home made welder?

[Norseman C.B.]

I remember seein a kit for making a welder from an old aircraft generator in the burden supply warehhouse catalog as well as the generator

CB

[Metal Head]

yeah,just get someone to film you when you try this so I can watch it on america's funniest home videos!SHOCKING!!!!

[pauldude000]

Mean Coyote

Your motor is more than big enough. You could technically run a home generator with that puppy!

Someone mentioned that steady amperage is what is necessary, and that is absolutely true. Also, like they said, hard to accomplish. Your voltage and amperage will change with load (before/after arc initiation), and also with engine speed. Ideally, a movable core isolation transformer would be useful here for this. However, you might as well buy a stick welder for the cost of one which will handle those amps. (or get one from a stick welder. )

I would get a couple of high amperage 400amp bridge rectifiers, and get rid of the factory diode pack. DC arcs tend to give a better weld than A.C. anyway.

If you want to try your hand at the electronics aspect of amperage regulation, I can attempt to either find or create a schematic if you desire.

Paul Andrulis

[OlCatBob]

Hey folks, just to let you know, I did build one. It's based on this design, On-Board Welder. I have mine on an old pressure washer frame, with an 8 hp B&S engine with electric start. I had to have a battery on it anyway, so it was easy to incorporate. I found a 100 amp alternator at Pull-a-part in Nashville for the basis of my welder. I worked very well with 3/32 rods, and you can hook 'em up to run straight or reverse polarity. Mine isn't running now, as the float stuck open, and filled the crankcase with gas, and the next time I started it, ugh.