Haven't completely forgotten how to use an arc welder

[Ratbag]

Haven't completely forgotten how to use an arc welder ... :iconwink:.

As I mentioned in another thread, I bought a really cheap Ozito 130-140 amp arc welder. Old-fashioned welding rod type (a 'stick welder') at Bunnings for $97.

It came with a completely useless hand held welding mask (OK for the on-looker/helper to use - useless for the welder to use ... ); pissy little combined wire brush/chipping hammer that's as useful as the mask ...

However, I bought a decent old-fashioned, spring-handled chipping hammer for about $8 from SCA ... :ebiggrin:, and a decent welding mask while I was at Bunnings. Again, an Ozito, that cost a whole $18-19. Packet of 25 2.5 mm mild steel welding rods ($6) and I was ready to go.

The sole, solitary power point in our garage is on the same circuit as SWMBO's PC and whole lots of electronic stuff ... . It is one of the original power circuits in the house, and supplies all the downstairs half on the northern side of the house. Basically, overloaded to buggery!

So I shut down any/all programs that might have corruptible data files open on SWMBO's PC and started a spyware scan so that it was doing something. Had already plugged in the welder and generally got it ready to go, including grinding the heavy rust off a bit of steel bar that was in the shed.

With great trepidation both about my very long break from arc welding (about -26/- Make that about 36 years or so ... ) and the welfare of SWMBO's PC, I managed to strike an arc, and do a one inch long run along the bit of bar.
Very shaky!
But at least it had very good penetration; I didn't electrocute/burn myself; and the computer survived! :ebiggrin: :biggrin:.

The welder even has such luxuries as an ON/OFF switch and a cooling fan, neither of which existed on my old welder.

I will feel far better about all this after the electrician runs me yet another power circuit into the garage! I have finally worked out a usable route for the cable, that shouldn't cost the earth! The house has about a dozen power circuits. It is just this one area that's poorly served off an already overloaded circuit ... , and access is tricky.

 

[Scooby2]

Well you've got it going & that's the main thing. If you have an extension lead and a reverse cycle airconditioner that plugs into a 15Amp wall plug, you could try that route save installing another circuit...

Best regards,

 

[Ratbag]

^ Yes it is, thanks S2.

The air-cons are all on their own circuits, and no 15A plugs anywhere ... .

While I have used a similar welder at the end of a 60 foot extension lead, the voltage drop didn't help much ... .

This welder only draws 10A! I reckon that choke technology has come a fair way since 40 years ago. Better materials for the yoke coils and better manufacturing tolerances seem to give the same low voltage amperage that one needed 12-14 A @ 240V to get back in the olden days.

I do have a very heavy duty 7 metre 15A extension lead from many years ago, and bought a 15A wall plug the other day. It might magically connect itself to the existing circuit for the time being ... :biggrin:. The voltage drop from this will be significantly less than using one of my 20 or 25m leads, even though they aren't light duty either. They are not in the same ball park as the 15A lead, and 3x the length.

Just need to talk the 15A wall plug into installing itself ... :iconwink: :lol: :ebiggrin:.

 

[idw]

Good work ratbag, my grandpa's trick as he got older was to cut the rods in half and change twice as often. Got around the shacky hands mostly.

Power's the funny one though, I use lincoln a 15a plasma cutter on a 10a circuit in the shed, just got to remember to stop for a while when the lights start to dim amd the shop air can't keep up :rotfl:

 

[Ratbag]

Gidday Id

Good work ratbag, my grandpa's trick as he got older was to cut the rods in half and change twice as often. Got around the shacky hands mostly.

That's a good tip thanks mate.

I think most of the shake (today) came from sheer terror at the thought of blowing up SWMBO's PC or any of the other electronics on Circuit #2; and of course from doing something fairly dangerous that I haven't done for so long ... .
As for the other, some days I am rock steady, others I am as shaky as hell. That's just how it is. With all the medications I have to take, it's flaming amazing my hands even work ... Or perhaps they work sometimes because of all the medications ... :iconwink: :lol:.
I'll remember your Granddad's trick though. That could prove very useful to me ...

