Symptom-first troubleshooting

Tungsten Contamination Troubleshooting

Troubleshoot contaminated tungsten, arc wandering, dipping, gas coverage, tungsten prep, and TIG cup setup.

Most Common Causes

  • Tungsten touched filler metal or puddle
  • Insufficient shielding gas or poor cup/gas lens setup
  • Wrong tungsten prep, diameter, or amperage range
  • Contaminated material, filler, or work area

Beginner Explanation

What this means in plain English

Tungsten contamination means the electrode picked up weld metal or dirt. The arc can wander, spit, or become hard to control until the tungsten is cleaned or re-ground.

Compatible Processes to Check

TIG

Machine and Equipment Pages to Check

Related Support Pages

Long-Tail Search Phrases Covered

TIG tungsten contamination causeswhy does my tungsten ball uparc wandering contaminated tungstenTIG cup gas lens checks

TIG Quick Shop Tip

Shop tip: check tungsten condition, cup size, gas flow, and torch heat rating before replacing torch hardware.

Quick Support Links

The most useful nearby paths, kept short for fast scanning.

Need More Help?Troubleshooting, blog guides, and deeper diagnostics

What does this part do?

A TIG cup controls shielding gas coverage around the tungsten and puddle. Cup size and gas lens setup affect coverage, access, and heat tolerance.