20 buck WELDER can we save it?
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- Опубликовано: 21 дек 2022
- Century Montgomery Wards Powr Kraft 230 Amp Stick Welder
JB WELD MAN SIZE: amzn.to/3FPLkNL
JB Weld QUICK(not as strong as reg): amzn.to/3YJC7iL
Bakelite Phenolic sheets: amzn.to/3HWiKgj
After Thoughts about the Video: Good ol super cheaply made USA stuff.... Still better than Chinese budget tools? I think so. I found a date code on the back of 1982; which is a little newer than I thought(mid 70s). The original owner said it broke around 1990 but didn't recall any details. Off camera I did clean up the contacts on the power switch as I was getting fluctuations in the weld(you can see the weld cut out in the video a few times). That seamed to smooth everything out. The top stud makes a world of difference as the amps are dropping every-time you try to strike an arc.
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I have this exact same welder. A good friend of mine passed away and I bought it from his widow for $50 mine definitely doesn't want to slide down on its own, In fact it's a bit of a pain to get it to slide at all but it works like a champ. It's up at my company warehouse and has welded many of trailers, snow plows and what not. This video really brought a smile to my face learning about my old welder and reminding me of my old friend.
Great story. Always nice when a tool has a back story.
That hurt when you said 30 years ago in the 90s.
Haaa I agree😂😂😂
I had to do the math in my head. It feels like the 90's were just 10 years ago... max.
I miss the 90's 😊
Just got a tombstone last night for 50 bucks thanks to your last video! Just need to fix the leads and a coat of paint !
That's a score!
@@sixtyfiveford I got one for $50 with a bad fan motor. Got a fan motor from the welding supply and used it once to weld blades on a rotovator on a Gravely walk behind and then swapped it for a trailer. YEARS ago. GREAT welders!
I was just thinking what a great time that the internet and RUclips exists, that people with GREAT ideas and knowledge can share. With the rest of us. Thanks
When I was about 14 I got dragged along by my dad to one of his buddies shops where he had one of these (Sears but the same thing) doing the same problem of sucking back down. They ended up doing something with a small chain that would hold it up. I love these old buzzboxes because they are simple and will outlive me. Inverters are cool & lightweight in the field but for something that just stays in the shop an iron core with wire windings is hard to beat.
Thanks Moe. I've been having the same problem for the last 30 years and just use bungee cords from the lever to the handle to hold it where I want it but your idea of welding some allthread to the top of the lever mechanism with a nut seems to work so much better. So thank you for the video. Merry Christmas to you and yours and may God bless you all.
Hey Thanks. Merry Christmas to you and yours as well.
I've got a similar Wards welder. The lock and adjustment lever are separate but its essentially the same. It was my dad's, don't use it much but when its needed it comes in handy.
I have the same one. Really good little machine.
It’s hard to believe that a person with a welder can’t fabricate such a repair. My wife constantly reminds me that we are a dying breed. Great job!
Well done with the bolt and Knob!
Hey Thanks. It makes it work and that's all that matters.
In the shape that thing was in, I think he would have let it go for $10 lol. Great job fixing it.
Probably.
Are you kidding. It has LEADS!
lol.
Seriously, you could get $50 easy in my area. I see some really rough Lincoln tombstone welders selling for $200 all the time.
Another great vid! I consider myself pretty handy, but your videos have been valuable in teaching me different techniques that I didn't know before to add to my repertoire. The torpedo heater video was great, as I was able to tweak mine to burn cleaner. Thanks again!
About five hours ago I was thinking of that video, I wasn't really present most of the time, brand new torpedo heater, wouldn't start. Blast, another thing to fix, took it apart wishing I had watched the video while it ran, took one hose off blew into it, started right up after that. Got off easy, helped painting around the inside of the hood on my truck today, when it's 10F below and a winter storm watch. At least the video is there for back-up. Ran this one also, did he fix it? Oh, now the windows 10 emojis says Blizzard, I just love how they add things I don't want.
Hey thanks
That 7018 is a DC rod your using with an AC machine...... use 6011
@@edkorobanov6841 7018 is a AC and DC rod
@@sixtyfiveford If your AC welder has an OCV of 60 volts as some smaller welders do, you will need to use 7018AC.
