Starting from scratch.

[Stree]

Hello

Just registered although have lurked a while and must say this seems a very comprehensive resource and friendly as well !

I posted a thread on another forum ( woodworking) about making a stove from a propane bottle and a couple of members here replied ( Phil?)
In the end I decided I did not have the time to take on the stove project and I have bought a nice lump of a stove.
So I stopped looking for a welder.........I was considering a MIG about 160-180 amp but the price new seems unjustifiable for a one off project anyway.
That was until yesterday when I bought a welder second hand on the spur of the moment! Ad that had just gone in in the local paper.
Not really having a clue I hope its an OK model. Its not a mig its an arc mma type 160 amp and I have looked at the starter threads on here but there are some basics I think I need to know before I even plug it in.
No instruction booklet with the welder either so its a steep but hopefully short learning curve.

Looking forward to joining in here !

Chris

 

[Wozzaaah]

Hi Chris, welcome to the forum .
There's been a big interest in MMA welding on here lately so you should find all the help and advice you need. What machine did you get, inverter or transformer?

 

[Stree]

Thanks for the quick response !

and there you have me Sir, inverter or otherwise I am not sure.
All I know is, its in very nice condition, one owner and lightly used up until about 6 weeks ago
Its a Clarke Easiarc 160e and I can`t seem to find any info online about this model.
Hopefully someone will recognise it and I will get a better idea of its capabilities.

Chris

 

[malcolm]

Is it anything like this one? http://www.machinemart.co.uk/shop/product/details/clarke-160n-easi-arc-welder/path/diy-arc-welders

Looks like a basic transformer based arc welder. They don't mention a cooling fan, but you might be lucky - otherwise it might cut out after a small number of rods and need time to cool down again.

Some good threads to get you started in arc welding linked from http://www.mig-welding.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?t=9055

 

[Wozzaaah]

It's a transformer machine Chris.
Simple rule of thumb for smaller MMA machines - weighs a ton and big knobby thing on the front to change the current = transformer, light as a feather and small rotary knob = inverter .
Yours will run anything up to 3.2mm rods. They're now badged 160N but it should be basically the same machine. You should be able to get a manual for the 160N from Clarke if you should ever need one.

Edit: Malcolm beat me to it

 

[Stree]

Malcolm,

Yes, thats about identical apart from the 160n as opposed to mine, 160e.
and the link you gave looks promising thanks!

It came with some rods, 2 thicknesss about 4 mm and 5 mm, both marked with e6013.look new and dry

 

[Stree]

just found some 2.5 rods in there as well !

 

[Wozzaaah]

Forget the 4 and 5mm ones on that machine, you'll be forever hitting the thermal overload and waiting for it to cool down. Stick () with the 2.5s, you'll be surprised what thicknesses you can weld with those.

 

[Stree]

Thanks Woz!

Yes it weighs a ton with a big winder on the front for the settings slider...
I will not be attempting any thick stuff probably 3 mm tops.
Suppose I had better get some practice in !
I will call machinemart and see if I can get a manual. or a PDF one from the site.

I paid £35 for it so thats about right I suppose. got two masks with it, head one and a handheld there are about 130 rods total, and a chipping brush, so its a start !

 

[Stree]

Fair point Woz, being a practical person I think thats the way I would have gone anyway, I can give the thicker ones to someone who could use them.

 

[Wozzaaah]

£35 sounds pretty good for all that, I reckon you did well there
Now go and get

 

[Stree]

Phoned Machinemart and instruction manual on its way ! Thanks for the suggestion.

I think I will pop down tomorrow ( they are open Sundays now) and have a look at a self darkening mask, and some more rods. any good brands in rods from machinemart or do I need a good industrial supplier?

Sorry about all the questions, really getting into this now !

 

[bawjaws]

stay away from machine mart rods, and any other cheap ones for that matter, they just make life more difficult for beggining, altough a good rod is on ebay at the moment that a couple have reccomended link- http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/50-arc-weldin..._3?hash=item220307257350&_trksid=p4634.c0.m14

 

[bawjaws]

heres a link of how they weld, http://www.mig-welding.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?t=8971&page=9

 

[gordon stephenson]

Hello Stree and welcome,
When you say the rods are 4mm and 5mm do you mean including the thickness of the flux outer coating, Just thought I'd ask. what is the diameter of the bare metal end that fits into the holder?

Cheers Gordon.

 

[Stree]

Thanks for the tip about machinemart rods. Thats probably what I have got here. will check out the ebay site suggested.

Good point Gordon, I don`t know how to "measure" the rods and I just measured the whole outer diameter inc flux.
Measuring the actual core metal I have 50 @ 1.6mm
48@ 2.5MM and a dozen @ 3.2mm which seems a bit more useful!

Just looked at self darkening headmasks as well, dearer than I thought!

 

[Stree]

Bawjaws, that first link you gave mentions the rods as 6013s, and thats what I have here. Is that just a type or is it associated with a particular brand?
The lads seemed to be happy with the 6013s anyway.

 

[Wozzaaah]

6013 is the type of rod, it's a 'general purpose' rod and is probably all you'll ever use. That's a decent selection of sizes you have there, you wouldn't want anything bigger for your 160.

 

[madkayaker]

welcome to the black art of stick very rewarding just keep the rods dry!

 

[sloderby]

Just looked at self darkening headmasks as well, dearer than I thought!

From Machine Mart maybe, but others have them cheaper.
The automatic masks are so much easier to weld with than a fixed shade and worth considering. I bought one of the Parweld XR14 masks from the same person as below, though I collected mine from him as I live nearby. I believe that they are available at a similar price from the likes of DIYWelding.
So far it's the best £40 I spent on welding equipment.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Parweld-Welding-Solar-Auto-Mask-9-to-13-shade-XR14_W0QQitemZ350169258977QQihZ022QQcategoryZ67052QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem