Metal welding and test equipment - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / beginners

author: tkamiya
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 08, 2022, 05:53:33 pm
content: I am thinking of getting into welding metal. One of my major concern is possibility of generating huge power spike and destroying my collection of test equipment. Welding will be done outside or in garage (with plenty of ventilation) and my test gear are in my lab, but they ultimately connect to the same utility feed to the house. I do have whole house surge protector at breaker panel.Say I use a stick welder and connect it to dryer socket. Would this pose any risk to my test equipment?

author: Benta
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 08, 2022, 05:57:20 pm
content: Extremely unlikely. If you used the welder a couple of feet from the TE, the measurements might be cr*p, that's all.

author: jpanhalt
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 08, 2022, 06:15:02 pm
content: Check the wiring to the dryer outlet. Much older homes might not have a true ground, but rather a "grounded" lead (white) and just 3 wires to the outlet. If not, then running a second ground to a ground rod is covered in our code. For an adjacent garage, I would just be sure everything was off.

author: tkamiya
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 08, 2022, 06:22:36 pm
content: Do you mean "neutral" and two hots? Indeed that is the case. Code did not allow separate ground wire but I heard it was amended recently, and now allows separate ground wire going with 3 wire 240V connection? Do you know what part of code says this?I do have an electrical license but it is from Japan, and I live in US now.

author: geggi1
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: February 08, 2022, 06:50:34 pm
content: If you have expensive sensitive test gear you should not have it connected to the grid permanantly anyway!The simplest and cheepest solution is to unplug the test gear whewn you are not using it.The other option is to get an online UPS between the grid and your test gear. The UPS will clean up your voltage and any dips in the voltage will keept away from the gear.You should also looking into some surge arrestors if you got conserns.

author: jpanhalt
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 08, 2022, 07:00:06 pm
content: Yes, "neutral" is referred to as the "grounded" as opposed to "ground" wire in the NEC. Neutral is not usually switched. So your household wiring might be carrying the ground potential from the welding. I am assuming your welder is 220-230V. Right?Any relatively current NEC will discuss grounding and ground rods. In fact, a local public utility commission may not follow all of the details.As for your situation,I would not run any welder without a good earth ground.Get an abridged NEC at Home Depot. Menards, Lowes, etc., figure out what you want to do, then check with your utility provider. You may be able to do it yourself, assuming it is a single family residence you own.

author: tkamiya
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 08, 2022, 07:13:06 pm
content: Ah, I see. Yes, I am aware Neutral is grounded but is NOT a ground. At the time I installed whole house surge protector at service entry and breaker panel (which happens to be a sub panel), I beefed up the grounding system.I don't have a welder, yet. I'm doing a pre-purchase research to make sure I buy a suitable machine that I can actually use.

author: BILLPOD
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: February 08, 2022, 07:41:22 pm
content: Good Morning Tkamiya, I had a 240V stick welder before I got my 120V wire feed welder, now I hardly ever use the stick welder. And wire-feed is easier to learn on. In my case it was even cheaper to buy. Get wire feed first, is my recommendation.

author: jpanhalt
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 08, 2022, 07:45:27 pm
content: Be aware that some manufacturers (e.g., Hobart, Lincoln) have different grades, one for the welding market and the other for home improvement sales. One difference is the transformer if it has one. I have no direct experience. Both of mine are 1984 vintage (Linde 225 MIG, Miller for TIG/stick). The newer pulsed MIG welders are nice. I am horrible with stick, but nothing beats TIG for fine control.

author: rstofer
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 08, 2022, 08:37:00 pm
content: 3 wire 30A dryer outlets have 2 hots and aground. There is no neutral present! It was thought, at the time, that the miniscule neutral current required by the interior light and timer could just run over the grounding conductor.The 50A range outlet may also be 3 wire with the same logic.30A 3 wire outlet:https://www.amazon.com/Legrand-Seymour-3860CC6-125-volt-250-volt/dp/B000BQSU8CThe dryer outlet and the range outlet were changed to 4 wire devices in the '96 version of the National Electric Code

author: jpanhalt
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 08, 2022, 08:44:10 pm
content: I don't think your assertion applies to knob and tube installations prior to about 1955. If you disagree, come visit Parma, OH for some post war tract homes. There is no ground.