I like collecting and fixing old buzz boxes too. I got a Union Carbide 230 amp that reminds me a lot of a Miller Thunderbolt for 20 bucks at a swap meet this summer and it cleaned up and welds like new. People underestimate the old AC welders you can get a lot done with them for not much money. Thanks for your videos I always enjoy them. 👍
So true
Nice Job Moe ! She's A Worker Now ! Looks Alright too ! Nice Job of Problem Solving too.
Thanks Wayne
Great fix, glad I can't weld for crap or I'd be looking for one to fix up too. Lol
🤔 Maybe I should fix one to learn to weld better.
Go for it!
Ur truly a jack of all trades, i like ur use of a hose reel for your 220 cord, great content
The two rivets at the top of each shunt bar are intended to keep the shunt bars parallel. It relies on friction to keep the amp setting from moving. The phonelic is probably too slippery. I might suggest a thin rubber strip along the outside edges of the shunt bar to keep it from slipping after the handle is released. The parts breakdown doesn't show the rubber strips but hey, users sometimes have better designs than the engineers. Higher spring pressure should help also (maybe it's lost it's springyness). The slipping of the setting seems to be common.
And Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
Thanks. Same to you!
When you said, “ 30 years ago, back in the 90s.” I about died!
OUCH!!!
Being that the welder is a Monkey Wards unit, it’d probably go for a pretty good price to a collector of vintage Americana and old school garage tools
Crazy how time flies. I felt the same when the owner told me it broke 30yrs ago and a few sentences later said around 1990.
Welding that wingnut onto the part that moved was a genius idea. The manufacturer should have done that.
Back in the mid 70s, I bought a 295 amp Solar (Century) Welder that had a wiper arm and friction lock system for adjusting the current. It had the same problem as this welder, in that while welding at the higher amperages, the current lever would creep downward, requiring that I stop, re-adjust the amperage, and then continue. I got so frustrated by this, that I made an external screw mechanism to move and lock the current adjustment lever. In every other way, it was an excellent welder, but I eventually replaced it with a multi function welder. It is good to see that you were able to repair the buzz box.
Great repair
Very interesting design. Shows the variable flux in the field as it pulls the shunt in when arc is struck.
I own two versions of these machines (Dayton,Craftsman) that do both AC-DC. I took care of the shunt sliding issue by applying a very fine film of toothpaste because of its abrasiveness. Both machines are upgraded with dinse socket connectors so that I can use the same cables of my Lincolns, Millers and other machines. Another upgrade that keeps the power cords from getting to hot is a 100uf motor run only capacitor on the 220v ac input after the on of switch. These machines are awesome, they will save the day when coming across magnatized steel and they run 7018 on DC just as good if not better than inverter machines. Thank you for the video.
They came with the wheel kit that way so your first welding project would be mounting the wheels. I still have the manual for this welder somewhere. Nice job getting it going again and prettying it up a little
Dude where have you been all my life. This channel is a commentation of like 10 different channels I watch. Accept more to the point. Love it. New sub.
Wow, thanks!
I have that same welder and I'm the original owner. Bought it brand new from Montgomery Ward in Wichita, KS in the late 70's I believe. Less than $100 I think. Still works fine.
Bravo man. I love these videos. Thanks for taking the time to educate. I feel like I'm learning and having fun watching. Keep rockin'.
Thanks Man
I have an old Miller stick welder that has threaded adjuster like your mod, a bit heavier duty threaded rod but it's factory. I think the magnetic field pull developed by the current flow was not quite mitigated by the original design. The factory setting system, as you noted, had considerable pull when the weld arc started. You fixed that in a way that made it fail safe. Nicely done.
That was a great fix. The wing nut on top definitely doesn't look out of place, I'm sure I've seen old school welding machines with a large bakelite/phenolic resin type knob right on the top of the welder. Also, possibly, if you'd made a yoke type fixture to connect the all thread you could do away with handle and modify it to just be a current indicator and not have that handle sticking out? Cool job😎
Well done, like you need another welder😂😂. I have the same enjoyment fixing things just for the sake of fixing them and saving them from scrap or even worse, landfill. I can also totally relate to tidying up the case and generally making it look less knocked around. I think your channel attracts a lot of like mined people that enjoy your down to earth style. For those that don’t know, transformers like welders ect use a special silicone/ iron alloy steel and it is laminated together in thin pieces to reduce electromagnetic eddy currents which reduce efficiency / waist power and not because it’s cheaper. Cheers, Stuart 🇦🇺
Thanks
same type welder painted for so many retailers .... good vid
Thanks 👍
Learn something every time I see your vids. Good job!
