Welder hooked up backwards

[Pooh_Bear]

I know nothing about welders. I have never welded.

I recently bought a welder off ebay for five dollars.
It is one of those little Harbor Freight hobby welders.
Welder on ebay
I don't know if it works yet.
It came to me missing the electrode holder and the power cord plug.
I knew these would be missing when I bought it.

So I went and got a plug for the electric cord,
and I got an electrode holder and was gonna install them.
First thing I notice is I got the wrong plug.

Then I notice the ground clamp is on the wrong cable. (I think).
I am reasonable certain that the ground clamp should be on the other cable.
But before I change them I wanted to check here.

What could I possibly run into with this.
Could someone have actually welded like this and damaged it.
Could someone have done this one purpose. Why.

I need some feedback on this.

Thanks.

Pooh Bear

Here is some pictures I took of it.
The first picture shows the ground clamp and the cable it is hooked to.
The second picture shows the other cable.
The third picture is just a picture of the welder.

 

[MadReferee]

The top cable is for the electrode and the bottom is for the ground, if I can make out that picture clearly.

You can download the operators manual from the Harbor Freight site, although it doesn't say much. Here is a link.

Hobby Arc welder description

Hobby Arc welder manual

 

[SkyPup]

Operating a welder without proper instructions is extremely dangerous for a novice. Be sure to get the instructions and read and understand them prior to attempting to use this machine.

 

[Pooh_Bear]

I downloaded the manual.
And I got gloves and a auto-darkening helmet.
I know the basic idea. Now just need practice.

But why would it be hooked up the way it is.
And could it have hurt anything to weld with it having the hookups reversed.

I hate to think that I paid $5 (+$40 shipping) for junk.

How can I test it to make sure everything is ok.

Thanks.

Pooh Bear

 

[MadReferee]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( But why would it be hooked up the way it is.)</font>

Because the previous owner couldn't read or was just plain stupid. /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( And could it have hurt anything to weld with it having the hookups reversed.)</font>

With this unit, probably not, but I think you would need a reverse polarity rod for good results.

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( I hate to think that I paid $5 (+$40 shipping) for junk.)</font>

Maybe you did. The duty cycle on this thing is only 15% at 65 amps and 6% at 95 amps. This means that if you weld for 90 seconds you have to wait 8.5 minutes to weld again. And that's at 65 amps. At 95 amps you get only about 40 seconds of welding time out of every 10 minutes. Ouch. /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif

And it is only rated for 1/16" rods. Don't plan on doing anything useful with this.

The gloves and helmet are worth about what you paid for the entire unit including shipping, so it might not be a total loss.

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( How can I test it to make sure everything is ok.)</font>

Try it, and pray. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[Soundguy]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( With this unit, probably not, but I think you would need a reverse polarity rod for good results.
)</font>

I was under the impression that these small welders were AC welders.. not DC....

Soundguy

 

[MadReferee]

Yep, your are right, my mistake. I just looked at the schematic and one end of the output winding goes to the ground clamp and the other goes to the electrode. Now unless there is something missing that the schematic is not telling us, then no damage should have happened. However, I'm not sure I trust any schematic from HF.

 

[Highbeam]

On an AC machine it shouldn't matter one bit which way it's hooked up. You are just connecting the circuit with the arc. The electrons are coming and going and switching directions sixty times per second.

1/16" rod will be fine for lots of things. Light work for sure. Think exhaust pipe type material, tacking things together, that sort of thing.

 

[Soundguy]

I've done a heck of alot of sheet metal welding with 5/64 and 1/16 rods on my cambel hausfeld - wallmart little ac 70a buzzbox. Re-made a battery box on my allsi-g.. etc. Soundguy

 

[Pooh_Bear]

It says it will weld up to 1/4 inch stuff.
Most of my welding will be in the 1/8 range.

I got 6013 welding rods 1/16 and 3/32 and 1/8 a pound of each.
It has settings for up to 1/8 rods. (@230v)

The links posted above are all I really know about this welder.

Gonna see about trying it out later this evening or tomorrow.

Pooh Bear