There are a lot of critics. He is showing how you can use your existing arc welder to spot weld. It was the way we used to all spot weld using carbon arc rods. It works great with a little practice. Thanks for posting the video.
Why did so many dislike this? It was BRILLIANT!! If at first you don’t succeed - CHEAT! or hit it with a hammer albeit a rubber one. Best video I’ve seen all day and I learnt how to spot weld with an arc welder. I do have a tool with carbon rods and now I know how to use it. Thank you very much, Colin
Take your pick: low quality, bad lighting at times, no explanations of settings/ equipment, obvious editing capability shown in some parts but ignored in the barefoot walk across the shop. Not very pleasant to watch. Someone wanting to replicate this for their own project still starts at ground 0 after watching, only gaining the possibility of knowing you can... use your own hobby spot welder. Which isn’t a “gain” for many people.
The electrodes were heating up more than the work-piece. Ideally the pressure should be at the weld, not the clamp. I think what is needed is to control the resistance so it is highest on the work, so the electrodes should be pure copper so they conduct better than the work-piece. I think. I looked this up because I wanted to try with my TiG. Seems like it should be possible given that others can spot weld with a battery. But I guess it isn't super easy.
Your error is that you take off the electrodes while the current is on. The pressure must be maintained at least half second after the current is cut off.
I thought so as well. It seems to me that spot welders have some sort of PULSE switch so you can sent up the parts, clamp the electrodes to the parts, then PULSE the power for < a second to achieve the desired result.
The real trick was getting enough pressure to fuse the two pieces together and holding it for the right amount of time. Using clamps on both sides of the tab and using a short enough electrode that wouldn't break under pressure did the trick.
since you are just using the electrical current too heat and melt two SS surfaces too a melting point and together (intense heat/using high/low Freq/arc????)... ,Im just curious if carbon arc rods are even a must. Seems a tungsten rod points or Copper Spot welder ends may do the same thing as it coveys/implies too be the same concept and process ( if i am not mistaken... and It wouldn't be the first time!) Your simply focusing a current as too heat/melt a specific pin-point spot on both sides (aka spot welding)..... if im not wrong? Much like an actual spot welder would do and focus. Agree or Disagree? I also wonder if you were doing this Ac or DC? DC I suspect but what amperage and polarity (if polarity even matters since there is not a puddle for the filler rod, nor uphill downhill or overheat)? Just a simple 2 points of the plates touching together. thus I bet a SS paste flux would improve the weld and purity of the bond. Are you using an idealarc as noted in the title or a modified Tig/mig "currents" /lead setup....or maybe a spot welder itself with jumper leads . I only ask because the rod holders do not look standard. 110 v or 220v??? ( modified Battery Cables??? LOL) Maybe I am over or under thinking its simplicity of carbon arc rods vs Tungsten (No inert/ argon or helium seen). So did you use some SS type/rated flux? its out there... but doubt its really needed but might help withe the contamination and isolation of impurities, Thus creating a better/cleaner glue point. and clean up! Ahem!!!!!! Lastly, did you clean the two points of contact before hand, and did you use the SS flux material. I'm not trying too debunk this.... I say "KUDO's and thanks"..., you just sparked my curiosity and some thoughts~ I believe someone already stated ("there's more ways too skin a cat!") ... personally think its quicker just too shoot the damn cat and let them rot. lol
Knowing what I do now, flux and a much cleaner surface would definitely have helped. I haven't had another project that required me to do this again though. It was a weird shaped vent and I experimented with what I had on hand. Welding is just a hobby skill for me. Also, if I were to try this again, I think I'd devise some sort of leavered press to press the material between the electrodes, more like an actual spot welder.
Thanks, looking into the idea myself of using a tiny MMA inverter and attack a spot welder pen to it for 18650 packs, don't have enough electrical know how so just sent a question to a friend who is pro and most def have got it, but then saw you do it before I even got a reply and I suspect if concentrating the 2 copper sifts and boil down to a very small area touching the nickel to batt cell poles I cannot help but to wonder, will thi be great without even opening the inverter and turning the other potentiometers for maximizing settings range, adjust anti stick/arc control features maybe, etc aso.. Understand this is a test and not dialed in the process yet, but me too loved the way you show also the failures and getting a much better picture, broader. Thanks a lot.
