Shot Darts.

What percentage of Tungsten do I need?
A brief primer of Tungsten.
Which is best? What should I buy? What's the difference?

All "tungsten" darts you can buy are made of tungsten heavy alloy, with Nickel-Iron-Tungsten (W-Ni-Fe) being the most common one, W-Ni-Cu, W-Ni-Cu-Fe being also available, and Tungsten Silver for those with allergies to Nickel.

For darts the amount of tungsten in the alloy is given by a percentage number. So a common "80% Tungsten" dart has 80 percent tungsten and 20 percent Nickel, Copper and/or Ferro. Tungsten darts are available from 80% to 97%.
The higher the tungsten number the slimmer - and the more expensive - the dart is. Of course the dart can also be made shorter and stubbier depending on preference.

The main benefit from a high tungsten percentage is that the dart can be made thinner than a dart with the same weight and a lower tungsten percentage.
Higher tungsten amounts do not indicate better quality or better machining. But there can be variables in the tungsten sintering process that produce better or poorer quality billets.
Tungsten is a very dense metal, it is also very durable.
Using tungsten to make a dart barrel results in a smaller dart for the same weight. We can now buy very thin darts that were not available when brass darts where the main option.
Durability is important, in that it helps retain the dart's precision-machined shape, grooves, and knurling.
Tungsten darts have a distinct advantage over brass. In addition to fewer deflections, they are able to be produced with more variety of knurling patterns on the barrels. These provide a confident grip with less potential for slipping.
The barrels can also be coated with a variety of coatings to improve grip and surface hardness.
Size is often the first factor considered when choosing tungsten dart barrels. At roughly half the diameter of a similar weight brass dart, it is easier to fit three tungsten darts into a double or triple area. Assuming one has the skill, or luck, to get them there.
So, is a 97% tungsten dart better than a 80% one? Not necessarily; it will be more expensive. If you hold 25 gram two barrels, one 80% and one 95% or 97% you won't be able to feel much difference as the physical proportions will be different. The 97% dart might be more brittle than the 80% dart! Just starting out? Buy the cheaper one, but buy what feels comfortable for you  to throw. You have plenty of time to try and buy lots more and end up with the awesome collection that people here seem to have.

Tungsten billets can be bought from the main supplier to most of the darts manufacturers around the world China Tungsten https://www.chinadart.com/tungsten_alloy...illet.html, they claim that no amount is too small but I have not looked into costs.
Their website is surprisingly well put together and informative, I paraphrased some of this short article from there and other areas.
Here’s a useful video https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=pl...PccntqMOoI
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Nice overview! But I'm not sure that...

Quote:... Tungsten Nickel Silver for those with allergies to Nickel.

... is what you meant to say.
26's so far this year: I've already lost count. :-)

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(04-26-2014, 08:19 PM)brenthahn Wrote: Nice overview! But I'm not sure that...

Quote:... Tungsten Nickel Silver for those with allergies to Nickel.

... is what you meant to say.

Unfortunately that is exactly what I meant to say! The literature was a bit ambivalent and I picked up and transmitted an error. Good catch though. I have now changed it to read what I meant it to read. Ti-Ag!
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I've seen other mentions of silver-tungsten darts, but I've never actually seen any silver tungsten darts. Do they exist? Did they ever?
26's so far this year: I've already lost count. :-)

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(04-26-2014, 08:48 PM)brenthahn Wrote: I've seen other mentions of silver-tungsten darts, but I've never actually seen any silver tungsten darts. Do they exist? Did they ever?
This was a pain. "In recent years a growing number of people have become allergic to Nickel. With Nickel-Tungsten darts being the standard equipment nowadays these people will have problems with their darts. There are a few darts available with different tungsten alloys, such as silver tungsten or copper tungsten. However, these darts are very rare. The major dart manufacturers don't supply them. If you are allergic to Nickel you will probably have to look for these alternatives." From https://www.chinadart.com/tungsten_heavy...arrel.html
For Copper Tungsten go to https://tungsten-copper-dart.com/tungste...llets.html
Ag-W is available but I cannot find any source for darts, it is used in welding so I guess a welding rod could be turned into a dart. I was hoping nobody else would pick up on this.
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I'm not meaning to be nit-picky. But I am allergic to nickel (as is Dartsnutz member Jeroen and at least one other whose name I forget) so I have an understandable interest in the subject and have posted quite a bit about it. And if there was something you knew about the existence and "gettability" of silver tungsten darts, I wanted to hear about it :-).
26's so far this year: I've already lost count. :-)