author: rstofer
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 08, 2022, 09:56:43 pm
content: Knob and tube isn't all that common and I have no idea how they wire dryer outlets. I would suspect they have neither ground nor neutral. I have only worked on one house that had knob and tube. There should be a lot of pre-war houses still standing.Houses built prior to around 1950 may have knob and tube even though NM cable was invented by the Rome company in 1922. That's why it is called 'Romex'. I wouldn't make any bets on how knob and tube houses are wired.Open wiring is still common in many countries. I saw individual conductors laid parallel on the wall surface heading toward a light switch while visiting in Malaysia. The house wasn't all that old but all of the wiring was insulated individual conductors stapled to the wall surface. It was done neatly so it wasn't some hack job. That's just the way they did it.The house was a brilliant piece of engineering: It rains pretty heavy so the beds were mounted on pedestals about a foot above the floor so the water flooding through the house wouldn't get to the bedding. There was a one foot screened air gap at the top of all the walls for natural ventilation. It gets hot over there! It was fun to see a house built for the environment.

author: Ground_Loop
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: February 08, 2022, 10:56:07 pm
content: I weld all the time. Never had a problem. Stick, gas MIG and plasma cutter all on 240 VAC 3-wire 60 Amp service about 100 feet from the lab.

author: BrokenYugo
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 08, 2022, 11:50:08 pm
content: The welder is likely only using the third pin as a safety ground, regardless of the third pin's intended use in legacy outlets. I think that's a code thing, hence welders using a plug different than the range/dryer type.The only old (I'd guess ~1960) 50A 3 wire 240 dryer outlet I've messed with, and used to burn at least a few pounds of welding rods without any mysterious failures in the house, doesn't have a proper third wire at all. It uses the aluminum wires in the armored jacket of the cable twisted up into a wire of roughly equal size. I don't think that was ever a legal neutral, as rstofer says, it was just once common practice to make it do double duty as a relatively low power neutral, since both eventually go to the same bus in North American wiring. Only trouble is that only works until it doesn't, hence the eventual outlawing of the practice.

author: tkamiya
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 09, 2022, 02:09:32 am
content: I was actually trained on knob and tube wiring.... old days....

author: jonpaul
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 09, 2022, 10:35:53 am
content: Bonjour à toutes, I am on Old EE, not a welder, but in 1980s my lab was in a warehouse building with welding and arc lamp testing 12 kW métal halide lamps for cinéma up to 55 KV.Often computer and electronic instruments were disturbed or damaged by welders and arc lamp ignition.The best protection is unplugging instruments or never use both electronic and welding at same time.Earthing and wiring safety are related, but a different issue.Many industrial line transient protectors are available in all voltage and KVA ratings, from the usual electrical suppliers, eg Square D, Holt, Eaton.Finally, regardless of the type, MIG, TIG, etc, the welding arc is a copious generator of EMI, conducted and radiated.Just the ramblings of an old retired EEJon

author: JohanH
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: February 09, 2022, 11:13:53 am
content: Quote from: jonpaul on February 09, 2022, 10:35:53 amShort anecdote.My late father in law used these ancient Asea DC generator arc welders (could be as old as from WW2 time, not sure). These were three phase 380/400V (could be driven from a tractor, too). They had a habit of destroying fluorescent lamps in his workshop. The shop was properly grounded. I never figured out what the main issue was. It could've been that the arc welders did induce some currents through ground. Fortunately he didn't have any electronics that could have been destroyed.Picture from the Internet, but this was the type of welders he used until about five years ago. He'd honed his skills with these ancient monstrosities and welded even aluminium and cast iron. Built all kind of farming equipment from scratch and repaired tractor engine blocks etc. He had the largest and thickest skinned hands and fingers I've ever seen, permanently brown from oil and dirt from the machines (rarely used gloves). We used to joke he didn't need a sledgehammer, he used his fists (because he did actually on occasion to dislodge some large metal part).

