Scored a few goodies today!

[Big Barn]

The only real difference is, the Short hoods have a 4-gear main amp selector. The Long hoods have a 5-gear main amp selector. In mid 1973 Lincoln started using aluminum in the generator, and to have enough room the generator was made into an octagon shape. I've had both models, and it's very obvious in the arc. Nothing beats 100% copper!:cool2:

So. Just to clarify...Is it safe to say original shorthoods were 100% copper?

Terry

 

[Shield Arc]

So. Just to clarify...Is it safe to say original shorthoods were 100% copper?

Terry

Yes!
Member here Arc Weld, who lives in Alberta. Is a regional manager for a huge welding supply. He told me that Lincoln took so much heat from welders for using aluminum in the generators from mid 1973. Lincoln contacted Local Union 798 Pipeliners, Lincoln set up a blind welding test. They placed a 100% copper SA-200, and a SA-200 with aluminum outside the shop. Ran the welding leads inside the shop. Every Pipeline welder there could tell which welder had the aluminum in the generator.

 

[Big Barn]

Very interesting. Thanks!

Terry

 

[muddstopper]

I still am not convinced that the octagon barrels started in 1973. I also am not convinced that all octagon barrels had aluminum in the winding. My sa200 is a 1972 model, according to numbers, it has a octagon barrel, again matching numbers, and it is copper wound. I cant be 100% sure that at some point the winding where not changed since the owner before me died and left the welder to his daughter, but I am pretty sure it still has the original windings. Since I havent gotten around to putting it back together, I cant say how well it will weld.

 

[Shield Arc]

muddstopper it's very possible your octagon generator is 100% copper. According to Arc Weld when Lincoln was getting ready to make the switch to aluminum, a lot of welders left the factory with an octagon barrel, but with 100% copper in the generator. I have also read this same information on the AWS forum, Kaye Sellon, Bill's daughter fields a lot of questions about SA-200s there.

 

[Arc weld]

Yes!
Member here Arc Weld, who lives in Alberta. Is a regional manager for a huge welding supply. He told me that Lincoln took so much heat from welders for using aluminum in the generators from mid 1973. Lincoln contacted Local Union 798 Pipeliners, Lincoln set up a blind welding test. They placed a 100% copper SA-200, and a SA-200 with aluminum outside the shop. Ran the welding leads inside the shop. Every Pipeline welder there could tell which welder had the aluminum in the generator.

Thanks for the promotion Shield Arc! When do I get the raise? LOL I'm not a manager but am the technical product support specialist for welding. I help branches all across Canada. Late short hoods had a 5 gear course range. The blind test wasn't when the first aluminum machines came out in 73. I think I read about it on Weldingweb. I think it had a lot to do with Lincoln going back to all copper when the Classic series was introduced in the late 80's/90's? The way I understood it, pipeliners had complained for years and Lincoln kept saying there's no difference between the copper and aluminum machines. Then Lincoln finally agreed to send some of their people out and participate in the blind test where I think 80%+ of the welders could tell a difference and preferred the copper machines. Not that the aluminum machines were bad machines but another issue is they wouldn't keep consistent heat after they warmed up. The welders would have to keep turning their machines up and then after a break for lunch or something, they'd come back and have to turn them back down. The copper machines kept the same heat all day long.

 

[Shield Arc]

Thanks for the promotion Shield Arc! When do I get the raise? LOL I'm not a manager but am the technical product support specialist for welding. I help branches all across Canada.

With your knowledge base on welding you should be the manager of all things welding in Canada!:thumbsup:

See guys, Arc Weld has a full time job keeping me on the straight and narrow.

 

[Arc weld]

I've only been at it a few weeks! ROFL I think someone on Weldingweb said Lincoln made some pre-production aluminum machines to test the market. It would be interesting to see an original brochure from when they did officially switch to aluminum. I highly doubt they advertised about the change to aluminum shunt coils. :anyone:

 

[dntfxr]

That is quite interesting! I don't have any experience using aluminum wound welders but way back when I worked in electrical a lot of the repair jobs were from old aluminum wiring. The old wire was always very brittle and deteriorated and connections were corroded or oxidized looking. Not sure when the aluminum was used, must have been early 70's to maybe early 80's. But at some point it was no longer allowed by code for all the issues with it. I can see how it would conduct differently than copper in a welder also.

 

[Shield Arc]

March of my senior year in high school I went to work in a welding fab shop full time. In June when I officially graduated from high school I went into construction. All you seen on construction sites was Lincoln Short hoods, and Red face welders. Years latter all you seen on the jobs were Miller engine drives. Until I went into management I never under stood why. Miller engine drives are cheaper, thats why! After retiring I wanted an engine drive welder. I made the mistake of buying the 1974 SA-200 in the picture above. When I went to pick it up, I tried it out. It welded so I bought it. When I got it home, and the more I used it, it hit me! This isn't the same arc I remember! Then I learned Lincoln put aluminum in the generator! The aluminum SA-200s weld just like Millers Big 40 welders! All you can say for them is they weld, but that's about it.:thumbdown:
After buying several SA-200s, and parts for SA-200s. I took the engine out of that 1974, connected a 1970 generator to the engine, and placed them in the frame and sheet metal of a 1948 Short hood, and came up with this. I'm not so sure it doesn't weld better than my 1966 SA-200 Red face!