Point geometry for a TIG electrode before you strike an arc. Pick diameter and DCEN steel/SS or AC aluminum, then enter target amps or a thickness band. You get an included-angle range, grind length about 2–2.5× diameter, and a tip-flat or ball note. Shop guidance only — not a mill cert.
Point geometry for a TIG electrode before you strike an arc.
Use it when grinding tungsten for DC TIG welding: enter the electrode diameter and the current you plan to run, and the page suggests the taper length and included angle. Sharper points suit low current and fine work; blunter points carry more current and hold their shape longer. Grind lengthwise along the electrode, on a wheel kept for tungsten only.
This is shop geometry, not a procedure qualification. For DCEN on steel or stainless the included angle gets blunter as amps climb. Grind length along the taper is about two to two-and-a-half electrode diameters. AC aluminum usually balls the tip instead of holding a sharp point.
Grind length ≈ 2d to 2.5d
DCEN included angle (shop bands): low amp ≈ 15–30°, mid ≈ 30–45°, high ≈ 45–60°
Tip flat (DCEN): none on a needle for thin work; about 0.010–0.030 in (0.25–0.75 mm) as amps rise
AC aluminum: balled tip — do not chase a long pointed grind
Amp bands used here (guidance only): under 80 A → low / sharp; 80–160 A → mid; over 160 A → high / blunt. Thickness bands map to the same three buckets. Electrode diameter still has to match the cup and the amperage the tungsten can carry — this page does not size the electrode for you.
| Case | Grind length | Angle / tip |
|---|---|---|
| 3/32 in, DCEN, 100 A | 0.188–0.234 in | 30–45° · small flat OK |
| 1/16 in, DCEN, 60 A | 0.125–0.156 in | 15–30° · needle OK |
| 1/8 in, DCEN, 200 A | 0.250–0.313 in | 45–60° · ~0.020–0.030 in flat |
| 3/32 in, AC aluminum, mid | n/a (ball) | Ball tip · skip long point |
| 2.4 mm, DCEN, 100 A | 4.8–6.0 mm | 30–45° |
How those rows are worked out: grind = 2d…2.5d; 100 A lands in the mid 30–45° band; 3/32 in = 0.09375 in → 0.1875–0.234375 in. Display rounds to thousandths of an inch or one decimal millimetre.
Grind marks should run with the axis of the electrode, not around it. Circumferential scratches make the arc walk. Use a dedicated tungsten grinder or a fine wheel reserved for tungsten, and keep the grind lines parallel to the length.
The full point angle, tip to tip through the axis — not the half-angle from the centerline. A 30–45° included point is a common mid-amp DCEN shape. Some charts quote the half-angle; doubling or halving by accident is how a needle becomes a stub.
On DCEN, a needle tip is fine at low amps on thin metal. As current climbs, a tiny flat (about 0.010–0.030 in) keeps the point from melting off into the puddle. Too large a flat spreads the arc. This page suggests a band, not a micrometer callout for every alloy.
Alternating current on aluminum tends to ball a pure or zirconiated tip. Trying to hold a long pointed grind usually wastes time; dress a short blunt end and let the arc form the ball, or pre-ball on scrap. Rare-earth electrodes behave differently — follow the electrode card, not this calculator alone.
Partly. A 1/16 in electrode is unhappy at 200 A; a 1/8 in electrode is clumsy at 40 A. This calculator assumes you already chose a diameter that fits the job. It only shapes the point for the amps or thickness band you type.
No. It is shop geometry for dressing a tungsten. Gas, cup size, filler, joint prep, and procedure qualification sit outside this page. Not a mill cert and not a substitute for the electrode manufacturer’s sheet.