Old SIP 140A stick welder help.

[Andrew D]

I have inherited an old SIP 140A stick welder, which is very battered and bruised. Despite it's very rusty state and having a broken handle and the front for adjusting the power and a broken window on the top, it works. Does anyone have something like it? I would love a photo of the top so that I can get an idea of what Amps and stick size is indicated by the position of the red light. Mine is totally unreadable due to rust.

 

[The_Yellow_Ardvark]

Like PDG, I never refer to mine, I have a Draper, just run a few rods and adjust as required.

I have seen in some work shops they have painted aprox. fingers and current settings. One place has even marked the job, the rod and were the needle should be.

 

[rtbcomp]

Same here, my Cebora Mono Welder is rusty all over and the scale long gone.

 

[Andrew D]

Thank you all, sound advice. Given I am quite a novice and have only ever used MIG, I found it quite easy to use with, even with the old rods. Just pick a small one that looked to be in OK condition and left the power setting at it's random location. Gives a flatter weld than the MIG, or am I just bad at MIG?

 

[gaz1]

for the blue 140 sip

 

[Bill Edwards]

I suspect you've probably got too much power on if the welds are flat and you're finding it easy, and using old rods as well (assuming they'll be damp, unless they were sealed in an airtight box). Stick some photo's up of the weld.

These things usually get battered, bent and rusty but just keep on working. It's just the duty cycle which lets them down.

 

[xmetal]

I've got one of those hiding in one of my sheds. The last time I used it, it was with an add-on carbon electrode set-up for brazing.

 

[brightspark]

I've got one of those hiding in one of my sheds. The last time I used it, it was with an add-on carbon electrode set-up for brazing.

just got one of them in some junk . they create a lot of heat but u cant localise it

 

[xmetal]

just got one of them in some junk . they create a lot of heat but u cant localise it

I agree. It's many years since I used it but you can't easily point the carbon arc at the work.

 

[brightspark]

ok for making a small arc furnace

 

[Andrew D]

I suspect you've probably got too much power on if the welds are flat and you're finding it easy, and using old rods as well (assuming they'll be damp, unless they were sealed in an airtight box). Stick some photo's up of the weld.

These things usually get battered, bent and rusty but just keep on working. It's just the duty cycle which lets them down.

The welder was under a tarp in a leaky shed, the rods where in a cupboard in a wooden bench, in said leaky shed. One or two look fine, though I am sure they can not be perfect, the others have the flux(?) Crumbling away from them. This is the rods and welder in question. My 'power light' is the triangle indicator on top. I will fire it, and my MIG welder up one day and lay some beads, have a play and take some photos. I have literally spent 2 min playing with an off cut of metal. One power setting, one rod, I tapped away until it arced and after 5 or 6 goes was able to run an 1" or so bead (due to size of metal) quite successfully. So I do need to play some more.

 

[Andrew D]

for the blue 140 sip

View attachment 90670 View attachment 90671

Thank you

 

[Bill Edwards]

Well if some have the flux crumbling off then they're certainly ********.
When you buy some go for decent brand ones, it's not much extra and is worth every penny even for those who weld for a living, never mind someone starting out.
Good rods include Phoenix, GYS, Murex, Bohler.
Avoid anything from Machine Mart, Super6, Clarke, Parweld. You can sometimes get good rods from them but it's down to what was cheapest last time you bought a batch and it's not uncommon to have different rods in the same box perform differently.

 

[sardine]

You need to get your hands on a big knob.

A black one.

 

[Bill Edwards]

You need to get your hands on a big knob.

A black one.

Or just remove the remains and weld a piece of small bar across it to form a handle.

 

[Farside]

You need to get your hands on a big knob.

A black one.

There's something you don't hear every day.

To the OP - take off the cable connections and clean them up - you'd be surprised how much difference it makes.

 

[Andrew D]

There's something you don't hear every day.

To the OP - take off the cable connections and clean them up - you'd be surprised how much difference it makes.

Will do, wires are a bit frayed as well, so might unscrew and redo those too. I quite like using it, and in some ways it's much less faffing than getting the roller the right way round for wire size, feeding it though, changing tip, gas on and off whenever you stop for a few min etc. (admittedly I don't change wire that often) and no big shroud to hide what you are working on. Probably makes more sense than flux core.

 

[Andrew D]

I've got one of those hiding in one of my sheds. The last time I used it, it was with an add-on carbon electrode set-up for brazing.

And you can braze without gas with one as well? Interesting, I was considering a repair to an aluminium heat shield for an exhaust. Had thought about pop rivets.

 

[The_Yellow_Ardvark]

You.
Currently Welding - Very rusted bars and legs on a slide.
Currently Brewing - Woodfordes Wherry.


Me.
Welding, nowt. Did weld left index finger to a wire.
Brewing IPA, officer version.

 

[Andrew D]

You.
Currently Welding - Very rusted bars and legs on a slide.
Currently Brewing - Woodfordes Wherry.

Me.
Welding, nowt. Did weld left index finger to a wire.
Brewing IPA, officer version.

Is that the extra sugar, silly high ABV version? I did a Muntons Gold IPA, which had that option, silly me stuck to the standard one as I was just starting out and figured it was less to go wrong. I am completely off topic, I know.

To be honest, I am sat on the sofa, using my phone to look at this forum, while drinking a Greene King IPA, so I am actually not currently doing either (technically)