Mig tip thread size 1/4"x20 versus 1/4"x28

[jcornell]

I've been a hobby blacksmith since 2009, using propane at home.  I've built maybe half a dozen burners (T-burner, Wye Burner, Porter style burner) in that time and I just got around to building a new burner in March.  I've used Mig tips in the past, but only for forge burners, I've never done mig welding.

I just discovered that some of the Mig tips in my stash are threaded 1/4"x 28, whilst the Mig tips I bought at the big box store are threaded 1/4"x20.  The ones I bought at the big box store are Lincoln, whilst the ones in my stash are Tweco 14T-30.

So, my question for the day - which brands typically are 1/4"x 20 thread versus 1/4"x28?  I've never seen anything in the welding literature that would tell me that different mig brands use different thread size.  Is this something that everyone already knows and I'm just now catching on?

[Mikey98118]

I believe Tweco first started using 1/4-27 thread for there 1/4 diameter MIG contact tips, clear back in the early sixties. This thread, can be carefully screwed into /4-28 threaded holes, because pure copper threads will reshape successfully in the very similar thread. I believe some brands of MIG tips are now available in standard  /4-28 thread. The main reason that there is no clear answer to your question is that most on these brands import tips for each other tips 

[Goods]

1 hour ago, Mikey98118 said:

The main reason that there is no clear answer to your question is that most on these brands import tips for each other tips 

Not so sure about that, at least in all cases.

 We go through ~250 tips a day in our plant and when we ran into a quality issue, the supplier (in Japan, we are a Japanese company in the US) they were very quick to document the problem with there process at there facility, and be present to countermeasures for the problem to us. (Of course, we are in the process of buy quite a few more systems from them...)

David

[Mikey98118]

Thank you for a forthright presentation of the corporate view of one OEM' : its limitation, however, is the fact that that OEM is Japanese. Limited because Japanese? Yes; you are famous for ever greater quality of products and service. Unfortunately, over the last half century, American manufacturers have been getting ever more infamous for the opposite. 

These days, American brand name tools, are not likely to be high quality, or actually even made in America. And since many American companies are little more than sales outfits, any cheap sales gimmick is fair game.

[jcornell]

Some further research from the WeldingCity website.  If you click deeply into the specifications you'll find a parts diagram with measurements!

The 11T-35 is a tapered mig tip for 0.035 - its thread is M6x1 (which oddly enough, screws nicely into a 1/4-20 threaded opening - who knew?)

The 14T-35 is a tapered mig tip for 0.035 - its thread is 1/4-28, which will not screw into a hole threaded 1/4-20 (I tried this weekend, no dice - that's what got me asking this question).

Both the 11T and 14T tips are supposed to be compatible with Lincoln.

The Miller-Hobart tips listed on WeldingCity all appear to be threaded for 1/4-28.

Both are tapered tips - the 11T-35 is just a little bit longer than an inch long.  The 14T-35 is a little bit longer than 1.5" long.

[Mikey98118]

How can you possibly be listed as a "junior member" after all these yes? Welcome back to the group.

Anyway, Welding City is who I usually go with for MIG tips online, as I hate nasty surprises.

[Mikey98118]

On 4/4/2021 at 6:34 PM, jcornell said:

Both the 11T and 14T tips are supposed to be compatible with Lincoln.

They are compatible with some tips that Lincoln sells, land visa versa. What is good about today's market splace is variety. But buyers either dig as deep as you did to root out some truth, or just roll the dice and hope.