Managed to remember to put on a long-sleeved shirt made from cotton or wool. It's very easy to forget or overlook basic safety precautions after so long away from doing any of this! Non-flammable clothing is one such ... I did forget to put on a wool beanie though, not that I've got a lot of hair to burn anyway ... :rotfl:.

Power's the funny one though, I use lincoln a 15a plasma cutter on a 10a circuit in the shed, just got to remember to stop for a while when the lights start to dim amd the shop air can't keep up :rotfl:

Apart from the heavier gauge wiring to the appliance, and the wide blade earth pin, there is no difference. Most ordinary circuits can carry around 35A of continuous draw (e.g. our microwave, kettle and toaster are all on the same circuit, and are all used simultaneously - a total of 5600W). The main purpose of the wide blade is to prevent the use of high drain appliances from standard power points (double GPOs in particular), which can and do melt, IME of running welders and kilns off them!

The wide bladed earth pin also prevents using ordinary extension leads, which are often overloaded at their rated capacity. All three of my long extension cords are heavy wire, but probably about half to two thirds the gauge and three times the length of my 15A extension cord.

You ought to see the "Dr Who" plug on SWMBO's electric kiln - 35 or 40A single phase, IIRC.

 

[idw]

Yea somehow slag always seems to find its way to into my hair, I've no idea how. The power only worries me here because it's a rental and an old house and everything's a little dodgey, i could write a book on it.

and indeed you will get a fair bit of power out of household gpo's, most fuses only blow ime when somethings gotten hot enough to melt or weld together, which is a reasonably high current draw, or also ime not blow like in dimmer rack rooms at some of the theaters I've worked in, they just caught fire instead.

 

[Ratbag]

^ Agreed. It's the fuses that don't blow that cause the most problems!

Having said that, I have had to replace a $60 surge/DC protection circuit board in one of my amplifiers twice in 40 years because it 'sacrificed' itself to protect a $2 fuse ... One of the problems that comes with direct coupled output stage amplifiers ... But it does make lovely music ... :iconwink: :biggrin:.

50W RMS per channel, both channels driven, into 16 ohm speakers, in the power bandwidth of 20-20,000 c/s at 0.028% THD on the right channel and 0.029% THD on the left channel ... :ebiggrin: :biggrin:. That's about 2,000W total music power output (MPO is a VERY elastic figure, and concept ... i.e. basically = total BS power ... ). It does have 9600 µF power capacitors on each channel to handle the PMPO ... :iconwink:.

 

[Ratbag]

Today's the day when I try my hand at fabricating some gas strut brackets and welding them in place ...

 

[idw]

Have fun with the brackets! some surge circuits are just badly designed, the older crown cdi's are like that @ 2ohm and 3000w rms they used to kick the bucket, my solution was just to bypass them ****ing useless anyway.

 

[Ratbag]

Thanks, Id

Have fun with the brackets!

Didn't get that far .
After a lot of fluffing around, friend JB and I worked out that the struts are already in their minimum length position, so will take it back to Jimi and have them gassed up a bit so that they balance properly. It's currently just past the point where it's comfortable or easy for me to lift up by myself, and comes down just a little too easily as well.

Having just about done myself in, I have been having a bit of a rest watching a video of 3 Subaru Leone series crossing the Simpson Desert in May 1979. WOW! Just bloody unbelievable driving, and footage!

some surge circuits are just badly designed, the older crown cdi's are like that @ 2ohm and 3000w rms they used to kick the bucket, my solution was just to bypass them ****ing useless anyway.

I agree. However, the output transistors in my amp are direct coupled to the speakers, so that protection circuit is vital. There are 3 trannies per channel, in some rather complex complementary push/pull arrangement that I can't remember the term for, and am too buggered to walk upstairs and pull out the circuit diagrams for it ...

Have to get off my bum now and go and pull the toolbox back off so that I can weld the bracing stays on for my spare wheel pole.

Further down the track, I am contemplating moving the spare wheel to a swing-out or fixed carrier on the trailer's rear gate. This would take quite a lot of weight off the tow hitch.
Also contemplating making the trailer's rear gate into a swing-out, rather than a drop-down at the same time.

