Copper Plus Electrode EOL

[urbnsr]

Here is a couple of pics of a Copper Plus electrode after quite a bit of use. I should have kept track of the inches cut, but didn't. I think it's time for a new one.

[Shane Warnick]

I bet it has at least another 4,000 inches of cut left in it..... I think I read somewhere you are supposed to run them until the arc turns into green fire, THEN it's time for a new one.

I don't have the stones to make myself run one that long, looks about half as deep a pit as when I replace mine. Jim Colt said the electrode is fed towards the tip as it is consumed, so I figure when a pit starts to form, it's about all used up. I ran one on my old torch (T80M) until it was all used up, and the green fire came to see me. It ruined the nozzle, the shield, and the piece that was being cut. Since then, I have been rather conservative with replacing consumables.

Hard to justify not replacing a $6 electrode and ruining $20 worth of steel.

I will say that is a serious pit on the end of that electrode, makes me wonder just how much hafnium there is / how deep it goes once it quits feeding out towards the tip.

Shane

[jimcolt]

It is definitely not recommended to run any plasma electrode until you see green flame.....as this will destroy the nozzle, the shield, and overheat the torch body. Too many over heats on the torch body will affect the integrity of the internal insulation...eventually causing failure.

Jim Colt Hypertherm