author: tszaboo
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 09, 2022, 11:30:11 am
content: Quote from: geggi1 on February 08, 2022, 06:50:34 pmNonsense. We had equipment that wasn't even turned off for a decade. You want to have stable environment for voltage references, and for a high end multimeter it could be 30 minutes to settle within specification.OP: Place a surge arrestor, which has warranty for the plugged-in appliances. I see there is a surge arrestor sold at Conrad for 25 EUR, that covers up to 50000 EUR.

author: tkamiya
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 09, 2022, 11:45:40 am
content: Just FYI....I live in Florida, the lightening capital. I have "whole house surge protector" at main feed entrance/panel and at a subpanel. My ground system is 3 times the requirement. All test gear are connected to industrial rack mount UPS. I took care to pull direct connection to the subpanel with particular attention to ground wires solidly connected. I did all I could do practically.We are now bit deviating from the main topic, but unplugging isn't enough, if that's your method. You'll have to remove all cable connections as current can be induced. By the way.... in summer, tall skyscrapers get hit multiple times a day by direct lightening. Yet, nothing blows up. Same thing for tall towers. Good single point grounding is the key. At place of my former employment, we got direct hit. Nearby hits were common. Yet all computers kept working.Welding is a new area for me. Hence my original post asking for opinions. I can use expertise of people who has done this. I know there are many on this board.

author: Gyro
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 09, 2022, 11:47:45 am
content: Quote from: tszaboo on February 09, 2022, 11:30:11 amDoes anyone know of oneoneof these plug in / power strip surge protectors manufacturers with high payout figures actually paying up? I bet there are all sorts of wiggle clauses in the small print, probably including welders / workshop equipment in the vicinity. It just sounds a bit like the Durahell equipment replacement guarantee. Just Curious.

author: mansaxel
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 09, 2022, 11:57:17 am
content: Quote from: jukk on February 09, 2022, 11:13:53 amThey were built into the sixties at least. I've not had the opportunity to try one out, but they're said to be very, very good current generators (as alluded, it's a three-phase induction motor driving a DC generator) and a dream to weld with. The comparison at the time of course was simple AC-only welding transformers, not even DC. And welding (stick, of course stick, that's the True Form!) using DC is a whole different experience than fighting an AC transformer.For starters, you've got the rotational inertia of the motor-generator set, so you can count on continued current delivery when resistance dips in the arc, and paradoxically, it becomes easier to weld using low current settings, because the welder will back that low current like nothing else; it will be what you set it to, and no fluctuation.This is something they share with the better examples of the next generation heavy-duty welders, like the 20kW (3-phase 30A 400V) variants from ESAB and Kemppi. They're DC, courtesy of the then-invented high-power silicon diode rectifier, and they retain some of the niceties of the motor-welder. When you use one, again, you can go lower in current, because there's all this solid backing of power, and it feels like you can make your welding seam like a knife in butter, it's just effortless.Compared to this, the PFC / SMPS ones are nowhere near as fun. But an ESAB or a Kemppi still will make that experience better than most.

author: JohanH
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: February 09, 2022, 12:18:46 pm
content: Quote from: mansaxel on February 09, 2022, 11:57:17 amYes, this is what he basically explained. They also had a terminal, so you could use an external resistor to tune the excitation current. He had a long wire that he used as a variable resistance.

author: jonpaul
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 09, 2022, 01:17:34 pm
content: Rebonjour: We had decades of work in HV and transient/EMI/ESD protection, mostly for medical, avaionics, lighting applications.We did work with Furman Sound and other power quality firms....Most of the power strips use small cheap MOVs that deteriorate and are underrated. WWe have had MOVs that caught fire.Transient Absorbing Zeners and other types of power transient protection can handle the voltages and cuerrents in industrial environements.Whole House protection needs very careful installs inside the service entrance or main breaker panel.Also must have a dedicated safety breaker and very short direct earth.#8 Cu bus and several 20' x 1/2" Cu ground rods are a good start.Needs a licensed electrician to do this properly.Expect cost ~ $500...$5000 depending.Jon

author: tkamiya
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 09, 2022, 07:30:08 pm
content: Quote from: jonpaul on February 09, 2022, 01:17:34 pmJon,I'm all ears.Would you mind elaborating what "careful install" does it require? My install at main utility entrance was connected to mains on both legs via 30A circuit breaker per instructions. Neutral was connected to bus bar. Ground went to grounding point in the panel per instructions. Ground wire, I believe is #6 to 6 standard length grounding rod spaced few meters a part. (code requires 2)One at inside of the house sub panel (distribution panel) was connected to 30A circuit breaker and grounding point in that panel. Having separate ground to nearest point will be against the code. Since there is long way from this point to the actual grounding point, I'd expect impedance is quite high, but again, doing anything else will be against the code.I have an electrician's license in Japan but I'm in US, and in my state code allows anyone to work on their own houses.Did I get this right? Do you have any opinion or suggestions?

