Western Arctronics ancient stick welder - anybody familiar with this?

[stuckmotor]

I've made a couple of crude, twin carbon arc torches. Never could direct the heat very well or get the carbons to stay in adjustment like I wanted. Maybe, if I'd fiddled with them until I got the play out of the joints, I 'd have had better luck. With the carbons sticking out they're hard to get into tight areas. An added bonus is that they sound like the electric gizmos in Frankenstein's laboratory. I usually had an eye out for complaining neighbors or peasants with pitchforks. Lately, I use a single bottle of map gas, no oxygen bottle and get about the same amount of heat.
A quality commercial arc torch might work better than what I cobbled together. If anyone has had good luck with either kind, I'd like to hear about it.

 

[California]

I played around with my carbon arc torches, was able to heat metal strap to bend it, but I've never had a need to use them for anything. The Craftsman one and the other one aren't as fiddly as what you described, the arc distance stays constant and the heat output pretty stable. But it is a clumsy shape for many applications. An acetylene torch is 1000% better.

Apparently these were sold with the old welders as a farmer's 'single solution' to whatever he was trying to do with metal - heat, bend, weld, braze, whatever.

 

[stuckmotor]

California,
The directions I've seen showed the carbons sharpened to a point similar to a pencil. I never got around to trying that. Did you sharpen your carbons?

 

[California]

California,
The directions I've seen showed the carbons sharpened to a point similar to a pencil. I never got around to trying that. Did you sharpen your carbons?

I bought a pack of carbons on Ebay, probably NOS. Each was molded (?) with a point. I noted they were consumed as I worked so I don't think a sharp point is critical. Possibly needed for precision heating?

 

[rankrank1]

Twin carbon arc torch will work best on an AC type transformer welder. Settings somewhere around 75 ( aka the continuous use setting on an old Lincoln AC 225 tombstone) although I have ran them at 100 to 120 amps as well. Never have cranked the welder up all the way.

I am a total hack of a welder but even with my primitive skills; I am easily able to make a flame similar to Oxy Acetylene Torch with a rosebud type tip. I can easily use that to do lots of work for nearly free. Electricity is pennies compared to leasing bottles and buying acetylene. Sure my oxy/acet is better in every way but is pricey to have around for a low volume user like me. I turned my bottles in years ago and rarely miss em.

My Twin Carbon Arc Torches are not going anywhere while I am alive. I have a Montgomery Ward and a Lincoln torch. I can not flame fill weld like the like the old timers could with them but I can heat stuff, free rusted nuts, silver solder, or braze with one no problem and they operate for nearly free.

 

[stuckmotor]

rankrank1,
Do you sharpen your carbons?

 

[rankrank1]

I do not sharpen the carbon rods. On my Montgomery Ward brand torch it is possible to adjust the angles the 2 rods meet. On my Lincoln torch the rod angle is not as adjustable. The approach angle seems to affect the shape of the flame somewhat in what little I have played with it and the amps a bit too although less so. Also the diameter of the carbon rods you pick will affect flame shape.

I am no expert. I do not practice with it like I should. When I need it then I get it out and I simply use it then put it away. Works fine for the junk I work on and operates at so low cost that it is the closest thing to a free lunch there is.


And you do eventually get used to the forcefield sounds from an old sci-fi movie that the Twin Carbon Arc makes while using it. Do cover all exposed skin (unless you like severe sunburn)and of course wear your welding helmet.

 

[yomax4]

I remember a Lincoln workshop I was at in the 80's where they showed the carbon arc set up. Later we sold these at a LWS I worked at. If my memory serves, They showed pointed carbons and carbons that were ground flat on the outside making a close point on the inside and then they turned the carbons so the flat ground side was on the inside. It seems like the differences were for brazing, cutting and heating. The carbons we sold at the store were simple sticks with no points or ground flats. Other guys would buy arcair carbons and peel the copper outer layer off and use them. Primitive tool buy once very popular.

 

[yomax4]

Seriously fun as a retro process but these were quickly obsoleted by more modern means. They started to fade when folks started making more money and packaged gas became more affordable. Oxy-Fuel is roughly the same price to the low quantity user as it was in the 70's. I get mine for free so I may be a little out of touch on gas cost but you could do what the carbon arc could do without a power supply and be portable too. That's what happened.

 

[stuckmotor]

This link should lead to one of the welders/arc torches I used to dream about as a broke kid in the 1960's. Old Ads Are Funny: 1956 Ad: Four-Way Welder. If anyone ever had one of these I'd like to know how it worked. I also dreamed of a Lincoln Tombstone or similar and still want to use mine with an arc torch the way they used to talk about in the ads. My reasons and uses are similar to those rankrank1 mentions. Also, my current workshop is under my house and I don't want potentially leaky gas bottles down there.