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(04-26-2014, 10:10 PM)brenthahn Wrote: I'm not meaning to be nit-picky. But I am allergic to nickel (as is Dartsnutz member Jeroen and at least one other whose name I forget) so I have an understandable interest in the subject and have posted quite a bit about it. And if there was something you knew about the existence and "gettability" of silver tungsten darts, I wanted to hear about it :-).
Oh, I don't take it as nit-picky. It is a serious topic. Every path I followed in my research leads me to the same dead end. I am sure it is available, just a matter of finding it. I have sent a request to the China Dart, so watch this space. i asked for a source of Ag-W or Cu-W billets, or actual darts. I think this company supplies most of the world's dart makers.
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Don't have the link handy, but I found a foundry (heh) in Indiana that makes 2' X 1/4" copper tungsten rods (80% W), that in theory contain no nickel. Forget the price, but if they have them in stock they're pretty cheap. If they don't, it's a $500 minimum order. And for another $500 you can get an official mil-spec assay to prove there's no nickel.
26's so far this year: I've already lost count. :-)

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(04-26-2014, 11:29 PM)brenthahn Wrote: Don't have the link handy, but I found a foundry (heh) in Indiana that makes 2' X 1/4" copper tungsten rods (80% W), that in theory contain no nickel. Forget the price, but if they have them in stock they're pretty cheap. If they don't, it's a $500 minimum order. And for another $500 you can get an official mil-spec assay to prove there's no nickel.
How many rods does that buy you?
Would that be TungstenCo at https://www.tungstenco.com/default.htm ?
Oh, look at this https://www.ebay.com/bhp/tungsten-rod
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(04-26-2014, 11:33 PM)speszel Wrote: How many rods does that buy you?
Would that be TungstenCo at https://www.tungstenco.com/default.htm ?

I take it back about the 2 feet part -- it was 8 inches. So a rod = 1 set of darts.

This was the place: Mi-Tech.

Like I said, I forget the in-stock price per rod but I seem to recall it was in the high teens (USD).
26's so far this year: I've already lost count. :-)

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China is great for buying metals. I've bought quite a bit of titanium stock from there in recent years. It's quality stuff. I wouldn't hesitate to buy tungsten if I had use for it.
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(04-27-2014, 12:16 AM)Cyanide Wrote: China is great for buying metals. I've bought quite a bit of titanium stock from there in recent years. It's quality stuff. I wouldn't hesitate to buy tungsten if I had use for it.

LOL yea we ship it over there and then we buy it back of them for extravagant prices, IDJETS

Nice thread speszel.
I actually sent them an email about purchasing some blanks a few months ago and they actually replied with something like, as it is only small quantities you want then it will not be as cheap as larger quantities, but they never did state the price, and I never did get back to them, The point is though, THEY REPLIED!!! I was amazed, did spin bull dust about opening my own company though lol.

Good thread and a +1 for your time and effort.
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(04-27-2014, 03:14 AM)DIRTY G Wrote:
(04-27-2014, 12:16 AM)Cyanide Wrote: China is great for buying metals. I've bought quite a bit of titanium stock from there in recent years. It's quality stuff. I wouldn't hesitate to buy tungsten if I had use for it.

LOL yea we ship it over there and then we buy it back of them for extravagant prices, IDJETS

Nice thread speszel.
I actually sent them an email about purchasing some blanks a few months ago and they actually replied with something like, as it is only small quantities you want then it will not be as cheap as larger quantities, but they never did state the price, and I never did get back to them, The point is though, THEY REPLIED!!! I was amazed, did spin bull dust about opening my own company though lol.

Good thread and a +1 for your time and effort.

Thanks DirtyG I appreciate that.
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I think most tungsten is provided from china now anyway.
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