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Posted by Ignoramus1473 on May 18, 2006, 10:31 am
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I am redoing my welder a little bit. I am considering whether I should
have it configured to be able to produce above 200 amps. (note that my
garage circuit breaker, at 60A, does not really let me use more than
200 amps welding current anyway, but I could possibly redo the circuit
one day if needed).
The real question is, are welding currents above 200A useful to a
person messing around with stuff at home. Here are some things that I
am NOT planning on doing:
- welding big oceangoing ships
- welding beams for scryscrapers
- welding bridges and railroad tracks
All I want to do is to be able to weld whatever I might practically
need, such as a trailer or a hydraulic log splitter or whatever (just
some examples).
My welder is likely capable of doing 300 amps at some lowered duty
cycle, it is rated for 100% duty cycle at 200 amps.
So... Would I need to even bother with going above 200 amps, or would
this be a complete waste of time to try to have this capability?
i
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Posted by Jimi on May 18, 2006, 11:21 am
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----- Original Message -----
From: Ignoramus1473
Newsgroups: rec.crafts.metalworking,sci.engr.joining.welding
Sent: Thursday, May 18, 2006 8:31 AM
Subject: Welding -- is current over 200A ever needed?
I am redoing my welder a little bit. I am considering whether I should
have it configured to be able to produce above 200 amps. (note that my
garage circuit breaker, at 60A, does not really let me use more than
200 amps welding current anyway, but I could possibly redo the circuit
one day if needed).
The real question is, are welding currents above 200A useful to a
person messing around with stuff at home. Here are some things that I
am NOT planning on doing:
- welding big oceangoing ships
- welding beams for scryscrapers
- welding bridges and railroad tracks
All I want to do is to be able to weld whatever I might practically
need, such as a trailer or a hydraulic log splitter or whatever (just
some examples).
My welder is likely capable of doing 300 amps at some lowered duty
cycle, it is rated for 100% duty cycle at 200 amps.
So... Would I need to even bother with going above 200 amps, or would
this be a complete waste of time to try to have this capability?
i
Hello,
My take on this is no................. If you can burn a 1/8"
7018 welding rod, you should be able to build darn near whatever you
want.....especially for home usage. I have a utility trailer that I made
from scratch using a small buzz box about that size.
It'll just take a little longer for the larger stuff is all.
Rather than burning a 3/16" in one pass, you may need to lay 3 stringer
passes to match the fill of a rod that size.
Jim
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Posted by Ignoramus1473 on May 18, 2006, 11:29 am
Please log in for more thread options >
> From: Ignoramus1473
> Newsgroups: rec.crafts.metalworking,sci.engr.joining.welding
> Sent: Thursday, May 18, 2006 8:31 AM
> Subject: Welding -- is current over 200A ever needed?
>
>
> I am redoing my welder a little bit. I am considering whether I should
> have it configured to be able to produce above 200 amps. (note that my
> garage circuit breaker, at 60A, does not really let me use more than
> 200 amps welding current anyway, but I could possibly redo the circuit
> one day if needed).
>
> The real question is, are welding currents above 200A useful to a
> person messing around with stuff at home. Here are some things that I
> am NOT planning on doing:
>
> - welding big oceangoing ships
> - welding beams for scryscrapers
> - welding bridges and railroad tracks
>
> All I want to do is to be able to weld whatever I might practically
> need, such as a trailer or a hydraulic log splitter or whatever (just
> some examples).
>
> My welder is likely capable of doing 300 amps at some lowered duty
> cycle, it is rated for 100% duty cycle at 200 amps.
>
> So... Would I need to even bother with going above 200 amps, or would
> this be a complete waste of time to try to have this capability?
>
> i
>
> Hello,
>
> My take on this is no................. If you can burn a 1/8"
> 7018 welding rod, you should be able to build darn near whatever you
> want.....especially for home usage. I have a utility trailer that I made
> from scratch using a small buzz box about that size.
> It'll just take a little longer for the larger stuff is all.
> Rather than burning a 3/16" in one pass, you may need to lay 3 stringer
> passes to match the fill of a rod that size.
