On #8 cup about 10-15 cfh on flow meter for steel. You can turn it down until you start seeing porosity in your welds. Do not fully open valve; you are supposed to throttle the gas flow to the desired flow rate. Press torch trigger to start gas flow, then watch metal ball float on gas – throttle the open/close valve down to set desired flow rate.
Shade: Controls how dark the lens becomes when activated (protection level). Higher number = darker.
Sensitivity: Determines how easily the helmet responds to arc light. Higher = safer.
Delay: Controls how long the lens stays dark after the arc stops to protect your eyes from the remaining glow of hot metal.
TIG welding uses DCEN (Direct Current Electrode Negative).
Red (2% Thoriated): The traditional choice for DC steel welding. It offers great arc stability, long life, and easy arc starts, though it contains a small amount of radioactive thorium.
Blue (2% Lanthanated – 1.5% or 2%): A popular, non-radioactive alternative to red. It works well on both AC and DC, handles high amperages, and performs reliably on all steels and alloys.
Grey (2% Ceriated): Ideal for low-amperage DC welding, thin sheet metal, and precision work on carbon or stainless steel.
Purple (Rare Earth / E3): A safe, non-radioactive all-rounder that handles both AC and DC welding across a wide range of metals including steel.