author: jpanhalt
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 09, 2022, 07:51:17 pm
content: My understanding of the code is that a single ground rod with a maximum resistance of 25Ω is required. Since that is not so easily tested, most inspectors allow two rods at least 6 ft apart without need to validate resistance. Two rods is not much more expensive than a single rod and may offer a safety margin, so I would just go the two-rod route. In fact, I am thinking of retrofitting my current home (built in 1993) with two rods.

author: tautech
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 09, 2022, 09:18:38 pm
content: Quote from: tkamiya on February 09, 2022, 11:45:40 amWhich type of welder is your preference and what type of welding are you planning to do ?This has an influence on the best welder for your tasks and an influence on how they might effect TE.

author: tkamiya
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 09, 2022, 09:23:34 pm
content: I'm thinking of very light work with thin sheet metal, small angle iron, etc. Iron and aluminum maybe? I'm too unknowledgeable to answer this question intelligently.

author: jonpaul
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 09, 2022, 09:26:59 pm
content: Kamiya-san, many thanks1/ the code, safety Earth, does not exclude additional earths, and some required bonding eg of water tanks, etc. Amateur radio transmission towers and antennas often have ground rods or a buried mesh but still use the utilities earth.2/ look up the various whole house protection devices for installation notes. These are intended to protect against lighting and power distribution transients eg automatique reclosers.3/ A locally generated transient or EMI, still needs a TAZ at the affected equipment.4/ Think of the entire system as an RF network, where every wire has self inductance and resistance so there is not such thing as a perfect gound. Any impedance to actual earth liftes the potential on the supposed ground.5/ Electric wiring, code and safety are far beyond this forum, and can incur liabilities in case of accidents.I would pose your questions on forums like Mike Holt, Electrical Inspection forum or Electricians forum.Mike spécialized in electrical code, regulations, inspection and safety.A sketch of the entire system will be usefulBon courageJon

author: tkamiya
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 09, 2022, 09:32:59 pm
content: My understanding from reading various material is that ones near utility feed entrance is to prevent power line surge (lightening, nearby feed, etc) from coming into my residential circuit. One at breaker panel is to absorb ones generated inside my house. It is my understanding that most damages occur from sources from inside, such as air conditioning units. As far as this stuff is concerned, I got it handled.It's just that welding, by nature, is going to create surge spikes and I do not know enough to see what, if any, impact will be there for test equipment.Thank you for responding.

author: tautech
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 09, 2022, 09:33:33 pm
content: Quote from: tkamiya on February 09, 2022, 09:23:34 pmPerfect.Ali is the outlier as it needs HF which creates lots of RFI which can mess with any sensitive TE.MIG or TIG are your best choices for such work, TIG being more versatile however MIG the better choice for heavier welding.Good TIG operators with the right equipment can weld Ali soft drink cans, something impossible by other means.However for either you'll need a shield gas although MIG can be used with gasless wire but the finished job is most always cleaner with a shielding gas, usually an Argon mix or CO2.TIG OTOH generally uses straight Argon and welding technique is more similar to gas welding whereas MIG is more similar to conventional stick arc welding.

author: tautech
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 09, 2022, 09:35:38 pm
content: Quote from: tkamiya on February 09, 2022, 09:32:59 pmMost of the modern welders use inverter technologies therefore kinder to the mains supply re conducted EMI.

