Clarke 140e mig new rotary switch

[Paul Hewer]

So I have,a very old Clarke 140e mk2. It's been a great welder for over 25 years. The rotary selector switch has started to fall apart and it's stuck on low power. I have removed the switch but it's not fixable the parts are cracked and it's seized up. No problem I thought I'll just get another online but I can't seem to find one the same. My switch has 6 positions and 12 terminals 6 of the terminals that are on one side of the switch are bridged together and the 6 others go to the windings. I've looked online for a 6 position rotary but they all seem very different to mine and I'm not entirely sure how I'd wire one up. Am I right in assuming the original switch would only provide power to 1 winding at a time?

Anyone know where I might get something that isn't going to require me looping the input to 6 terminals all over the switch in order to make it work?

What I have found on sites like Amazon looks very weird with there not appearing to be any logic in the numbering of the terminals

I suppose it's also worth asking if anyone has and old switch on a parts machine or similar they'd sell me?

Thanks

 

[eddie49]

Am I right in assuming the original switch would only provide power to 1 winding at a time?

Yes. According to the circuit diagram in post #25 of this thread:

Clarke Weld 140e Mk2

This circuit diagram is again not your actual 140E, but probably the closest - Page 31: https://www.clarkeservice.co.uk/manuals/mig_welders/mig165_175te.pdf As a111r said, two weeks indoors cuddled up next to an Aga is adequate to dry out even the wettest labrador. Just plug the welder in...

www.mig-welding.co.uk

the rotary switch is 1-pole 6-way. They are available from Tec-Arc, for a price:

Pardon our interruption...

This s/h one would probably do the job:

Rotary switch ~ LARGE G.E. ~ 1 pole - 6 way ~ For high RF power or voltage - NOS | eBay

This switch is six way and has a spring loaded roller detent with very positive locking.

www.ebay.co.uk

This weird one might be 8 single-pole on/off switches:

Mother's DayElectric Welder Separately Switch KDH-25/2-8 8 Digits Electric | eBay

Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for Mother's DayElectric Welder Separately Switch KDH-25/2-8 8 Digits Electric at the best online prices at eBay! Free delivery for many products.

www.ebay.co.uk

You would have to link 6 of the "rear" tabs together to act as the 1 pole ( so it would become 1-pole 6-way ), then block off or ignore the 2 extra positions.

 

[Paul Hewer]

Thanks fir the reply. I like the look of the second hand one as it looks much easier and more obvious to wire. Much appreciated

 

[Paul Hewer]

I've put a bid in. The cam switches just confuse me to be honest so this looks much easier. Also based upon the design it doesn't have much to go wrong in the future

 

[eddie49]

In case you need to confirm the order of the six transformer tapping wires:

The wire for the lowest power setting ( 1 ) will connect to the maximum number of turns on the primary winding, so it will have the highest resistance to the other end of the transformer primary. This will still be a very low value, e.g. 2 Ohms. As the rotary power switch steps up - 2, 3, 4 etc - to the highest power setting ( 6 ), the resistance at each tapping will drop progressively, e.g. 1.8, 1.6, 1.4 Ohms. From the remote end of the transformer primary to the highest power tapping wire for switch position 6, the resistance will be around 1 Ohm.

 

[Paul Hewer]

Thanks luckily for me the old switch is labeled and the wires are pretty solid so have stayed in order but I happy to know the above in case I mix them up at some point. Cheers

 

[hotponyshoes]

If you don't win the used one you can get the modular switches from the likes of schneider to make your own up.
Not exactly cheap but probably cheaper than thr techarc version and cheap to mantain as you can replace contractors etc individually

 

[Paul Hewer]

Happy to report I won the used one:-)

Thanks everyone for the help

 

[Paul Hewer]

 

[Paul Hewer]

Switch came, all soldered in and works fine. Had to grind a touch off the baseplate but other than that a very easy job. I managed to remove the old numbers with some thinners and got some cheap number transfers from Ebay. Pleased its all back working and the switch action is better than the old one (even when it worked), a nice clunk between settings but easy to turn.

Thanks

Paul

 

[Hutcho]

Next new torch bud - I have a 140 here I haven’t tried yet - proper bulky things

 

[Paul Hewer]

As soon as funds allow that will be the next step I think. I did one on my old sip but had to upgrade the drive motor. This ones motor is 3 times as big so should handle the 3-4 meter torch easily I hope.

 

[Repair man]

Hello Paul,
I don't know if you will ever look at this comment as the thread is so old and you got a new switch, but I have only just come across it.

I also have a Clarke weld 140E that has not ben used for about 30 years and is still waiting. I am in the process of making a new clamp / collet for the liner at the wire feed end as my new liner is narrower than the original I thought if I can make one with the correct interal bore for the 4.5mm liner it wolud make a more efficient gas seal, the old liner measures 5mm and the new one is 4.5mm. Also my selector switch was also jammed solid. I discovered it was siezed due to corrosion at the spindle/knob end end where it attches to the front panel. If you are still interested I could work out the wiring/switching for you.

 

[Repair man]

and if you need a new collet let me know and I could easily make a few spares.
Trevor

 

[Paul Hewer]

As soon as funds allow that will be the next step I think. I did one on my old sip but had to upgrade the drive motor. This ones motor is 3 times as big so should handle the 3-4 meter torch easily I hope.

finally got round to adding a euro torch, and while I was at it stuck a fan in the back and replaced the on off switch that was cracked.

 

[Paul Hewer]

Hello Paul,
I don't know if you will ever look at this comment as the thread is so old and you got a new switch, but I have only just come across it.

I also have a Clarke weld 140E that has not ben used for about 30 years and is still waiting. I am in the process of making a new clamp / collet for the liner at the wire feed end as my new liner is narrower than the original I thought if I can make one with the correct interal bore for the 4.5mm liner it wolud make a more efficient gas seal, the old liner measures 5mm and the new one is 4.5mm. Also my selector switch was also jammed solid. I discovered it was siezed due to corrosion at the spindle/knob end end where it attches to the front panel. If you are still interested I could work out the wiring/switching for you.

Hi sorry I hadn't noticed this post, I got it all working fine in the end, only came back today as I'd finished what I started. Thanks

Paul