Put some ptfe film where clamp between the work piecesand also clamp, so main current flows in electride area, also switch off current for a few seconds before releasing the electrodes. Armchair expert here giving real workers advice. 😂
Good video. Thanks for posting and sharing this. I forgot about this even though I purchased some carbon rods a while back. It’s an interesting old school technique that is good to keep in the tool box . Thanks again and just ignore all the criticism.
This leaves an unsightly scorch and won't achieve a strong bond, as there's not enough heat penetrating through the joint to melt both surfaces quickly. Low voltage and high amperage in shorter bursts is more effective, applied with smaller probe tips. This is my opinion, I could be wrong.
my only comments are stop waving the camera about( get a tripod or something ) and you don't actually show the equipment. It would be nice to see the gear.
theres quite a bit of faff and not much info in this vid.. electrode material? welder amps? sheet metal thickness? great idea.. just wish there was more info. any help would be great, thanks
If you have a stick welder, hook up your electrodes and give it a go. Just be careful! Other than that I'd suggest reading the other comments unless you had a specific question. I didn't really post this as a how-to. It was only to share something I was playing with in my shop...
Yes it is, interesting indeed. For spot welding electrodes I would use copper, I would go for thinner diameter pieces to and minimum semi sharpen a tips at the end where meeting, these in the video are as thick as the industrial 32A/400V monster machine spot welder we have at work and that is capable of sooo much more that a small MMA inverter that's for sure. Hence taking so long for him to make them even begin to stick trying to attach them to the piece, it's such a huge area to cover, several smaller spot welds I think would be the way to go here, but hey I am no expert either and love to watch people try stuff, learn, progress, adjust, improve and keep trying it's amazing to watch and we can learn from it so all props to poster of video.
@@majinkai Thank you. That gives me something to go on before I experiment with using my AC225 arc welder to make spot welds! Subbed + alert Bell for future videos. Thanks again!
If you can find it, get un-galvanized steel and then paint it. The galvanized coating gives off some nasty fumes and if you have a project you can paint later I'd suggest you do that instead. Zinc-oxide can cause zinc poisoning if you breath too much of it.
I like the idea. I've seen other videos of folks making their own with fixed lever setups but vise grips would be mobile enough to do what I was trying to do by hand. Inconsistent and inadequate pressure I think were the main reasons I had mixed results. Thanks!
Ok, so I apologize, I happened to be using this trick again for another project and it turns out my arc welder has a variable amperage setting. I have it set to somewhere between 25 and 30 amps (max is 70). Hope this helps.
@@majinkai MAP gas is barely hot enough to braze... and only with certain metals... MAP gas on mild steel is alright, but MAP gas on stainless just doesn't work. You'd probably be better off heating up the parent metal with your carbon arc & dipping the fluxed brass rod in when appropriate.
There are a lot of critics. He is showing how you can use your existing arc welder to spot weld. It was the way we used to all spot weld using carbon arc rods. It works great with a little practice. Thanks for posting the video.
Why did so many dislike this? It was BRILLIANT!!
If at first you don’t succeed - CHEAT! or hit it with a hammer albeit a rubber one.
Best video I’ve seen all day and I learnt how to spot weld with an arc welder. I do have a tool with carbon rods and now I know how to use it.
Thank you very much,
Colin
Take your pick: low quality, bad lighting at times, no explanations of settings/ equipment, obvious editing capability shown in some parts but ignored in the barefoot walk across the shop. Not very pleasant to watch. Someone wanting to replicate this for their own project still starts at ground 0 after watching, only gaining the possibility of knowing you can... use your own hobby spot welder. Which isn’t a “gain” for many people.
@@jesseschumacher4080 gay
It's brilliant for the people, like you, who believe McDonald's is food!
A thousand ways to skin a cat! Thanks for sharing, I like the videos that show the process and mistakes the best. Great job!
The electrodes were heating up more than the work-piece. Ideally the pressure should be at the weld, not the clamp. I think what is needed is to control the resistance so it is highest on the work, so the electrodes should be pure copper so they conduct better than the work-piece.
I think. I looked this up because I wanted to try with my TiG. Seems like it should be possible given that others can spot weld with a battery. But I guess it isn't super easy.
