Furick Adaptors FAQs
Questions about adaptor kits and conversion parts that let an air-cooled TIG torch take a gas lens body, larger cups and clear cups.
Why must the collet and collet body match my tungsten diameter?
Both parts are made for one electrode diameter. The collet grips the tungsten and the body supports it and carries the gas, so a 2.4 mm electrode needs a 2.4 mm collet and a 2.4 mm collet body or gas lens.
A mismatch usually shows up as an electrode that slips, sits off-centre or arcs poorly inside the torch. When you change electrode size, change the collet and the body or lens together rather than trying to make the old ones grip.
What is the difference between a gas lens body and a standard collet body?
A standard collet body releases the gas through a ring of small holes, so the flow can swirl as it leaves. A gas lens passes the gas through fine screens first, which gives a smoother, less turbulent stream and generally better shielding coverage.
The practical gains are that the electrode can usually be extended further from the cup, which helps in tight joints, and that coverage is more consistent on work where discolouration matters, such as stainless steel. A gas lens also needs cups made for its thread, not the cups from a standard collet body.
Which cup can I fit once I have changed the body?
Cups are matched to the thread of the body or lens, so a gas lens body needs gas lens cups and a standard collet body needs collet body cups. Check the thread and the cup size marking before ordering.
Once the thread fits, choose size by coverage and access. A larger opening gives more gas coverage and suits larger electrodes and higher current, while a smaller cup gets into tight spaces but speeds the gas up, which can add turbulence. Use the largest cup the joint allows.
What does the heat shield or insulator in an adaptor kit do?
It sits behind the cup, between the cup and the torch head, and is generally there to protect the head from heat and to help hold the cup and seal the gas path when a wider gas lens cup is fitted. It is a wearing part.
Replace it if it is cracked, distorted or scorched, and always use the one made for your torch type and body style. Leaving it out, or using the wrong one, can leave a gap where gas escapes and the head is exposed to more heat than it was designed for.