Jim, thanks. I kind of agree. Would it not be possible to use a 3/16"
rod with 200 amps of welding current, though? I thought that the rule
of thumb was 1 amp fo eevery 0.001 inch of rod, or 187.5 amps for a
3/16" rod? Is that wrong?
i
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Posted by Laurie Forbes on May 18, 2006, 11:21 am
Please log in for more thread options
>I am redoing my welder a little bit. I am considering whether I should
> have it configured to be able to produce above 200 amps. (note that my
> garage circuit breaker, at 60A, does not really let me use more than
> 200 amps welding current anyway, but I could possibly redo the circuit
> one day if needed).
>
> The real question is, are welding currents above 200A useful to a
> person messing around with stuff at home. Here are some things that I
> am NOT planning on doing:
>
> - welding big oceangoing ships
> - welding beams for scryscrapers
> - welding bridges and railroad tracks
>
> All I want to do is to be able to weld whatever I might practically
> need, such as a trailer or a hydraulic log splitter or whatever (just
> some examples).
>
> My welder is likely capable of doing 300 amps at some lowered duty
> cycle, it is rated for 100% duty cycle at 200 amps.
>
> So... Would I need to even bother with going above 200 amps, or would
> this be a complete waste of time to try to have this capability?
>
I have a buzzbox powered by only a 30A/220V breaker to my garage. I run
only 1/8" rods at 100 to 120A and have never had a problem with the breaker
tripping (as an experiment I ran it for a while full out at around an
indicated 200A and even then did not trip the breaker). So, I expect for
your kind of work, 60A would be more than enough. I weld mainly 3/16 and
1/4" stock but have also done 3/8" with no difficulties.
Laurie Forbes
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Posted by Ned Simmons on May 18, 2006, 12:36 pm
Please log in for more thread options @NOSPAM.1473.invalid says...
> I am redoing my welder a little bit. I am considering whether I should
> have it configured to be able to produce above 200 amps. (note that my
> garage circuit breaker, at 60A, does not really let me use more than
> 200 amps welding current anyway, but I could possibly redo the circuit
> one day if needed).
>
> The real question is, are welding currents above 200A useful to a
> person messing around with stuff at home. Here are some things that I
> am NOT planning on doing:
>
> - welding big oceangoing ships
> - welding beams for scryscrapers
> - welding bridges and railroad tracks
>
> All I want to do is to be able to weld whatever I might practically
> need, such as a trailer or a hydraulic log splitter or whatever (just
> some examples).
>
> My welder is likely capable of doing 300 amps at some lowered duty
> cycle, it is rated for 100% duty cycle at 200 amps.
>
> So... Would I need to even bother with going above 200 amps, or would
> this be a complete waste of time to try to have this capability?
>
As I recall this project was intended to give you the ability to weld
with AC. About the only thing you really need AC for is TIG welding
aluminum. And TIG welding aluminum is about the only time really high
currents are necessary. 200 amps will be fine for 1/8" and barely
adequate for 3/16" aluminum.
Ned Simmons
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> From: Ignoramus1473
> Newsgroups: rec.crafts.metalworking,sci.engr.joining.welding
> Sent: Thursday, May 18, 2006 8:31 AM
> Subject: Welding -- is current over 200A ever needed?
>
>
> I am redoing my welder a little bit. I am considering whether I should
> have it configured to be able to produce above 200 amps. (note that my
> garage circuit breaker, at 60A, does not really let me use more than
> 200 amps welding current anyway, but I could possibly redo the circuit
> one day if needed).
>
> The real question is, are welding currents above 200A useful to a
> person messing around with stuff at home. Here are some things that I
> am NOT planning on doing:
>
> - welding big oceangoing ships
> - welding beams for scryscrapers
> - welding bridges and railroad tracks
>
> All I want to do is to be able to weld whatever I might practically
> need, such as a trailer or a hydraulic log splitter or whatever (just
> some examples).
>
> My welder is likely capable of doing 300 amps at some lowered duty
> cycle, it is rated for 100% duty cycle at 200 amps.
>
> So... Would I need to even bother with going above 200 amps, or would
> this be a complete waste of time to try to have this capability?
>
> i
>
> Hello,
>
> My take on this is no................. If you can burn a 1/8"
> 7018 welding rod, you should be able to build darn near whatever you
> want.....especially for home usage. I have a utility trailer that I made
> from scratch using a small buzz box about that size.
> It'll just take a little longer for the larger stuff is all.
> Rather than burning a 3/16" in one pass, you may need to lay 3 stringer
> passes to match the fill of a rod that size.