110 volt on site work

[weldwise]

hi guys im not sure what the answer to this one. but i got a contract to do the welding and cutting on a portsmouth water site but im only to use 110 volts and being im down a 30 metre shaft and then another 5 meters shoring the sides up with 1/4 inch beams sometimes thicker with a 110 volt 150 amp welder .now im using there 32amp supply but so is every one else.my ark welding in the flats are perfect but vertical im struggling it just looks like birdshit. when the gaffer had a look he said the vertical weldings crap had he said it to my face id have punched his lights out...when igot home iused my 240 200 amp welder and my verticals are perfect ..now my question is to any serving proffesional is my kemppi 150 amp 110 volt crap or is it a supply problem as this is the first time ive used crappy 110 ...thanks

 

[weldequip]

I'd say it's a supply problem with everybody tapping off from the same power source...voltage drop, any idea what the supply is rated at? You need 5Kva to run a 110v welder. The supply is probably well above that but if the world & his wife are drawing off it with angle grinders etc.etc...
weldequip

 

[Hitch]

Sounds like a job for a good genset to me. You'll be flavour of the month if you put the electrics out on the entire site.

 

[Drains]

when the gaffer had a look he said the vertical weldings crap had he said it to my face id have punched his lights out..

So what do you say? Were your verticals crap? Be honest.

And if so, why - you should be using less current on the verts, so the set should cope.

I'm not taking the p here - why do you think your verts wern't up to standard?

 

[snowcat]

I thought inverters worked or they didnt, iv never had power drop or weld issues?

 

[weldwise]

well im not sure what the 32 amp is rated at but i have got a 6.5 kva gen 110& 240 but i hate lugging it about all over the site..bad back and all.. but are you saying the welder 110 is capable of doing the job....and as for a genset thats what i said..they said it needs to get in the tight shafts and needs to be very portable hence the ark welder..

 

[Hitch]

Can you not run a genset with some long heavy leads?

 

[weldwise]

ok for starters when the guys are using power tools the lights go dim the bandsaw dies and i ark out..now i wait till they stop and carry on but the welds dont penetrate like they do in the flats and if i turn the amps down its worse the bit i dont understand is why does it penertrate in the flats and not in the verticals..now i wont lie to you im not a commercial welder..im a mobile welder with a decent workshop where i build custom bikes tanks cars and general welding and i dont do a lot of ark work its mainly mig and tig ..i also told them they need a commercial welder but they said they wanted a guy like me and the money was too good to turn down basicaly i think they got me on the cheap...

 

[weldwise]

mind you the work im doing isjust tempery as soon as its all shored up they are going to fill it with concrete

 

[Hitch]

Well, could well be technique then..... tell us how you are doing it, up, down....? weave, straight.... estimate of current settings..

 

[weldequip]

I thought inverters worked or they didnt, iv never had power drop or weld issues?

They'll compensate for fluctuations in mains voltage yes, usually around +/- 15%, so if there's a drop of more than that it could explain things; on 110v you are only putting in 1/2 the normal voltage to start with. Could be the length of the extension leads also.
weldequip

 

[weldwise]

i dont think its technique as i used the same on my 240 volt machine at home and they were perfect well at home i go up with weave at 120 amps on a 8mil plate but on site ive tried it all up down 150 down to 80 on 3.2 vertical rods im sure its the supply

 

[weldwise]

well the juncton box is 50 meters away and then 40 more to the gen..

 

[weldwise]

well when im done the kemppi 150 ark welder 110 crappy volts will be for sale..hehheh

 

[wyn]

If it's the minarc 150 it's only supposed to be good for 50m of extension lead.

So the 90m could be too much for it.

 

[weldwise]

yes it is the minarc and i thought that. well come tuesday il try my generator and see if that improve things thanks guys...........

 

[weldwise]

ps had a nasty bit of molten metal enter through my leather glove one well burnt and blisterd finger ..lightning reactions ive got.......... the moral of the story check your gloves while welding for long periods as the tips of the gauntlets burn through..aggggg

 

[asmeix6g]

sounds like operator error to me to be honest... are you the only guy welding there? if so tell the gaffer that your bringing ur genset in and running some leads. does it not weld well when you run some vert up stringers?

 

[RapidResponse]

You have too much voltage loss on the input cable.
Mains input cable needs to be 2.5mm sq over that distance and 4mm sq even better.
You will only get out what you put in.

 

[asmeix6g]

check your gloves while welding for long periods as the tips of the gauntlets burn through..aggggg

my hand is always in my pocket or behind my back my gloves are like new