Can you carbon arc gouge with an AC transformer welder?

[zeppelin builder]

If you want to mess about with gouging try some gouging stick rods

groovy

 

[davidjohnperry]

groovy

They are fun I've been meaning to do a YouTube video on using them for some time but not had the time yet

 

[Robert Mullins]

Get hold of some MMA gouging electrodes, just arc the weld metal away, no compressed air, noise or vast amounts of dross

 

[davidjohnperry]

Get hold of some MMA gouging electrodes, just arc the weld metal away, no compressed air, noise or vast amounts of dross

These were what I was on about they are great in a pinch but I've never used carbon arc so can't really compare

 

[zzr1200]

We tried it yesterday, it will work on ac, but then we tried it on electrode -ve what a difference (170amp) using a 5mm carbon rod.

I ordered a 400amp bridge rectifer unit for my Oxford, from the bay of fleas.

I'll update this thread when it arrives from the far east....

I purchased the the air arc torch from Amazon for £39.00, the bridge rectifier (400amp 1600volt) for £25.00 from Ebay and some gouging carbons from DWS...^^^^^.
Dinze plugs and sockets another £16.00.

I had air hose and welding cable for the carbon torch connections.

So for £80.00, I set up my carbon arc torch.

My son used it to remove the welds holding the hinge blocks to the safe carcases so we could salvage the 10mm plate doors.

This weekend I hope to try some test pieces, cut some 10mm and 15mm plate, then spray weld some "T" fillet welds and mma a couple for fillets.

Then air arc out the fillets.

With what I've seen so far it appears to be a worth while addition to my welding kit.

Bearing in mind that the process can be hard on power supplies/units you have to consider your needs, I use a direct drive 13cfm V2 compressor 50ltr tank, it copes well but a larger tank would help.

 

[Memmeddu]

I purchased the the air arc torch from Amazon for £39.00, the bridge rectifier (400amp 1600volt) for £25.00 and some gouging carbons from DWS...^^^^^.
Dinze plugs and sockets another £16.00.

I had air hose and welding cable for the carbon torch connections.

So for £80.00, I set up my carbon arc torch.

My son used it to remove the welds holding the hinge blocks to the safe carcases so we could salvage the 10mm plate doors.

This weekend I hope to try some test pieces, cut some 10mm and 15mm plate, then spray weld some "T" fillet welds and mma a couple for fillets.

Then air arc out the fillets.

With what I've seen so far it appears to be a worth while addition to my welding kit.

Bearing in mind that the process can be hard on power supplies/units you have to consider your needs, I use a direct drive 13cfm V2 compressor 50ltr tank, it copes well but a larger tank would help.





View attachment 308126 View attachment 308127 View attachment 308128

It looks cool
How many amps did you use?
Carbon rod diameter? 5mm?

 

[zzr1200]

It looks cool
How many amps did you use?
Carbon rod diameter? 5mm?

Tried using my Oxford on AC at first, which didn't work very well, which is why I purchased the rectifier to convert the current to DC.

So we changed power supply to my Lorch T220 Pro, just to try it on DC.

Which made all the difference wound the Lorch up to 170amp max on dc -ve (mma dc), I have since learnt that carbon arc gouging should be used on dc +ve.

We only took out about 4 or 5 inches of weld, but it was an easy and clean weld removal.

I'm planning on having a play this weekend, with the Oxford using the rectifier...

 

[Memmeddu]

Tried using my Oxford on AC at first, which didn't work very well, which is why I purchased the rectifier to convert the current to DC.

So we changed power supply to my Lorch T220 Pro, just to try it on DC.

Which made all the difference wound the Lorch up to 170amp max on dc -ve (mma dc), I have since learnt that carbon arc gouging should be used on dc +ve.

We only took out about 4 or 5 inches of weld, but it was an easy and clean weld removal.

I'm planning on having a play this weekend, with the Oxford using the rectifier...

I believe that if you make an inductor and add 2 big capacitors (one as close as possible to the rectier output and one on the welding sockets always on the DC side) and surely a big heat sink on your rectifier , with maybe a cooling fan.
It will work better and last longer.

 

[zzr1200]

I believe that if you make an inductor and add 2 big capacitors (one as close as possible to the rectier output and one on the welding sockets always on the DC side) and surely a big heat sink on your rectifier , with maybe a cooling fan.
It will work better and last longer.

I intend using a heatsink, I have a piece of alloy plate about 1/2" x 7" x 11", just need to mill a flat contact surface into it for the rectifier.

I don't know about the inductor capacitors, does a big Oxford oil cooled need them when its connected to 415v (2 of 3ph)???

 

[Kayos]

I intend using a heatsink, I have a piece of alloy plate about 1/2" x 7" x 11", just need to mill a flat contact surface into it for the rectifier.

I don't know about the inductor capacitors, does a big Oxford oil cooled need them when its connected to 415v (2 of 3ph)???

The capacitors go after the rectifier and smooth the DC

 

[zzr1200]

The capacitors go after the rectifier and smooth the DC

Any ideas on the specs for the capacitors, the Oxfords output is 300amp@50v or 220amps @80v.

Being as capacitors are cheap as chips generally, over spec-ing is better....

 

[Memmeddu]

They're are to provide protection from the voltage spikes (don't know really how you call them)
While establishing and extinguishing the arc voltage goes backwards potentially damaging the rectier .
Inductor is just to keep a steady crisp arc

 

[Memmeddu]

Any ideas on the specs for the capacitors, the Oxfords output is 300amp@50v or 220amps @80v.

Being as capacitors are cheap as chips generally, over spec-ing is better....

AC rated capacitors on DC will work
450V let's say 100μF
They have not to be extremely big just enough to protect the rectifier

 

[Memmeddu]

rectier

Rectifier

 

[Memmeddu]

Any ideas on the specs for the capacitors, the Oxfords output is 300amp@50v or 220amps @80v.

Being as capacitors are cheap as chips generally, over spec-ing is better....

Any news?

 

[zzr1200]

Any news?

The rectifer is a slight improvement over ac.

I need to obtain a couple of large capacitors, also I'm trying to read up on inductors atm...

It's a work in progress atm...

 

[zeppelin builder]

Tried using my Oxford on AC at first, which didn't work very well, which is why I purchased the rectifier to convert the current to DC.

So we changed power supply to my Lorch T220 Pro, just to try it on DC.

Which made all the difference wound the Lorch up to 170amp max on dc -ve (mma dc), I have since learnt that carbon arc gouging should be used on dc +ve.

We only took out about 4 or 5 inches of weld, but it was an easy and clean weld removal.

I'm planning on having a play this weekend, with the Oxford using the rectifier...

its a brilliant tool for dismantling fabrications with minimum damage
used to be a seperate job in the good old days , but in latter years you were expected to do yer own , some times we had to test out then also do a gouging test , no problem ive done it loads one of the guys said
how we laughed wen he hit the air button and blew the screen off his head
he had the air jets facing up
jets always should be under the carbon

watch out for flashes in tight areas the carbon is always live no flash hurts like a 600 amp one

 

[pedrobedro]

When I was working at Triangle alloys foundry we used to burn heads and risers off castings with oxy propane and smooth the ridges down with arcair before the flanges were machined and drilled. The arcair units were 1200 amp about the size of a single wardrobe and used 1" or 3/4" carbon rods. I remember one of the regular repairs carried out by the electrician was replacing diodes. You could tell when they were on the way out because the arc would start to stutter and push back at you instead of blowing metal away.