arc welder

right guys just bought a arc welder. Im completly new to welding this may sound dumb but how do you use one i.e setup,controls and what welding rods to use on a landy chassis cheers

you should of done a search before buying anything this subject has been covered many many time and some real good advice was given ........... personally i think you will struggle with a arc if you have no experience

i know but i saw it on ebay with 2 minutes left for £12 on ebay for a year old clarke 100 which i thought was a bit of a bargain

Series 2A said:

i know but i saw it on ebay with 2 minutes left for £12 on ebay for a year old clarke 100 which i thought was a bit of a bargain

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If Its only 100Amp, you may struggle a bit to get decent penetration to do chassis welding. It would need to be cranked up full, and will probably cut out on thermal overload after a short time.

You will need to use 2.5mm rods (thats thickness), as it will struggle to burn 3.25mm.

The set is a bargain, just has limited use. If I was you, for £12 its ideal to learn and cut your teeth on. Get some 2.5mm rods, and othe sizes (keep stored in a dry warm place-airing cupboard), get some scraps of steel, and just have a play. The cleaner the steel, the easier it is to strike an arc, and make a run, as your earth is better (thats the clamp you attatch to the job for the circuit). Its better if you have a headshield that you dont need to hold, as it frees up the other hand.

I am saying all this on the basis that you sound like you have not done any welding??? DO NOT LOOK AT THE ARC, OR LET ANYONE ELSE WATCH IT AS IT CAN DAMAGE EYES.

Be patient

use 2.5 or less diameter rods, 100amps will penetrate reasonably deep, so i would run at about 85 or 90 amps to weld 2mm, always check with a test piece first though. and when welding on the vertical move downwards from the top as if you move upwards the weld will be VERY drippy and extremely hard to control, downwards is better but still quite hard.

discomikey said:

use 2.5 or less diameter rods, 100amps will penetrate reasonably deep, so i would run at about 85 or 90 amps to weld 2mm, always check with a test piece first though. and when welding on the vertical move downwards from the top as if you move upwards the weld will be VERY drippy and extremely hard to control, downwards is better but still quite hard.

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Vertical is a bit ambitious, if you've never struck an arc. You need to get used to just striking up first and putting a run on a piece of plate in a vice or on the bench.......you will make a mess of your chassis if you dive in.

If you do go vertical, you want to go from bottom to top, in a slight triangular motion. If you go top to bottom, the rod flux (slag), contaminates the weld pool, which will give you porosity. It will look messy until you chip the slag off, but bottom to top is best and is stronger in most cases. Its how grass roots welding is taught. Just practice on scrap plate........you will need to for a fair while. Just remember your eyes, and be aware that arc flash can burn skin, so gloves are advisable.

It takes patience, but try and enjoy it......well done for having a go.

The best thing I ever did was to buy an auto darkening helmet, It allowed me to control the rod with my free hand and my welds improved exponentially.
Almost overnight I changed from sticking stuff together with pidgeon poo to proper welding.

Practice lots before comitting to repair work.

........Another thing.....ALWAYS disconnect your battery when welding on your vehicle......it can shag it if you don't.

Choppertrash said:

........Another thing.....ALWAYS disconnect your battery when welding on your vehicle......it can shag it if you don't.

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I have read the latest thinking on this is leave battery attached on newer motors as it helps to protect the other circuits.
I think the jury is out on this but always keep the earth lead close to area being welded,and you can use a spike protector.

I only disconnect the battery as that it what I was taught years ago to protect the alternator and have never had any problems!

cheers guys all very helpful but will be practising first though til i get it right then give the chassis a go which is a 50p size hole on the end of an outrigger

and what ever rust patches turn up in the future no doubt.

If you weld the body, with the ARC welder set to max, it will burn holes. Get a few pieces of scrap metal with various thickness, and play around. Draw a straight line on it with a marker. always weld away from you if you can help, never weld backwards, it is difficult to keep your welding circles straight if you cant follow your welding line. You can either make connecting C's or circles which I use it is stronger. Look on youtube you will find a few clips on arc welding. Hope this helps.

Welding is the most erotic of the manual skills!

First of all you have to ensure that the pieces you wish to mate are scrupulously clean ... No **** around!

The next bit is to maximise your penetration! How do you do that?
1/. make sure that the end of your rod is hot by holding it against the piece you want to work on
2/. once your end is red hot, introduce it to the pre-prepared gap
3/. be careful, otherwise your angle of approach will not allow you the penetration required
4/. when you have a good entry at the right angle, you will see the hot substances begin to flow
5/. once the juices start to flow, you move your rod in a slightly circular motion, which mates both sides and gives you satisfaction
6/. if you are doing downhand, and you have got your entry angle correct, you should almost be able to lay your red-hot and steaming rod in the gap and it will give you a fully rooted joint.

However, as with everything else, practise makes perfect!

Many local colleges run 10 week beginners welding courses, so why not sign up for one of those?

willa said:

. always weld away from you if you can help, never weld backwards, .

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your right with mig. with arc you work towards you, not so much moving your hand backwards, but holding the rod at an angle and mvong it down.

the angle of the rod affects how much rod goes into each inch of weld.

i agree with the rest of your statement

Choppertrash said:

........Another thing.....ALWAYS disconnect your battery when welding on your vehicle......it can shag it if you don't.

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And the alternator. Ensure you have the correct lenses on the shield. Electric, not gas.

I've also got ark welder and have welded that and MIG many years ago. BUT would it be better to get a mig for odd repairs on body work? Thats is on 1977 88" swb.

wot did Emzara think of your work ethics?

Sorry, is that a yes to mig?

an ark welder