If I mount the rear gate on some fairly beefy steel parliament hinges, it should swing away outside the line of the D/S wall of the tent annexe (if it's attached).

Just some thoughts at this stage.

 

[Ratbag]

Well, I tried some actual welding today ... .

In spite of my misgivings, and previous experience, I thought I would wind the welder back to the manufacturer's recommended amperage for the 2.5 mm rods - around 80A. Spluttered, wouldn't sustain an arc, wouldn't strike most of the time - none of this helped by the angle of the sun, regardless of which side I tried welding from ...

So, I wound the amperage up to 90A - a bit better, but not much.

Currently at 100A, and the arc is striking easier, and better continuity. BTW, the welds still look pretty ghastly, but at least they aren't looking quite so much like paddock tarts now ...

I might try a 2.0 mm rod at this amperage and see if that helps. None of it helped by where I'm trying to weld (i.e. around corners, up welds, down welds) - difficult at the best of times, even for a practised welder ... I am a glutton for punishment ... ). Either that, or jump the amperage to around 110A, which is what I always used for this size rod with my old welder.

None of it helped by my nervousness (and not so steady hands ... ), and the fact that the welding glass seems very dark to me, making it all but impossible to see the work (in the shade) until the arc is struck and burning.

It would be unreasonable to expect the practised hands of 36 years ago to be able to do the same job today (without any practise ... ) as if that intervening 36 years didn't exist, I guess!

 

[Ratbag]

^ OK.

Upped the amperage to around 110A ...

Then realised that at least some of the problem is that I am try to use my reading glasses while welding, and I can't even see the bifocal part of the lens with the welding mask down, let alone look through it ... What a d!ckhead ... :rotfl:.

So I have adjusted the welding mask, and will now try my computer glasses (single focus, at around 800-900 mms).

Have also given in to the idea that I can't just pick up a skill that I had 36 years ago, and am running some practise welds along the inside of the piece of heavy channel section steel I use for an anvil. Managed to write a recognisable "RB" on it ... .

 

[Ratbag]

^ That's working considerably better.

Still absolutely no possibility of mistaking my welding for that of a 'gun' welder, but at least I can see what I'm doing a bit better with my computer monofocals, and with the helmet adjusted to a better angle; also less frightened of the arc itself; and getting decent penetration, even if sloping the rod too much and moving it a little bit faster than I should. Those last two items are from nervousness and lack of practice.

For those who have never done any arc welding, having something that's half the surface temperature of the Sun at the end of one's hand is an awesome thing ... The welding arc temperature is somewhere between 3,300°C and 5,500°C. Mild steel melts at around 2,800°F/1,500°C.

The finished weld of my last practice run is more this shape ">>>>>" rather than this shape "))))))", which indicates the above faults to me.

The slag is a nice, symmetrical mound prior to chipping, and is coming away cleanly. Also a good sign.

Having burned the grand total of four 350 x 2.5 mm rods so far, I am happy with how I am improving and getting back some of my old practical skills.

The last rod was used in two runs, so getting far better at maintaining the arc at a steady distance, and the welding speed at a steady pace. Even managed to do the weld in fairly close to a straight line ... :iconwink: :lol: :rotfl:.

Who knows? I may not even have to resort to cutting the rods in half for steadiness! If I do though, so be it. That won't be the end of the World!

Some more practice sessions after a cuppa and a little rest ... :iconwink: :lol:.

 

[Davidov]

Is your mask auto darkening? I find they make welding so much easier and more precise as you can actually concentrate on lining the rod up perfectly without worrying about flipping the mask down before blasting your eyes.

Ive found the best rods were the thinnest cigweld rods. Seem to strike an ark much better, and for most applications the thinnest rods which I think are 2mm are enough.

 

[Ratbag]

Gidday Dave

Mate, $18.50 masks don't auto-darken ... :lol:.
IIRC, masks that do cost more than the entire amount I've spent on the welder and accessories to date ...

How quick is the auto darken time?

Thanks for your thoughts on rod sizes. Almost all the arc welding I have done in the past has been with the work being around 1/4"-1/2" plate or tube.