Awesome, thank you!
Great Video.......I love it when something works out.....Thanks.
Glad you enjoyed it
i fixed an idealarc250 that laid outside apart for years. so simple, just needed some oil and a new switch. you are doing great
Those wheels look like they are off a Weber BBQ!
Lol. That was my thought exactly.
I had essentially the same machine, sold as a Century in the 1980s. The shunt on mine had a strong tendency to slide downward due to the magnetic force in the transformer core, as soon as I would strike an arc. I tried adjusting the spring tension nut on the back of the mechanism, to little avail, so I usually just wedged a calibrated stick between the shunt handle and the floor (okay, it wasn't calibrated... I just happened to have a cutoff scrap that was the right length for about 90A...)
I built a rectifier for it, in a standalone box that could sit atop the machine (painted to match... Huskee Red is close to the original color). Not sure that was worth the effort, but for an electrical engineer, it was a fun project.
you you make stuff look so bloody easy its so annoying. when i try to do stuff and make a complete hash of it.. keep doing vids love em
Strong you say?
A friend I use to work for had a similar one as this. Once I tied a rope on that lever-handle with a 20lbs piece of steel hanging on the back thinking this would work. As soon as I struck the arc that 20lbs weight went flying over the welder.
The next thing we did was to attach a small chain and bolt a hook on top of the welder. That did the trick ;)
With a last title name you should have had a GM/Detroit diesel genset pulling the welder. Common practise for RG!
It felt like at least 40-50lbs of force pulling the lever down. And that's with the friction of the thing wedged under spring pressure. It would make a heck of electromagnet.
@@sixtyfiveford Yessir! On both counts!
Thanks for sharing your know how. Always enjoy your videos.
Thanks for watching!
Another excellent description of how things work!! You’re a genius.
I like your style. Made it better-than-new, and no wasted time on esthetics. Perfect xmas gift for a young enthusiast, too!
I have an old century welder with the DC option. I have noticed mine drops in amps also. It seems to settle down only like 5 to 10 amps or so then binds up and stays. So i've just been in the habit of setting it higher than i want to compensate. But if it gets worse. This solution is gonna be implemented!
I just found your channel. Fun and educational. You are on my must watch list. Thank you for your hard work. Merry Christmas to you and yours!
Thank you! You too!
I love ur idea for your extension cord, using a hose reel, ur a genius. Great job fixing that welder.
I have the Century 230ac/140 dc version of this welder, I bought new in 1989 from a farm store. It lives in a barn and still works great Every 10 years or so I blow out the dust. It was my only welder for 30 years.
I love your stuff I feel like we could hang out!!
Hey thanks
Nice work around!
Always enjoy your content buddy, thanks for sharing and best wishes for the holidays
Hey thanks
Oh man this brings back memories of working with my dad in the shop. He had a very similar welder with that handle design. He did the exact mod you did with the threaded rod out the top with a round wheel handle on top to adjust. He used it for years like that. His also made that vibration/buzzing sound all the time. I totally forgot about that sound till you started welding. Put a smile on my face. Thanks man.
Very cool!
Another great job in the shop. Well worth the 20 bucks. And I love to watch the dog playing at the end. Merry Christmas to you and yours.
Thanks, you too!
Nice fix. I have the same style welder (Century) and always questioned whether or not I could change the amp setting with the machine running. Lincolns, No, but Centurys, Yes. I understand now, that there is no physical electrical contact being moved with the shunt moving up and down.
Again , you have a solution to everything. Genius!
GOOD DOG !!!!!!!! HAVE A VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS, AND HAVE A FANTASTIC 2023 !!!!!!!!!
Thanks. You as well!
Thank you for sharing, i have the same trouble, i fixing everything and everything is good, thank you 👍👍👍👍
Happy Christmas 🎅🐝🎄
My Century plasma cutter has the same style transformer and the same basic trouble. I couldn't repair it without buying supplies so it's wedged on max 40 amps. Thanks for the videos 👍
A Krylon overhaul does wonders for the best use.😀😀
Happy New Year! Best wishes to you in 2023.
