We fit anti-condensation heater mats in the alternators of some standby gensets in work, so i thought about using one of those under the wire reel as they are nice and flat.
50w 230vac - so might be just the kiddie?
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50w 230vac - so might be just the kiddie?
God mode restorations
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Mine lives indoors. House ain't just for furniture...
RonMig
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The flat roof on my old wooden workshop (shed) was dodgy, and there was no damp-proof course underneath the paving-slabbed floor.
Probably I was lucky but I didn't get any condensation; there were plenty of airgaps around the roof, maybe that helped.
However, the roof leaked onto one of my metal-model creations and that rusted before I spotted it, which made me unhappy enough to decide to dismantle and rebuild the shed properly, 5 yrs ago
I re-laid the paving-slab floor, with DPM under.
I didn't insulate the floor or roof, but the walls are wooden-outers over membrane over rockwool-insulation, & plasterboard lined.
Includes home-made double-glazed windows with draft-proof seals, new steel pitched-roof over air gap over membrane over OSB3...
Its noticeably warmer in there in the cold weather (than outside, anyway), and cooler in the hot weather - and no condensation.
Mig, Arc and Plasma live happily in there, same as most of my tools - I just use my leather welding jacket and apron to keep other shed-type debris off the expensive electrical stuff...
Probably I was lucky but I didn't get any condensation; there were plenty of airgaps around the roof, maybe that helped.
However, the roof leaked onto one of my metal-model creations and that rusted before I spotted it, which made me unhappy enough to decide to dismantle and rebuild the shed properly, 5 yrs ago
I re-laid the paving-slab floor, with DPM under.
I didn't insulate the floor or roof, but the walls are wooden-outers over membrane over rockwool-insulation, & plasterboard lined.
Includes home-made double-glazed windows with draft-proof seals, new steel pitched-roof over air gap over membrane over OSB3...
Its noticeably warmer in there in the cold weather (than outside, anyway), and cooler in the hot weather - and no condensation.
Mig, Arc and Plasma live happily in there, same as most of my tools - I just use my leather welding jacket and apron to keep other shed-type debris off the expensive electrical stuff...
daedalusminos
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So considering condensation occurs when warm(er) air which has the ability to carry more moisture comes into contact with a cool(er) surface (air cools, moisture condenses). Slightly more complicated than this but you have a few options.
Dry the air with a condenser
Warm the surface
Move the air
Which one to choose will depend on exact circumstances. Only the first will really cure the problem the other 2 are likely to move the problem elsewhere. The best solution is probably a combination of all 3
Dry the air with a condenser
Warm the surface
Move the air
Which one to choose will depend on exact circumstances. Only the first will really cure the problem the other 2 are likely to move the problem elsewhere. The best solution is probably a combination of all 3
redlig
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Last year I used a cheap ,as to be expected , 60 watt greenhouse heater on bottom shelf of the trolley and covered the welder with a cotton sheet.Even with my cheapie Clarke Gasless I was always concerned with storing it so it was protected from Damp and damage. More so now I've invested in a new Inverter MiG.
My shed/workshop is basically dry/good - but in the Welsh Winter (any season) weather, humidity/damp air is pretty much a constant, and I want to look after the kit.
What I do atm is the welder resides on the homemade trolley with Gas Bottle to rear. I've made a thin ply drop-over box that fits over the welder (a bit like a sewing machine idea where the box gets lifted off the base for use, but with a separate opening on the front so I can stow the Earth Cable & my welding gloves inside after placement).
Inside the box, I place my homemade "Dessicant Pack" - which is just a section of the Missus' (honest!) Tights, filled with Cat Litter/Oil Dry and tied closed.
I'm wondering if anyone has any better ideas (short of keeping the welder in the house, when my welding wire already resides in the Airing Cupboard)?
I could add a small vivarium type heater mat or panel heater if that's thought to be a worthwhile modification
Only drawback was getting used to sleeping directly in blankets , bit itchy!
This is my solution for the other mig,kept in a fairly open barn,this lights on 5 months a year for the last 12 years,before that I’d be ruining rolls of wire.
On my 2 welding benches,I regularly smear them in linseed oil,damp and water based spatter spray.
On my 2 welding benches,I regularly smear them in linseed oil,damp and water based spatter spray.
I only ended up using one of the two thermocouples I bought in the end.
Only 13 Watts, but it's a surprising amount of heat!
I've mounted one on the mounting frame for the wire spool carrier, and added an inline small plug/sockets on a flying lead so I can disconnect easily when I move the welder (I wanted the heater to make zero alterations to the welder structure - warranty & all that).
Bottom line is it seems to work, and makes the centre metal panel between the wire side and the controls gubbins side of the chassis, warm - so I'm hopeful it'll do the job nicely
Only 13 Watts, but it's a surprising amount of heat!
I've mounted one on the mounting frame for the wire spool carrier, and added an inline small plug/sockets on a flying lead so I can disconnect easily when I move the welder (I wanted the heater to make zero alterations to the welder structure - warranty & all that).
Bottom line is it seems to work, and makes the centre metal panel between the wire side and the controls gubbins side of the chassis, warm - so I'm hopeful it'll do the job nicely
