Anybody Weld With Batteries

[Industrial Toys]

My biggest fear is that the rod sticks and has thus shorted out my batteries, triggering the dreaded China Syndrome! lol

No laughing matter really.

 

[ultrarunner]

If you use jumper cables with spring clips there are multiple ways to disconnect power.

Two sets of jumper cables will let use one for the electrode and ground and the other to interconnect the terminals on the 3 batteries if using 3ea 12 volt batteries to make 36 volts.

 

[bigdeano]

I would try 2 12v batteries in series first. The voltage for stick welding is usually around 24. 3 healthy batteries in series will probably give you fireworks.

 

[Industrial Toys]

Well, for starters, I do have 6011 Rod.

And I have 24 Volts worth of golf cart batteries sitting on my shop floor. I should probably top them up.

Now, to figure out an easy way to connect my ground and positive cables to the batteries. I have a thirty inch very heavy jumper cable, that Iwill use to connect the two batteries and act as my disconnect.

Can one damage batteries doing this? I am trying to find a JD electic gator and may need these "good" batteries. Maybe heat can distort the plates or some such thing. Inadvertently destroying a couple hundred bucks worth of batteries would kind of defeat the purpose of what I am trying to do!

 

[Stimw]

Three batteries (36 V) work the best, my dad played with this years ago back in the 60's.
You can use a piece of 1/8" fence wire for a resistor to change amperage. Just move the connection on the wire for more or less.
BUT KNOW THIS!!!! Make sure your connections are tight! The batteries will out-gas under heavy load, (Hydrogen gas) and can explode if there is a spark close to them.

 

[KubotainNH]

Personally I would rather go buy a cheap HF 120v wire feed welder. Your gen should run it.

 

[Arc weld]

Or rent a smaller welder that will work off your generator. Why screw around with batteries.:confused2:

 

[Big Barn]

Or rent a smaller welder that will work off your generator. Why screw around with batteries.:confused2:

What would be the fun in that?

Terry

 

[Gafn]

My Lincoln SP -135 wire feed will burn in 3/16, the thing is rated up to 5/16.
Runs off a 20Amp 115v circuit.

Clean your metal and go to town - no need to invent a way to burn a stick, think I paid like $300 for it, and have not really got my cracker box out since I bought it...
To be truthful the wife forced me to buy it as the cracker box kept tripping the breaker and I kept making up curse words while walking back and forth across the house to reset the breaker.
The wife understands the need for tools...

 

[Industrial Toys]

This is my portable welder

I don't really want or need another welder. This is not what I do. I am in the security business, and offered to fix this gate of a customer. The daughter closed the gate on a lanscape guys trailer.