Same to you!
The day someone brought that welder home new it was their pride and joy. You did right by it. That sheet is phenolic and the trade name for it would be Mircata. Bakelite is different stuff. Although Bakelite may be a phenol resin plastic too? The difference is in how it is made. Bakelite is baked in molds. If you've ever broken Bakelite you might notice it has a hard crust on it. That's from the hot mold it was made in. The outside skin gets toasted. Then the inside is all granular. Micarta has cloth or paper in it. Though really crappy Bakelite has a lot of sawdust filler in it.
Good info.
Love it keep the great videos coming
Hey thanks
Those old school AC welders are tanks, my dad has one from like the late 60's from Sears, it still works.
Awesome
Nice restoration. Also, good explanation of adjustable transformer shunt.
Glad you enjoyed it
Nice find! I have seen these old style of welders before, but didn't know how the internals looked. Good video! 👍😁
Thanks 👍
Nice restoration. As you said, bad design. I love the footage at the end with your dog catching the ball as he jumps through the hoop. This put a smile on my face.
Dave.
Thanks!
Well done!
Hey thanks
NICE FIX
hellz yea, cool videos. ive been looking for a welder to do some car stuff and keep finding these old welders. some tlc, elbow grease, works like new! very informative. thanks so much!
Right on
I've got the ac/dc monkey wards version an it does the same thing. Gonna tweak it some and replace the diodes. Burned alot of rod over the years lol. Stay safe all!
Brilliant solution Bud!!☻
Hey thanks
Nice job Merry Christmas
Thanks! You too!
20 bucks I mean c'mon deal all day ! Looks store bought ! Merry Christmas 🎁
I couldn't believe 100 people looked at this and passed it up.
Most people have zero knowledge when it comes to electricity or electrical components... thus would reject it for that reason alone. That and most folks simply wouldn't want to spend the time putting it back together once they saw it in pieces. Too lazy! Best wishes! 👍🏻👨🏻🔧🇺🇸
- Max Giganteum
Awesome video, merry christmas moe and ginger!!!
Thanks! You too!
fun project.
A great find
It's the same exact welder as the Century welder, just a different name plate and color.
As for the adjuster the reason it goes down is because the vibration , the nut in the back of the adjuster it has to be fine tuned, a little to tight it will go down a little to lose it will go down, I have the Ac/dc one that is identical to yours , had the same problem , I had to rebuild the adjuster and Straightened it out just like you did , will , the trick was sticking the arc and see where it let's go, and keep adjusting it until it stopped , when I got it to stop I used some lock tight , that machine will last you forever.
Probably more than $20 worth of copper in it, but now it's worth more than scrap. Good job
I figured I couldn't go wrong for 20.
LOL... That was my first welder I bought back in the early 80's... I had a Montgomery Ward credit card...I still have it... Was working when I retired it 20+years ago...
You sure could not beat the price! Lasted way longer than the store!🤣
Beautiful! Nice save.
Thanks!
@@sixtyfiveford you do some very cool stuff.
Good job. It looks like it welds great and I like your wingnut solution. Well not at first, but after you did it I liked it. I had a Craftsman welder that had a similar sliding element that was difficult to adjust and then. It slid sideway so a threaded rod would be sticking out the side. I gave up on it. I agree that these sliding element designs have drawbacks. If I ever come across one of these, I know now that there is a solution.
Thanks. It seemed to fix the problems.
Great job !
Hey Thanks
Cool . Nice that it welds good
Great work
Thank you so much
I had a smaller yellow one and it broke in the same place glued them back together lasted a while till it didn't haha the force it has contributed to them breaking along with heat cycles also had a hard time starting a weld when it started it was quite powerful. Mine also had a crank handle on the top with a threaded rod to ajust the amperage.
Great video as usual
Glad you enjoyed it
l thought this was a very good video. It was interesting to see how you worked through each problem without giving up. In addition, you did not give the impression that you knew everything related to the welder. Instead, you referenced the internet to get a better feel for the issue that was preventing the outcome that you wanted. This was a good example of the problem-solving process. If we could know how much time it took you to research and complete the project, it would be an even better video.
I just bought an old winpower 175 welder for $300. Amazing condition runs and welds, with a 14 HP Briggs.
