Anyone have experience or have used these arc welders?
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rankrank1
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AC mode actually works best for Twin Carbon Arc power source as the two carbon rods consume evenly on AC. DC can work too, but one rod will consume twice as fast as the other rod on DC so it makes it harder to maintain flame. In my opinion, Twin carbon arc is pretty much limited to use on a transformer based welder and it will not hurt a transformer based welder (e.g. Lincoln AC-225, Miller Thunderbolt, Hobart Stickmate, Craftman buzzbox, Ward's buzzbox, Century buzzbox, or better bigger transformer welders) at all. You do not have to run the welder wide open either. I have not done a lot of experimentation, but usually run my Lincoln AC-225 anywhere from 90-120 amps. Varying amps and rod approachment angles can change flame shape. I do not practice, but old timers could control the flame well enough to control the flame tightly to improvise flame fill weld which was useful back in the day for welding aluminum sorta tig-like except lacking shielding gas. Most of my flames are more comparable to oxy/acet with a rosebud tip - again I do not practice nor experiment with rod angles as I have always been able to accomplish what need done. It is also possible to use the two rods flameless style to free rusted nuts near senstive paint areas. Touch the rods to the nut, flip the welder on and it will heat the nut without flame like a cigarette lighter works in a car.
I do not own an inverter based welder, but from what little I have read, others that have tried Twin Carbon arc with an inverter based welder have had issues. The inverter either turned itself off or fried a circuit board in rare cases. I would not use Twin Carbon Arc on an Inverter based welder. Most Inverter welders are DC only anyway which is less than ideal for Twin Carbon arc even if it did work.
The Lincoln version is the best of the manufactured Twin Carbon Arc torches and was still available brand new up to a year or two ago when Lincoln discontinued it. I have a Ward's Pwr-Kraft that I picked up cheap from Craigslist that is decent. Forney and Craftsman made them too. You can sometimes find no-name cheapos out there of varying quality. Otherwise, I was going to loosely use the Instructable plans to make my own design for essentially free by salvaging the heavy lead wires from a set of auto jumper cables.
http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl...a=X&ei=il7QTcWyKIKUtwfsmNT6DQ&ved=0CC0Q9QEwBQ
I do not own an inverter based welder, but from what little I have read, others that have tried Twin Carbon arc with an inverter based welder have had issues. The inverter either turned itself off or fried a circuit board in rare cases. I would not use Twin Carbon Arc on an Inverter based welder. Most Inverter welders are DC only anyway which is less than ideal for Twin Carbon arc even if it did work.
The Lincoln version is the best of the manufactured Twin Carbon Arc torches and was still available brand new up to a year or two ago when Lincoln discontinued it. I have a Ward's Pwr-Kraft that I picked up cheap from Craigslist that is decent. Forney and Craftsman made them too. You can sometimes find no-name cheapos out there of varying quality. Otherwise, I was going to loosely use the Instructable plans to make my own design for essentially free by salvaging the heavy lead wires from a set of auto jumper cables.
http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl...a=X&ei=il7QTcWyKIKUtwfsmNT6DQ&ved=0CC0Q9QEwBQ
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rankrank1
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Here is another set of plans and text from an old Popular Science article for anyone interested in making your own Twin Carbon arc torch instead of buying one.
Popular Science - Google Books
Popular Science - Google Books
Soundguy
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thanks for the links guys.
saved em both
soundguy
saved em both
soundguy
deereman75
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I would say to find an old Lincoln tombstone, my dad and I have one we got for $150 with a 10 foot ground cable and a 20 foot stinger cable with a 400 amp screw type holder and it also came with a fiberglass helmet and a box of rods. I would say you would be much better off with something like this.:2cents:
OP
chad22
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For those who didn't see the lincoln 180 AMP welder I got off craigslist for $100.00 . I'll post some pics here of it.
That's the helmet in the picture that he threw in with it.
I'm definitely glad I went with the lincoln.
Those are the welds I did with the lincoln as well. This is a great welder.
Chad
That's the helmet in the picture that he threw in with it.
I'm definitely glad I went with the lincoln.
Those are the welds I did with the lincoln as well. This is a great welder.
Chad
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Soundguy
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man you got an awesome deal with a cherry on top!
on another note, to the group, speakling of welders.
does anyone have the campbel hausfeld 230v stick welder? there is one for sale near me nad it's also cheap.. it might be something I could leave out at the farm for making emergency repairs on a tractor or gate.. but is cheap enough i don't mind leaving it locked up in the shed by the power pole / well pump on the farm.
it's the only 230v stick ( 200 amp or so welder they make.. is built into a cart kinda.. cables come out the top.. has a dial adjustment kinda like a hobart..
anyone use one? duty cycle looks ok.. 20% at 180a.. but I mainly weld around 90-110 max..
any info?
any idea who really makes the innards for them?
thanks
soundguy
on another note, to the group, speakling of welders.
does anyone have the campbel hausfeld 230v stick welder? there is one for sale near me nad it's also cheap.. it might be something I could leave out at the farm for making emergency repairs on a tractor or gate.. but is cheap enough i don't mind leaving it locked up in the shed by the power pole / well pump on the farm.
it's the only 230v stick ( 200 amp or so welder they make.. is built into a cart kinda.. cables come out the top.. has a dial adjustment kinda like a hobart..
anyone use one? duty cycle looks ok.. 20% at 180a.. but I mainly weld around 90-110 max..
any info?
any idea who really makes the innards for them?
thanks
soundguy
I think I got one of those "Twin Carbon Arc power" thingies when I bought my welder several years ago... have no clue what it is used for. The old sears welder, helmet, gloves, hammer, tons of rods, and that thing for $125...
I thought the old man told me that it could be used to cut metal... I don't know if I'll ever use it tho... Tips are broken on the unit now but got full box of refills.
I thought the old man told me that it could be used to cut metal... I don't know if I'll ever use it tho... Tips are broken on the unit now but got full box of refills.