Anybody Weld With Batteries

[Industrial Toys]

I have a remote welding job to do. Only four inches in some 3/16" angle iron material.

I don't have a portable welder. I have access to several, but this is time and travel consuming.

I have a small 3.7 KW Diesel generator that won't run my SEARS BUZZ BOX

My Other welder is a Lincoln CV 250 MIG, 600 Volt, three Phase!

So the question is, can I rig up some batteries and weld with them? I have several good charged HD Golf CArt type batteries. What is the best voltage and what type of rod should I use?

Thanks

 

[Walt 2002]

I have heard of it, done mainly in early to mid 1900s. Might look on "Mother Earth" site.

Walt Conner

 

[k0ua]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PV5oLPLUzrM

I have always heard 3 batterys (36 volts) is better. I have never done it, but I have heard of "off road" guys doing it a lot to make a repair in the field.

 

[4570Man]

I have seen that video before, but I have never tried it. I have a big 3 phase miller, and a Lincoln electric gasoline welder, so I have no need to try it. You should probably just buy a proper gas welder. That setup probably couldn't weld more than a few minutes.

 

[SPYDERLK]

I recommend 2 series connected car batteries and 3/32" 6011 rod. This worked ok for me when I was a kid. I recently tried golf cart batteries and found it uncontrollable. WAY too much power for anything but thick metal and 5/32 or 3/16 rod.

 

[yomax4]

Fronius has a battery powered stick welder. Big bucks. You can buy a Miller blue star new for the same price.There once was a spool gun that ran off of your truck battery as long as it was running. Used gas or FC. Never caught on. $650 was too close to a used engine drive. Maybe you can tack it good enough to get home with an oxyfuel torch and filler rod or braze it enough to get to a better source.

 

[MossRoad]

Take 3-4 batteries. Connect them in series. Make a test weld. If it's too much, remove one of the batteries and make another test, etc...

This is something I'd practice at home before going out into the field to find out it won't work.

With that said.... I wouldn't do it unless it was an emergency repair to get me back to civilization... which theses days = cell phone range. :laughing:

 

[ultrarunner]

Back when I took welding classes... the teacher said 30 to 36 volts DC is all that's needed with 6011 rod.

The problem lies in having no amperage adjustment... so that leaves using larger dia rod if too hot and smaller dia rod if too cold...

The theory is sound....


Gloves, helmet and jumper cables... plus rod and batteries.

 

[MossRoad]

Back when I took welding classes... the teacher said 30 to 36 volts DC is all that's needed with 6011 rod.

The problem lies in having no amperage adjustment... so that leaves using larger dia rod if too hot and smaller dia rod if too cold...

The theory is sound....


Gloves, helmet and jumper cables... plus rod and batteries.

Don't forget the cables and clamps to interconnect the batteries, too.

 

[CNC Dan]

one thing i can add:
If you can find that steel strapping used to hold carge onto pallets, use it as a large resistor in series with the circuit. It will help give some control of the current.

You will have to try various lengths to figure out how much you really need in the circuit. And you may need to double up on the strapping to handle the current.

The idea is to make the volt/amp curve sloped in such a way that arc length won't effect the current too much.

Good luck, and let us know how it goes.