I have a packet of 2.0 mm rods to hand, but will persist with my re-learning using the heavier rods up before I try using the lighter rods. I'll break open that packet and put them out in the sun to dry the coatings out properly, as I did with the other rods.

I used to have an Oxy-acetylene kit as well, so did all finer work using silver or bronze soldering (brazing) with that, as well as cutting and shaping.

 

[Ratbag]

^ Managed to weld a piece of 20x20x2 box at right angles to a bit of rusty bar I have using a 2.5 mm welding rod.

It doesn't look pretty, but I didn't blow any holes through the (relatively) light box section, even at the corners, and I cannot persuade the weld to deform or break using a single-handed sledge hammer ...

A bit more practice isn't going to hurt me, I suspect ... :iconwink: :lol: :rotfl:.

 

[Ratbag]

I have given it away for the day. At this point, I am at least feeling more confident about doing this again.

It is painful having to re-learn what I once had good competence at, but there you are.

I am also re-reading a little book I bought so many years ago published by the James F. Lincoln Arc Welding Foundation, Cleveland Ohio - Who remembers Lincoln arc welders? I originally learned using one, IIRC. The book is titled "Arc Welding Instructions for the Beginner", and starts literally at square one. It is a severely practical book, stating that while arc welding theory, materials and techniques can be highly technical, that the book is designed to teach anyone to weld, and safely and competently in 148 small pages.
My sort of book ... :biggrin:.
Hardcover, it cost me $2.25 in June 1973 ($2.00 in the USA ... ). Worth it's weight in gold, IMNSHO, just like all the other instructional books that we are so fortunate to have access to.

And my thanks to each and every one of the authors, whether corporate or individual ... .

 

[Ratbag]

The book referred to above, "Arc Welding Instructions for the Beginner", is still in print ... .

[ame="https://www.amazon.com/arc-welding-instructions-beginner-Sosnin/dp/B000NEGN9A/ref=sr_1_1/185-7352962-2600369?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1409382182&sr=1-1&keywords=arc+welding+instructions+for+the+beginner"]Available from Amazon[/ame], either new or used.

The edition (reprint) I have is the 1964 edition.

I can highly recommend this little book to anyone who wants to learn all the basics of arc welding, particularly for those using a basic stick welder for ordinary jobbing work.

 

[Ratbag]

BTW Folks

Please don't get me wrong. I would not recommend the welder that I've picked up for really solid use. It only has a 25% duty cycle. It will weld pretty heavy materials, however - like 1/2" or heavier plate. Just don't overwork it when doing so!!

This is a lot higher duty cycle than a lot of welders of this type (domestic stick welders), but if you are planning a project where you want to weld stuff for 8 hours a day and have a 50% duty cycle, this sort/level of welder will probably die within a week or two. I'm not talking about inverter welders here either. They are probably more problematic than domestic choke type welders (what I have, and have had previously).

From what I can gather, domestic MIG welders cost a fair bit; are pretty expensive to run; and have difficulty welding heavy materials. They are very good with light gauge materials, AFAICT.

If you are planning that kind of heavy, long duration welding sessions, then you have to pay a lot more money than I have - either for a heavy duty stick welder, or for a different kind of welding gear altogether; e.g. industrial MIG or preferably TIG.

In that sort of situation, you will also need professional level cutting and shaping equipment as well. All this stuff can get seriously expensive ...

Just a few thoughts, FWIW.

 

[Ratbag]

Today I returned the Ozito welding helmet to Bunnings and exchanged it for an auto-darkening one that cost about $100. They were their normal excellent selves about this, with no difficulties at all, as I have always experienced with them before with returned/warranty goods - no hassles of any description.

The other helmet was far too dark for the sort of welder that I have, and it was all but impossible to see what was being welded in anything but full sunlight, and then only when at the 'right' angle.

The new one is adjustable for filter strength from 9-13, has a "grinding" position for the filter control (no darkening), and both sensitivity and speed controls for the darkening/lightening cycle times. According to the specs, it darkens to the set filter strength in 1/16,000th second!

When the arc is not running, it is like looking through moderate darkness sun glasses.

At least I should now be able to see where the electrode is before the arc is struck! With the other helmet, it was a fairly haphazard process, to say the least ... :lol:.