Replacing the earth cable on my Clarke Welder

[Carlos W]

I set everything up to do some welding yesterday, everything clamped in place, lovely and clean and the welder was just like I hadn't connected the earth (but I had)

Anyway, a bit of digging found this



That'll be the reason it was like the earth wasn't connected, as it wasn't.

Anyway, I want to put a longer earth on it, but can I get these joins, or what would people recommend to give a good low resistance join?

Thanks
Carlos

 

[500e]

If no crimp tooling make a brass \coper ferule with pinch bolts (like a big chock block) make each end a fit,
Looks like a poor connection caused the problem to start with.
Nice Kawaka photo as well

 

[Carlos W]

I used a jump lead to do the welding I needed to do, and it welded very well. I think this has been on its way out for a while

 

[Cobbler]

Is there room to use a piece of copper tube & solder it, or use a bit of copper to make 2 solder on eyelets & put a nut & bolt through to join them.

If you want a really posh job, fit a dinze socket on the front of the welder & make a new longer earth lead with a dinze plug on the end. You could have a variety of leads then. But I'd make something up like above or use the same as 500e,
but then I'm a cheapskate.

 

[Robotstar5]

Ideally you want a butt splice from local electrical wholesales (or Eblag) crimp, squash or solder it on and as above, consider fitting a Dinse socket.

 

[skotl]

My SIP has a solid core earth inside the welder - dunno what the Clarke has - so I bought an earth lead with a round lug and used this to attach it to the solid core;

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/NEW-Clamp..._Material_Nails_Fixing_MJ&hash=item5659839d5e

 

[eSCHEn]

+1 for fitting a dinse socket. Really makes a good job and gives you more options for longer leads. Ratchet crimping, bolting or soldering will work fine so long as you get everything nice and clean beforehand. A bit of 3:1 heatshrink can really smarten the job up afterwards as well.

 

[Carlos W]

I love this forum.

Top quality people talking sense.

Thanks for everyone's time

 

[optima21]

when I modified my 151TE, I ended up making a connector from 10mm dia copper,and used 5mm socket grub screws with the ends ground flat. it was crimped (squashed in a vice) and soldered to the cable.

 

[Carlos W]

when I modified my 151TE, I ended up making a connector from 10mm dia copper,and used 5mm socket grub screws with the ends ground flat. it was crimped (squashed in a vice) and soldered to the cable.

That looks very neat.

Thanks for posting

 

[Carlos W]

I've been out today and bought a new earth cable (far thicker and longer) a butt splice and a much better clamp.

we'll be back up and running very soon

Thanks again for every bodies help

 

[Carlos W]

And we're back in business

 

[eSCHEn]

Good stuff Carlos, thanks for reporting back. Glad to see you're up and running again

 

[skotl]

Perfect good work!

 

[Robotstar5]

Job's a goodun

 

[Carlos W]

Although I should've gone for 2.5 metres of earth cable, not 2 metres

 

[skotl]

Although I should've gone for 2.5 metres of earth cable, not 2 metres

Just use some old bell wire as an extension

 

[Carlos W]

Just use some old bell wire as an extension

I've got some speaker wire, will that do?

 

[Cobbler]

I've got some speaker wire, will that do?

You would get the correct sizzling sound when you try to weld, but not from the bit your trying to stick together

 

[eSCHEn]

I've got some speaker wire, will that do?

As long as it's the oxygen free posh stuff otherwise the oxygen will pollute the weld.