Has anyone used one of these???

[Omniata]

Does anyone have any experience of using one of these ???

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ARC-BUG-strike-plate-arc-welder-aid_W0QQitemZ150321489205

Or if I just wanted to "neaten up" the start of my arc welds could I get away with starting on a piece of "copper bar" ???

Just curious that's all, want to know if it's a waste of time???

 

[madkayaker]

have looked and decided ageist.

 

[rtbcomp]

I wonder if the magnet affects the arc? I tried welding near magnetic clamps and the arc was all over the place!

 

[Omniata]

I agree, I'm only a novice and tried to work round the problem, bloody awful mess lol...

Do you think a bit of copper may be the way forward in this case then??
All going off what I've picked up about "copper spoons" etc, ie: copper and steel won't weld together...

 

[Paul.]

Save your money, all you need is a piece of scrap metal to warm the electrode up, sometimes called splash plates or splash block, (although I suspect thats probably a local term), I worked with one welder who had a lump of metal the size of a brick, he reckoned it started out as a piece of 1/4" plate, you can tack run on and run off plates to the job too.

 

[Omniata]

Would copper be any good?
I've got quite a bit of 6mm thick, and want to find a good/handy use for it.
It's nearly pure...

Thought it might be a bit better than scrap so the weld didn't stick??

What do you think??

 

[TechnicAl]

Would copper be any good?
I've got quite a bit of 6mm thick, and want to find a good/handy use for it.
It's nearly pure...

Thought it might be a bit better than scrap so the weld didn't stick??

What do you think??

yes it works fine unless you get it too hot.

I use a big lump of Copper that we have drilled and attached a water cooler. We can run MIG wire all day without using any steel, the drips fall into a bucket of water. We can assess the long term feeding and also check on tip wear etc.

 

[Paul.]

Seems a waste of a good piece of copper, that would be more useful as a backing bar or chill, a 3 or 4 second burst on a piece of scrap will warm up the electrode and make it easier to strike, if you look in fab shops you'll see the edges of the benches are used for warming the rods

 

[Omniata]

Cool!!!

Right, I'll give it a try when the weather picks up.
If they're worthy pics will be posted , if not I'll probably post them anyway and hold me head in shame lol...

Edit: I always get a bit of bother starting and just wanted to find a way of reducing the "grief"...
Will give both methods a go.....

Cheers!!!!

 

[scarecrow]

I just use the leg of the bench

 

[Omniata]

I don't have a bench , yet

 

[simon718]

someone (paul? drains? possibly?) suggested mounting a big carbon brush, like out of a 9" grinder on the bench and use it to arc up on

 

[Omniata]

I've got some 15mm gouging rods... Not coated...

Edit: Have to go for now cos little Om's waking up , I'll be back though ...

Thanks again

 

[asmeix6g]

i would try arc'ing up a couple of inches ahead of where you intend to start you only need it to start and the arc to stabilize then move while its still arcing to where you want to start then go for it you wont have put hardlyt anything down starting the rod ahead. the only place ive used 'run off plates' was on test pieces....