 6:31 pm

I've read about these gas lenses but have never tried one.

Are they really worth the change out? Seems like more stuff to worry about breaking with all its components.

The cups just shatter and its over, at least you know its dead

cj737 · Wed Mar 15, 2017 6:55 pm

Olivero wrote:I've read about these gas lenses but have never tried one.

Are they really worth the change out? Seems like more stuff to worry about breaking with all its components.

The cups just shatter and its over, at least you know its dead

The gas lenses replace the collet body, not the cups. You can still use a traditional alumina cup with them, or a Pyrex (like you can with a collet body).

LtBadd · Wed Mar 15, 2017 7:00 pm

cj737 wrote:
Olivero wrote:I've read about these gas lenses but have never tried one.

Are they really worth the change out? Seems like more stuff to worry about breaking with all its components.

The cups just shatter and its over, at least you know its dead
The gas lenses replace the collet body, not the cups. You can still use a traditional alumina cup with them, or a Pyrex (like you can with a collet body).

Oliver, there's nothing to worry about breaking unless you happen to be a torch thrower when you get mad.

cj737 I would just clarify to say the gas lens does replace the cup in the sense that you have to have the correct cup for the gas lens.

Olivero · Wed Mar 15, 2017 9:32 pm

Well, I don't throw them, I just drop them a lot

Okay, I might have to look them up again then.

cj737 · Wed Mar 15, 2017 10:13 pm

LtBadd wrote:
cj737 wrote:
Olivero wrote:I've read about these gas lenses but have never tried one.

Are they really worth the change out? Seems like more stuff to worry about breaking with all its components.

The cups just shatter and its over, at least you know its dead
The gas lenses replace the collet body, not the cups. You can still use a traditional alumina cup with them, or a Pyrex (like you can with a collet body).
Oliver, there's nothing to worry about breaking unless you happen to be a torch thrower when you get mad.

cj737 I would just clarify to say the gas lens does replace the cup in the sense that you have to have the correct cup for the gas lens.

His statement implied a confusion between the gas lens and Pyrex cups ("Seems like more stuff to worry about breaking with all its components. The cups just shatter and its over..."). Hence my statement. True, a gas lens uses a different style of alumina cup, or Pyrex cup over a standard collet body, but does not require anything "more" that would shatter or break over a standard collet body.

LtBadd · Thu Mar 16, 2017 4:52 am

cj737 wrote:His statement implied a confusion between the gas lens and Pyrex cups ("Seems like more stuff to worry about breaking with all its components. The cups just shatter and its over..."). Hence my statement. True, a gas lens uses a different style of alumina cup, or Pyrex cup over a standard collet body, but does not require anything "more" that would shatter or break over a standard collet body.

That makes sense