author: tkamiya
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 09, 2022, 09:38:26 pm
content: When you say Ali, you mean aluminum?I'm wide open for suggestions. I don't intend to rebuild a London bridge... I've been thinking being able to join metal would be useful for what I do. I initially said stick because I have few hours of experience with it. I'd rather not get into compressed gas, but maybe those inert gas will be safe. I have some experience with handing small cylinders of nitrogen.I'd imagine I'll do things like tack weld nuts to angle or sheet metal, close seams, etc. Very light work 2 to 3mm penetration max.

author: jpanhalt
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 09, 2022, 09:42:24 pm
content: For those, I would leave stick out. That leaves one with MIG and TIG. For very light and detailed work, I far prefer TIG, like on a 0.016" aluminum seam or welding thermocouple wires. We had a very accomplished medical engineering department at one place I worked. It used TIG on almost everything. The exception is joining large sections of steel or aluminum plate (e.g, truck bodies), for that, MIG is far easier as it is so much faster and keeping things straight or flat is much easier. That is, MIG is very fast and puts much less heat into the weld. TIG is still a fusion process, much like oxy-acetylene but much hotter and concentrated.

author: tautech
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 09, 2022, 09:56:41 pm
content: Quote from: tkamiya on February 09, 2022, 09:38:26 pmYes of course however there are a few different types.Generally TIG Ali welding takes some skill especially small thin subjects as the only way you monitor heat is by how the required flux is behaving.QuoteShielding gasses are an additional welding cost whereas the cheapest welding is stick welding. Period.MIG might be the best for you as with 0.6mm wire you can do quite thin stuff and poke into heavier stuff with sufficient wire feed speed.As MIG is quite similar to stick you will pick it up fairly quick with a little practice.Some general tips if I may:Newbies tend to use too low power settings especially when coming from stick where stick will blow through joints MIG tends to gap fill better as there is much less arc blast.Unlike stick where current and rod size is the primary weld control for MIG wire size and feed speed are the main control settings.Most welds with MIG are up-hand whereas for Stick down-hand and this initially takes some getting used to.

author: tkamiya
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 09, 2022, 09:56:59 pm
content: Thanks.Between TIG and MIG, which is more versatile? To get started, probably doesn't make sense to have both and I don't foresee doing a lot of welding.

author: jpanhalt
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 09, 2022, 10:36:02 pm
content: In my opinion, TIG is more versatile per se. But which is more useful, depends on your situation. When I had a hangar and repair shop, I use TIG almost exclusively to repair mufflers, headers, engine mounts, and such. When I retired and got a hobby farm, I have used MIG almost exclusively. My welding is mostly hot rolled steel and some repair. The only time I have turned my TIG welder on was for some very detailed work and welding thermocouples.

author: BrokenYugo
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 09, 2022, 10:47:00 pm
content: You can weld nearly anything with a TIG machine, and if you get good with one you'll find learning any other welding process very easy.Any TIG can also be used as a stick welder too, though some inverter machines handle it better than others. Handy should you need to weld thick and/or nasty (dirty, greasy, rusty, painted ,whatever) steel.

author: tautech
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 09, 2022, 10:51:06 pm
content: Quote from: jpanhalt on February 09, 2022, 10:36:02 pmI agree.TIG gives options but MIG is a better GP workhorse.Much of my work is repair and some medium to heavy fabrication however I don't even use the MIG very much although there are times when it shines. Stick is what I mostly use as we have 400A available whereas only 180A for MIG although the new invertor MIG's are far more efficient than the old transformer based one we have.With MIG and 0.6 and 0.8mm wire there's not much light fab it won't do whereas for medium fab 1mm wire is needed and the grunt to drive it.

author: calzap
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: February 10, 2022, 01:53:50 am
content: tkamiya, I strongly recommend a welding class or two. Local community colleges are one place to look as are high schools that have adult night classes. The classes I took were part of the “experimental college” run by the students in a university. You’ll not only learn different techniques but get to experience using different brands of equipment. You can also learn a lot from youtube videos … not just techniques but product reviews as well. Welding Tips and Tricks and Weld.com are two content providers that I recommend.MIG is easiest to learn but is pretty much limited to steel unless you also buy a spool gun which is needed for aluminum welding. TIG is the most versatile, but harder to learn, slower, and more expensive than entry level MIG. Best brands are Lincoln, Esab, Everlast, Miller and Hobart. I have a Lincoln that can do MIG, TIG or stick ... I’ve always been a red guy! Trust me though, the welder may not be half the cost to get going. You’ll need or want a table, cart, gas tanks, gas regulators, gloves, jacket or sleeves, autodarkening helmet, a variety of clamps, chipping hammer, etc.Unless you have a special application that needs them, I’d forget stick and gas welding. I spent a lot of time learning both, but only use MIG and TIG these days.Mike in California

