Canska Posted December 15, 2008 Share Posted December 15, 2008 I inherited this little welder (sorry, the picture quality is terrible). Its decades old, says "115V 50A" on the face, has no controls other than an on/off switch. I don't know a lot about electric welders, but I assume its an AC arc welder. I believe its output is about 25V. Is this just a toy? I don't see any recent model welders for sale with such low output. I tried experimenting with it, using a 1/16" rod on scrap steel. It works but seems incredibly difficult to maintain an arc, it extinguishes if the gap gets beyond even 1/32". Is there any use for this thing? Or should I start looking for a decent Lincoln or similar? Thanks :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thomas Dean Posted December 15, 2008 Share Posted December 15, 2008 Cute. Would be like cooking a 3 layer cake using a child's toy oven, the type that uses a light bulb, do-able but not worth the trouble. Check craigslist classifieds: jobs, housing, personals, for sale, services, community, events, forums in your area, you'd be surprised what is available out there for not much $$> Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Canska Posted December 15, 2008 Author Share Posted December 15, 2008 Hahah! I'll take that as a yes, its a toy. Somehow, though, my grandpa used that thing to weld a small boat frame and dozens of other things over the years. Granted, he was a veteran welder, but I can't imagine how he pulled it off. Stil,l I wonder if there's any application for this little tyke. I do intend to get a decent used welder. Any recommendation for a welding newbie (arc, mig, tig)? I was leaning toward arc or mig. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thomas Dean Posted December 15, 2008 Share Posted December 15, 2008 Look for a Lincoln "tombstone", 225 or 250. Will need 220v for power. Also Miller makes a good 225 machine, Thunderbolt. Either will give LONG life. With mig you will be limited on thickness unless you are willing to put out some big $$. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Canska Posted December 15, 2008 Author Share Posted December 15, 2008 Like this one? That's in my price range :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted December 15, 2008 Share Posted December 15, 2008 Ayup. That's a Lincoln tombstone (unofficial name) fine machine that'll do most anything a person needs from body and fender to heavy welding. You might want to do some web searching on the other welder, it could be a valuable collectible. Frosty Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thomas Dean Posted December 16, 2008 Share Posted December 16, 2008 Check this one out... Miller Thunderbolt Arc Welder found it on craigslist. Search was kinda general due to not knowing exactly where you live but there are at least 10 Lincolns and Millers that are in your $ range. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Canska Posted December 16, 2008 Author Share Posted December 16, 2008 I live in the middle of nowhere, but Bloomington is the closest real city, so Chicago is a good haul for me. Thanks for searching though! So now I know what I'm looking for, already I've got a dozen leads close by, shouldn't take long to get something decent and affordable. I'm guessing the best way to get started (other than having a good mentor) is to carefully practice drawing a bead until I can consistently get clean and uniform beads? I've got a good bit of 1/8" scrap for practice. Thanks again! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moya034 Posted December 16, 2008 Share Posted December 16, 2008 Miller and Hobart are owned by the same company. The current models of the Miller thunderbolt and the Hobart stickmate are the same exact machine with different color paint. You can get a Hobart stickmate from tractor supply for $469, which is a pretty good deal for a new machine.Tractor Supply Company - 235 V AC/160 V DC Stick Welder You can work with an AC only stick welder, but I highly recommend an AC/DC unit. DC arc is much smoother and nicer to work with, and also gives you a much greater selection of electrodes you can use. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NateDJ Posted December 16, 2008 Share Posted December 16, 2008 I am actually looking for a welder that small, I have a very good Marquet that i can crank down to about 75A but it still burns through the very thin stuff before I can get the stick moved off in time. Thought about trying to build one using a UPS power supply transformer... it puts out about 25V... no idea what the amperage is though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moya034 Posted December 17, 2008 Share Posted December 17, 2008 I have a very good Marquet that i can crank down to about 75A but it still burns through the very thin stuff before I can get the stick moved off in time. What size material, and what size/type electrodes are using? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oak Hill Forge Posted December 22, 2008 Share Posted December 22, 2008 Even in the economy class welder, I would try to find one that's AC /DC. At some point in your welding ,you will be glad you did. There are many more electrodes to chose from if you have DC capibilities. They make AC/DC versions of the Lincoln and the Miller. I actually used my Lincoln AC/DC machine with an air cooled TIG torch and Argon tank / regulator to do scratch start TIG welding years ago. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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