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Fabrication and Metalworking Get welding advice, discuss different alloys, share pictures of your first fabrication attempts, as well as welds you are especially proud of

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  #1  
Old 12-14-2008, 07:28 AM
Retired Retired is offline
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Smile Ready Welder heat

Using 2 12 volt batteries the Ready Welder is really hot. Is there an easy way to cut the amperage down?
The factory suggests putting a hunk of chain in series with the power input, too unreliable.

Thanks in advance.
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  #2  
Old 12-14-2008, 08:49 AM
NAILER341 NAILER341 is offline
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what are you welding that it is too hot for?
http://forum.readywelder.com/
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  #3  
Old 12-14-2008, 11:06 AM
Retired Retired is offline
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I use mine for trail fixing - which means whatever breaks. It could be as thick as 3/8" one time, then 1/8" the next time.

Things like putting a spring perch back on where you can use the heat one minute, then tacking a Hi-lift handle on a stock thin little tie rod the next.

If there was a simple method of cutting back the heat it would be nice.
I tried using a carbon pile in series with the input, but then the cold switch wouldn't work.
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  #4  
Old 12-14-2008, 12:43 PM
TObject TObject is offline
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Using one battery, or connecting two batteries in parallel, instead of in series, will cut down the amperage in half.
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  #5  
Old 12-14-2008, 05:14 PM
mrblaine mrblaine is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Retired View Post
Using 2 12 volt batteries the Ready Welder is really hot. Is there an easy way to cut the amperage down?
The factory suggests putting a hunk of chain in series with the power input, too unreliable.

Thanks in advance.
Learn how to trigger weld. That will readily solve your problem.
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  #6  
Old 12-14-2008, 06:02 PM
Retired Retired is offline
Just call me rich, rrich that is.
 
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When using only one battery - or two in parallel, yes the amperage is lower, but it's very hard to get the arc started, Open circuit voltage is too low for an easy start. Once it's going it's OK.
But trying to get it started like that while lying on your back on an anthill with the sun in your eyes it's not much fun. (Why does that always seem to happen?)

I just wondered (spelled hoped) if someone had an easy trick to cut down the amperage.

Otherwise I love the RW.

Sometimes the gun is a bit big to get into some places. At a welding supply store I found some copper tips that are about 3" long. I had to thread the ends 1/4 x 20 as I recall. Then they screwed right in.
Then I took a short hunk of copper tube to extend the shielded end around that long tip. Now can reach into places that the stock way couldn't. Cost? maybe $2.

That and the cold switch sure made life easier.
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  #7  
Old 12-14-2008, 07:02 PM
TObject TObject is offline
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To cut down the amperage all you can do is lower the voltage or increase the resistance. See Ohm’s Law. But maybe cutting down the amperage is not really what you want.

Definitely listen to mrblaine’s advice.
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  #8  
Old 12-14-2008, 08:51 PM
mrblaine mrblaine is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Retired View Post
When using only one battery - or two in parallel, yes the amperage is lower, but it's very hard to get the arc started, Open circuit voltage is too low for an easy start. Once it's going it's OK.
But trying to get it started like that while lying on your back on an anthill with the sun in your eyes it's not much fun. (Why does that always seem to happen?)

I just wondered (spelled hoped) if someone had an easy trick to cut down the amperage.

Otherwise I love the RW.

Sometimes the gun is a bit big to get into some places. At a welding supply store I found some copper tips that are about 3" long. I had to thread the ends 1/4 x 20 as I recall. Then they screwed right in.
Then I took a short hunk of copper tube to extend the shielded end around that long tip. Now can reach into places that the stock way couldn't. Cost? maybe $2.

That and the cold switch sure made life easier.
It's not the amperage that's the issue. It's the voltage. The reason it won't start the arc with one battery or two in parallel is the voltage is too low.

