BromicAcid - 18-4-2006 at 20:05
I'm currently on the lookout to buy 500 grams or so of tungsten metal but I'm having difficulty finding any real sources online outside of eBay (I
know it's in welding rods but I was looking for a more commerical source). Does anyone have a cheap (realatively so) source that carries tungsten
metal in any shape or form (wire, powder, lump, sheet, etc.)? With the stipulation that it must be of a known purity?
[Edited on 4/19/2006 by BromicAcid]
solo - 18-4-2006 at 20:40
Have you tried this place......solo
http://tungstenco.com/
BromicAcid - 18-4-2006 at 20:52
Yes, I found that site but I have not asked for a quote yet on their tungsten though I likely will soon.
Fleaker - 18-4-2006 at 20:54
I think I have about 500 grams of tungsten elements and a large spool of the pure wire somewhere in the basement. I originally got them from a
friend's father who works at General Electric. It's unlikely that I will find them anytime soon, but if I do, I'll send you a message.
Polverone - 18-4-2006 at 21:39
500 grams is a considerable amount. If you can find a place that does TIG welding, maybe you can get electrode stubs for free or cheaply.
If you do a Froogle search for tungsten powder, it appears that it's used to weight golf clubs. You can get a half pound for $18. I don't know if that is cheap enough, but it's certainly cheaper than a "real" supplier like http://www.micronmetals.com.
If you go with golf club powder or TIG remnants, there isn't going to be a certificate of analysis of course, but I imagine that buying something of
certified purity is going to raise the price considerably.
Tacho - 19-4-2006 at 03:35
Why you don't want welding rods? They are easy to find, any decent hardware shop has them. It has to be quite pure, since tungsten temperature
resistance is hard to match.I bought one a few weeks ago, about 20cm long 4mm diameter. Looks synterized (sp?).
12AX7 - 19-4-2006 at 10:44
Most TIG rods have some thorium, lanthanum, zirconium or other in them to improve emission. Maybe 2% tops, so 97% pure or so.
Tim
hodges - 19-4-2006 at 18:01
Aren't light bulb filaments mostly tungsten? Of course, it would take a lot of them to get 500 grams.
BromicAcid - 19-4-2006 at 18:05
I guess I may as well consider the use of tungsten welding rods to acheive my goal although it is not the optimal solution. On eBay they have rods
that are claimed to be Pure Tungsten for $12.45 including shipping for 5 rods (approx 7 in w/ 3/32 diamter) and according to some density
calculations, assuming they are tungsten, that works out to 305 grams of tungsten. But isn't there some sort of coating on these rods?
Polverone, I had no clue tungsten powder was used like that for golf clubs, interesting, also the container states that it should be kept from
ignition sources, I wonder what other kinds of fun could be had with it. I think I've got enough information to go off of for my reasons but that
doesn't mean I won't be accepting of new places or ideas, thanks everyone so far.
Misanthropy - 31-5-2006 at 19:47
You can find tungsten slugs at gun shows around here occasionally. (I don't know why....) They are about .45 caliber and just a bit longer. Just
cylindrical stock. They run about .25 cents each from one of the random shit dealers.
Maybe your local gun show as well.
froot - 31-5-2006 at 22:16
As I understood it, Tungsten Carbide is used in ammunition, as opposed to the pure metal. You can get the carbide really easy from engineering shops.
Just ask for old cutting inserts.
12AX7 - 31-5-2006 at 23:03
Cutters typically come with a bonus of 10-30% cobalt binder (properly, "cemented carbide", rarely ever pure carbide).
I suppose a mad scientist might grab a few pounds of stock, dissolve the Co with HNO3 and pour off the expensive cobalt solution 
and wash the remaining carbides (which hopefully won't dissolve as well).
Tim
UniversalSolvent - 2-6-2006 at 19:02
United Nuclear sells small tungsten rods. I'm not precisely sure what the overall mass is though.
ethan_c - 7-6-2006 at 00:48
This thread is rather old, but if you contact me (email? AIM? I just registered, getting used to the whole forum thing) I could ( I sincerely advise
against welding rods- been there, done that…) set you up with 500 grams of 99.2% 100 mesh W powder without too terribly much trouble…
And United Nuclear's rods, as generally good of a company as they are, are utter ripoffs. The difference between the rods they sell and a welding rod
is that their rods are far smaller (both diameter and length), griinded, and much more expensive per rod. In other words, a bad deal if you're looking
for quantity (rather than the ~0.5% quality increase you're paying for)