Your error is that you take off the electrodes while the current is on. The pressure must be maintained at least half second after the current is cut off.
Ahhhh, because the metal is still amalgamating..... Very insightful, and now obvious in hind sight. Thank you for the helpful observation!
I thought so as well. It seems to me that spot welders have some sort of PULSE switch so you can sent up the parts, clamp the electrodes to the parts, then PULSE the power for < a second to achieve the desired result.
The real trick was getting enough pressure to fuse the two pieces together and holding it for the right amount of time. Using clamps on both sides of the tab and using a short enough electrode that wouldn't break under pressure did the trick.
You show both error and success. This video good to learn. Thank you 👍👍👍
since you are just using the electrical current too heat and melt two SS surfaces too a melting point and together (intense heat/using high/low Freq/arc????)... ,Im just curious if carbon arc rods are even a must. Seems a tungsten rod points or Copper Spot welder ends may do the same thing as it coveys/implies too be the same concept and process ( if i am not mistaken... and It wouldn't be the first time!)
Your simply focusing a current as too heat/melt a specific pin-point spot on both sides (aka spot welding)..... if im not wrong? Much like an actual spot welder would do and focus.
Agree or Disagree?
I also wonder if you were doing this Ac or DC? DC I suspect but what amperage and polarity (if polarity even matters since there is not a puddle for the filler rod, nor uphill downhill or overheat)? Just a simple 2 points of the plates touching together. thus I bet a SS paste flux would improve the weld and purity of the bond.
Are you using an idealarc as noted in the title or a modified Tig/mig "currents" /lead setup....or maybe a spot welder itself with jumper leads . I only ask because the rod holders do not look standard. 110 v or 220v??? ( modified Battery Cables??? LOL)
Maybe I am over or under thinking its simplicity of carbon arc rods vs Tungsten (No inert/ argon or helium seen). So did you use some SS type/rated flux? its out there... but doubt its really needed but might help withe the contamination and isolation of impurities, Thus creating a better/cleaner glue point. and clean up! Ahem!!!!!!
Lastly, did you clean the two points of contact before hand, and did you use the SS flux material.
I'm not trying too debunk this.... I say "KUDO's and thanks"..., you just sparked my curiosity and some thoughts~
I believe someone already stated ("there's more ways too skin a cat!") ... personally think its quicker just too shoot the damn cat and let them rot. lol
Knowing what I do now, flux and a much cleaner surface would definitely have helped. I haven't had another project that required me to do this again though. It was a weird shaped vent and I experimented with what I had on hand. Welding is just a hobby skill for me. Also, if I were to try this again, I think I'd devise some sort of leavered press to press the material between the electrodes, more like an actual spot welder.
I really like your way of holding the carbon arc rods for spot welding. Really nice and simple way of making it happen fella.
Got there in the end. Made me laugh, especially the bare feet!
It would Work better if you removed the galvanized coating first.
I wanna try, spot welding with my arc weld too, thanks for sharing
You should show the welding machine voltage and current settings.
Thanks, looking into the idea myself of using a tiny MMA inverter and attack a spot welder pen to it for 18650 packs, don't have enough electrical know how so just sent a question to a friend who is pro and most def have got it, but then saw you do it before I even got a reply and I suspect if concentrating the 2 copper sifts and boil down to a very small area touching the nickel to batt cell poles I cannot help but to wonder, will thi be great without even opening the inverter and turning the other potentiometers for maximizing settings range, adjust anti stick/arc control features maybe, etc aso..
Understand this is a test and not dialed in the process yet, but me too loved the way you show also the failures and getting a much better picture, broader. Thanks a lot.
I was just looking for this. Trying to locate the welding machine.
Put some ptfe film where clamp between the work piecesand also clamp, so main current flows in electride area, also switch off current for a few seconds before releasing the electrodes. Armchair expert here giving real workers advice. 😂
Which ampere sellected for welding? and what rod used?
Good video. Thanks for posting and sharing this. I forgot about this even though I purchased some carbon rods a while back. It’s an interesting old school technique that is good to keep in the tool box . Thanks again and just ignore all the criticism.