Awesome!
My Wards welder has a big bar that slides in and out of the transformer when you slide the handle It also has a flexible cable /bolt thing with a knob you tighten that clamps the bar tight to keep it from moving 😃🎄🎄☃
If I'm reading you right, I thought of the same exact thing in place of the threaded shaft which Moe used. A bar & clamp would be superior for making adjustments... at least for doing it quickly. Obviously, either way works. It just boils down to what you require for convenience.
As this video is most likely the last one Moe uploads to his channel this year... I'll take this opportunity to wish everyone a Merry Christmas & a happy New Year. May you all be blessed with the company of friends, family & loved ones through the last days of the year. Here's to good food and a warm, safe environment for all of us. Godspeed!
👍🏻✌🏻❄️🎄☃️⛪✝️👨🏻🏭🇺🇸
- Max Giganteum
I was right with you with the wing nut in the middle of the top. Great minds, maybe. A pal I call the Self-made Millionaire has an old Sears with a twist handle adjustment that you fold up and twist to adjust and then fold back down to lock. It'll creep like that too under a good load. He started from NOTHING and his leads are spiral split by hand garden hose wrapped around the copper lead wire because the rubber insulation was GONE! He could fix and do anything. Beatenest guy at rigging stuff I EVER saw. He'd take jobs that NOBODY would touch just to show them it COULD be done. Amazing person. Still going too! Thanks, Pal and God Bless Yall! And GINGER SCORES for the WIN again!
Awesome story. Sounds like a fun guy to know.
@@sixtyfiveford There was an X-ray certified welder that moved up here from Florida to work on the atomic electric ( we call it bomb) plant reactor in the neighboring state. When the plant work was done he ended up at the crusher. X-ray and the Millionaire would weld up stuff with one on one side and one on the other, knitting the whole thing at once., hollering for one to speed up or slow down. Millionaires welds always held. The bosses said that X-ray didn't put enough on but I think his held too. X-ray left but the Millionaire is still here, still doing grade work and fixing stuff. He IS a nbeat guy to know!
I have the AC/DC version of this welder - Montgomery Ward branded, but of course made by Century. Similar hi/low output on AC, and 140 amps on DC. Paid $50 for it, and I've got it set up doing scratch-start TIG.
I have an ac/dc version of it from Air Products, bought it new in 1986 has been used very little
The wire in the leads are worth $20 👍
That's my thought
century actually went the same idea with screw on top to adjust the voltage like you did, i have that model
Great video. I would rubberize the shunt handle at some point just in case there's a short one day.
I have the Centry version except mine is AC DC. Looks identical except for two more-line ports on the lower front. Got it at a salvage store in 1985, added a sears high frequency start in 1986, installed an air cooled tig torch in 1987 and still use it toTig weld now. Yes the adjuster moved sometimes on mine also
Awesome
I like the Alice Chalmers paint for deep orange in a pinch
True. I use that or Kubota, but they are done many 1970's darker shades of orange you can't find in a spray can.
Guessing you can use the lever as an indicator and then do like the lead screw design maybe using a c-clamp with a crank handle on top, nut on the case and the c-clamp end connected on the shunt. Then if doing that bolt idea on top... you mise well just have the control set on top like some designs do on top. Good save and thinking improving performance might help? Merry Christmas and thanks for sharing as always.
Watched a YT video from Merlins Old School Garage where he used an alternator on a golf cart to weld with. He showed the schematic of how to assemble one.
Another $20 welder I bought was an ancient working Sears Colormatic that looked like it was underwater for some time. We did an exhaust on a friends car with it prior to selling it.
I owned a colormatic years ago. It was a decent welder. It would definitely be a project welding exhaust with stick.
Not bad for 20.00 dollars wasn't really much wrong with it just needed a little love..I'm sure you're going to put it to good use ..maybe you could teach Ginger how to weld looks she's smart enough..lol..hope you and your family have a great Christmas and thanks for all of the most helpful video's..see you on the next one Cheers friend 🥂🥂🥂🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸
Hey thanks. Ginger welding class...
7 seconds in and I know you can do it.
Nice work. Yay Ginger!
Thanks again!
I had a $15 welder similar to that a few years back. I made a half hearted attempt to fix it. Gave up and scrapped it for $45. Still not mad about that investment.