I'd like to carry a 6 volt battery sometime to see what it does on 18 volts instead of 24. Seems to be about the right voltage for most of the stuff we repair on the trail.

But, as I said earlier, learn how to trigger weld for the thinner stuff. It will do just about anything you want after that.

I'm still looking to adapt a tig ceramic cone onto mine to stop that hot arc.
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  #9  
Old 12-15-2008, 07:33 PM
Retired Retired is offline
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I trigger weld the thinner stuff now, but it's not near as good as doing it right.

The 6 volt battery - yes, it get's the heat reasonable for most things, but keeping that 6 volter charged is a PITA. I ended up just charging it up once in awhile with a charger at home.

I tried a RW with a Premier once - that was awesome - high frequency DC with a spoolgun.

I was hoping somebody had a "slick trick."

Thanks
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  #10  
Old 12-15-2008, 10:47 PM
mrblaine mrblaine is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Retired View Post
I trigger weld the thinner stuff now, but it's not near as good as doing it right.

The 6 volt battery - yes, it get's the heat reasonable for most things, but keeping that 6 volter charged is a PITA. I ended up just charging it up once in awhile with a charger at home.

I tried a RW with a Premier once - that was awesome - high frequency DC with a spoolgun.

I was hoping somebody had a "slick trick."

Thanks
When you find the slick trick, post up. I have the same issues.
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  #11  
Old 12-16-2008, 03:18 AM
Retired Retired is offline
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What I'm hoping will work - I scrounged a carbon pile from an old VAT 40 battery tester. It's a variable resistance capable of up to 400 Amps.

Essentially it's a stack of carbon plates on top of one another. Current flows through the plates. A screw with a knob presses the plates together. Light pressure gives relatively high resistance, increase the pressure resistance goes down.

It's the load used on some battery testers.

I'll hook it in series with the RW output - on the output's ground side. It should cut down on the current by the added resistance when welding, but since there's 0 current draw when open circuit the voltage across the electrodes should be high - for starting. Once it starts, the amperage will drop.
Once it lights you could adjust the carbon pile up or down to where you like it.

Well, hopefully that'll be what happens.

My concern is it may get really HOT!

I'll post it when I try it.
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  #12  
Old 03-20-2009, 02:54 AM
Retired Retired is offline
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My idea works slick!

I used a carbon pile resistor from an old battery tester - actually a Sun Vat 40. I mounted it in a separate box. The small metal box doesn't take up much room.

The first time I tried it, it started to work - welded about an inch, then nothing. Removed it, still nothing. The welder wouldn't work anymore. Fortunately it was at home in my shop so it wasn't critical. I'd put it on the + input lead, dropping the voltage to the welder. The cold switch blew. I don't know if that's what caused the cold switch to go south.
Sent it to RW - they fixed it.

I tried it again, but this time I put the carbon pile on the ground clamp, right by the weld. This time it was on the output rather than the input. Side benefit is it's next to where I'm welding, easy to reach to adjust it. It can even be adjusted while welding. Start the arc, adjust the heat to where you want it - fast, easy.

The ground clamp attaches to the carbon pile, then a short lead attaches to the work as the ground. So far so good - I've used it several times like that. I even used it to repair a horse corral. It was too hot otherwise.

Sorry I haven't been able to get back sooner with this - I've been laid up after my heart operation. Docs told me any electric welder would cause my new electronic device in me to malfunction (due to RFI.) They are wrong, I'm still alive! Just keep your chest away from where you are welding.

It's a variable resistance. The more you screw down the knob (pressing the carbon plates together) the LESS resistance, thus more current. But, before the arc is struck, since the current is 0, the open circuit voltage is the full 24 volts. The full open circuit voltage makes it easier to start the arc.
But once the arc is started and current flows, the carbon pile cuts down that current (and thus the voltage across the arc.)

Simple basic Ohms law. E=IR

Yes, the small box gets warm, even hot, but trail fixes usually are short welds anyway.
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