Old Arc Welder Question

[jtcweb]

I have found a welder in the back of a friend’s barn. It is about as big as a medium suitcase painted red and the brand was something like Oakley. It has the plugs in for different current amounts, that is not infinitely variable, you pick 40, 50 60 and so on by plugging the stick cord in the amount of current. I want to buy it so I am wondering what it is worth. Also around some of the lower amp ranges it said “Brazing / Soldering”, how do you braze or solder with an arc welder? It’s been 20 years since I did any welding, but I enjoyed it and plan to get back into it since I will soon have a house with a shop area.

 

[horseman1]

I believe that the welder could use a carbon arc torch. I seem to remember it having two electrodes and getting whatever was between them very hot /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif. My Grandad had an old welder with the plugs , a Forney I think. The torch is was an option for brazing and soldering. Maybe someone else with a little more experience with this torch will chime in. I was pretty young when I saw this in use on the farm. Neat find, have fun!

Kurt

 

[Prefect]

As far as what it's worth...I'm not familliar with that brand, but you can pick up small arc welders brand new for $80. With variable currnet from 30-120a. Check out harbor freight.

The brazing and soldering setup on there is for a carbon arc torch. There are two electrodes in a holder and when they are slid into close proximity, they arc between the two. You can braze with that. It's not as clean as doing it with o/a though.

Have fun.

 

[SPIKER]

those OLD carbon arc torches are a find, they can CUT steel like butter too by using the Holow carbon rods with O2 line attached, They will cut metal 10 timeas as thick as a O/A setup! I was at a "New Release" Miller sales tent show a few years back and low and behold was a carbon arc rod set up running from a battery, they were show casing it with a small 20 lb bottle, cutting plate in the 2'' thick range and also with bumper parts. they used the battery to start the arc battery ground to the plate and + to the arc rod holder. O2 injection in the center of the arc rod like it was something NEW. I bouth a set up at an auction about 10 years back, no one knew what it was, but I admit I didn't either, as it was in with soem good O/A gauges & tips I wanted. finding the RODS are the hard part back then and I lost track of it, (brother-n-law had it and it all dissappeared.) now you can get the rods again fomr miller more than likely after seeing their NEW showcase carbon arc cutter. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

like others said, no idea that machine still works, but NEW ones in the AC only range are less than 150 new for off brand and ad/dc NEW are in the 225~375 range and those are up to 180+ amps...

Mark M

 

[jimgerken]

Could the name be Forney? They built a bunch of welders, and they were painted red. The older ones were copper wound, which helps the duty cycle. Caution, if the jacks are cracked and you go buy new ones, they will cost more than its worth. If no broken jacks, I would say it is worth a hundred dollars or so.

 

[TomK]

It sounds like a Forney. I use one that my wife’s grandfather bought for the farm in 1949. I even have the owners’ manual for it. Still works great. I’ve never figured out how to do the brazing or soldering equipment, but the manual shows how to use the welder to thaw water pipes. It takes up more room then the new ones, but it's sure durable.

 

[Prefect]

Speaking of old welders, my dad has one that my grandfather bought back in the early/mid 40's. It's a Lincoln and is as big as a medium sized refridgerator and weighs about twice that much. It has a "100%" duty cycle. This thing welds like a champ. It makes the power plant belch when you fire it up, but works as good as it did the day it was bought. He has a carbon arc torch for it, but no oxy.

As cutting goes, I saw a torch setup that cuts far more slick than o/a. It runs off of regular pump gasoline. You can cut several inch thick material faster and more cleanly. Also, you can cut though air gaps, and concrete backed metal without damaging the concrete. The problem is, it costs a bunch. I'll see if I can find more info on it.

 

[Prefect]

Here's the link to the gasoline powered torch. Petrogen

 

[TLNixon]

I have two of those old Forney welders. The ones I have are both 180 amp units. They are very welll built. Those were very common for farmers to have, as the power current was limited for farm use where the amount of electrical power was limited by the size of overhead wires, transformers etc back in those days.

I would like a copy of the manual on the Forney though, if it covers the model C-3. I'll pay for the copies and mailing. /forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif

 

[J_J]

How to braze and solder.

First adjust the carbon rods to the same length, then turn on the welder, and click the rods together to start an arc. Apply the arc close to the metal and add the filler material, solder or braze rod.