Use 2 brass bolts as electrodes
This leaves an unsightly scorch and won't achieve a strong bond, as there's not enough heat penetrating through the joint to melt both surfaces quickly. Low voltage and high amperage in shorter bursts is more effective, applied with smaller probe tips.
This is my opinion, I could be wrong.
OMG are you using air carbon arc cutting rods?????
Nice
you could actually make simple clampso you dont have to hold it this is awesome
Wont the galv coating spoil the join?
It certainly made it more difficult, in hindsight I'll grind it off first.
Was the wave guide in connection with amateur radio?
Microwave oven exhaust vent
my only comments are stop waving the camera about( get a tripod or something ) and you don't actually show the equipment. It would be nice to see the gear.
theres quite a bit of faff and not much info in this vid.. electrode material? welder amps? sheet metal thickness?
great idea.. just wish there was more info. any help would be great,
thanks
If you have a stick welder, hook up your electrodes and give it a go. Just be careful! Other than that I'd suggest reading the other comments unless you had a specific question. I didn't really post this as a how-to. It was only to share something I was playing with in my shop...
Yes it is, interesting indeed. For spot welding electrodes I would use copper, I would go for thinner diameter pieces to and minimum semi sharpen a tips at the end where meeting, these in the video are as thick as the industrial 32A/400V monster machine spot welder we have at work and that is capable of sooo much more that a small MMA inverter that's for sure.
Hence taking so long for him to make them even begin to stick trying to attach them to the piece, it's such a huge area to cover, several smaller spot welds I think would be the way to go here, but hey I am no expert either and love to watch people try stuff, learn, progress, adjust, improve and keep trying it's amazing to watch and we can learn from it so all props to poster of video.
What's the material? Aluminum or galvanized? Thanks
Steel, I think 26 gauge. I'm pretty sure it was galvanized. I had a big ventilation fan running while I was working with it.
@@majinkai Thank you. That gives me something to go on before I experiment with using my AC225 arc welder to make spot welds!
Subbed + alert Bell for future videos. Thanks again!
If you can find it, get un-galvanized steel and then paint it. The galvanized coating gives off some nasty fumes and if you have a project you can paint later I'd suggest you do that instead. Zinc-oxide can cause zinc poisoning if you breath too much of it.
It might be because is galvanise sheet , I meant not getting weld
Someone please what’s the name of that rod?
Carbon rods for a carbon arc torch.
You can get carbon rods cheap by disassembling a lantern battery
what kind of arc welding did you use?
It's just a standard stick welder. Nothing special about it, variable amperage from 20-80 as I recall.
Maybe modify some vise grip pliers?
I like the idea. I've seen other videos of folks making their own with fixed lever setups but vise grips would be mobile enough to do what I was trying to do by hand. Inconsistent and inadequate pressure I think were the main reasons I had mixed results. Thanks!
Also might be worth giving yourself a remote power button. That way you can have hold time after shutting off the power, this lets it start to cool.
what was that piece you were making for?
Microwave exhaust duct
WAY to much current. should take 1 second. Use copper electrodes.
you sound like mr bean
Thanks? I think?
you mean Borat :p
It’s Borat. Very nice. I like.
nowhere near enough amps or pressure! Weld should be instantaneous.
Ideally, yes. This was a minimally viable solution.
Not being a smart as but wouldn't a few rivets solve this? Take a fraction of the time.
If you had them on hand, yeah. I did not.
Hahahaha nice
how many amps where you using?
All she'd suffer, 20 amps
Maybe that’s why, maybe you need 1000 amps and you have too many volts
Copper rods right?
No they're graphite. They have some sort of sheath around them that's copper colored.
Ok, so I apologize, I happened to be using this trick again for another project and it turns out my arc welder has a variable amperage setting. I have it set to somewhere between 25 and 30 amps (max is 70). Hope this helps.
For gods sake braze it
Well I have a MAP torch and the stick welder in the video. What would I need to braze two pieces of sheet metal?
@@majinkai
MAP gas is barely hot enough to braze... and only with certain metals... MAP gas on mild steel is alright, but MAP gas on stainless just doesn't work.
You'd probably be better off heating up the parent metal with your carbon arc & dipping the fluxed brass rod in when appropriate.
that's because voltage is too high
What is Amperage set on?