author: Xandinator
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: February 11, 2022, 01:58:01 am
content: I have been operating sensitive test equipment right next to kA&HV pulse/arc generators just fine (i.e. at the same time & in the same experiment), in the end that's one of the things you pay big $$$ for when using professional equipment. I doubt any one-person welding job will be coming close to that in terms of EMI...As for the process discussion: Don't go with gas unless your aim is to make jewelry at some point. I highly recommend learning how to do MMA first – once you've got a feel for the puddle doing MIG/MAG or TIG is so much easier. If I were to keep but one I'd definitely go with the TIG machine (DC+AC) for its versatility (else I couldn't have done Cu or Ti parts). Seriously, get a decent TIG machine (ideally with pulsing, pedal and remote, in this order)! You can then add MIG/MAG if you're working on massive projects (e.g. cars) or get a separate MMA unit (they also serve well as PSUs dumping ridiculous amounts of current) later.

author: Xandinator
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: February 11, 2022, 02:30:28 am
content: Quote from: calzap on February 10, 2022, 01:53:50 amNot to forget about Fronius (red guy here as well, albeit a different one), HTP, Lorch, Merkle and Rehm. The MMA option on TIG machines/MMA&TIG options on MIG/MAG machines are a handy bonus but mostly lack the customisability of the dedicated units (e.g. Cel/RR starting characteristic for MMA, ramping for TIG, to name a few). If you have to buy light and compact (for obvious reasons) you won't need a cart and can get most things done with a steel plate full of holes (that seconds as a magdrill stand).

author: Ground_Loop
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: February 11, 2022, 06:29:40 pm
content: Quote from: calzap on February 10, 2022, 01:53:50 amStick still has its place. I have 25 foot leads on my stick that reach well outside my shop. I can't get my trailer or tractor/implements in the shop to work on them. Welding outdoors with MIG can be a problem with wind blowing away the shield gas. Yea, I know, flux core. Never used it and still doesn't have the reach that the stick has. Anyway, your test equipment will be just fine. Now go weld something.

author: CatalinaWOW
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 11, 2022, 06:43:59 pm
content: To your original question, I wouldn't worry too much about damage to your equipment from your welding operations. While people who do both welding and electronics are not common in the population, people who weld are relatively common and if there was a serious issue there would be widespread angst about the destroyed consumer electronics which is almost always less well protected than test gear. My reasoning is buttressed by my own experience. I have never had any problems with my gear being damaged by my use of welders, or at various periods in my life by the neighbors usage (who were on the same transformer).My only comment on welding gear is to get the best helmet you can afford. I can't say why, but the visibility through the better helmets is far better than for the lower quality helmets. And for me at least, being able to see the puddle is the only way to get a decent weld. With lower quality helmets I can stick stuff together but the weld quality is atrocious. With a better helmet I can get all the way up to low end acceptable.

author: tautech
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 11, 2022, 07:19:09 pm
content: Quote from: Ground_Loop on February 11, 2022, 06:29:40 pmYep, this especially for those of us that do maintenance and repair and with this in mind we placed our big welder mains supply socket just inside the shop roller door so with its 10' long mains lead could have it live ~1/2 way down one shop wall where the much longer welding leads will reach the bench or outside the shop.That this 400A welder is mounted atop a perfectly sized rolling platform also permits it to be easily moved outside the shop to permit its use on even big machinery.Days without wind here are uncommon as northern NZ is narrow, so narrow that from the top of our hill we can see the sea to both the east and west and the sea winds sometimes don't abate for weeks.MIG/TIG work outside...forgetaboutit, not happening !For little bits and bobs a small portable single phase caddy welder is useful and saved the day on the odd occasion when you can't bring work to the shop and/or don't have a 3 ph supply available.