Welding with small inverter stick welder running from pickup?

[normspanners]

Battery powered welder (but do you need 110/240 for grinders as well?).

Small welder generator - allows a smaller machine to weld than trying to use a generator to power a welder.

Buy or convert an alternator, plenty of information on how and you can see them in action on YouTube. Check that there's room in your engine bay.

The alternator one usually give you 110v as well as 12v and welding capabilities
and are roughly the same size as your regular alternator. maybe marginally a little larger

 

[Bill Edwards]

The alternator one usually give you 110v as well as 12v and welding capabilities
and are roughly the same size as your regular alternator. maybe marginally a little larger

Is that all of them (12v)? It's some time since I looked into them with a view to doing a conversation (and I aren't an electrical whizz) but I think that you normally lose the 12v capability. It would be possible I suppose to switch between the two but I don't see the need anyway. I would not share a welding one with the car one. 110 would be quite handy, proper welding setup.

To the op, a suitable battery bank and very, very good inverter would probably cost (and weigh) more than the Lorch battery unit.

 

[Parm]

Have a look at the thread below. The chap from America is quite handy

http://www.mig-welding.co.uk/forum/threads/mobile-welding-using-car-alternator.29360/

 

[normspanners]

Is that all of them (12v)? It's some time since I looked into them with a view to doing a conversation (and I aren't an electrical whizz)

read the links
as a std car alternator gives virtually enough voltage and current to weld with, if unregulated 70v ac at 6000rpm (alt speed) it is the regulator/ diodes that keeps it at 12v dc ish, these heavy duty alternators are re wound usually with more turns to give voltage at lower rpm so 110dc is easily obtained, I was rewinding alternators to give 240v dc 25 yrs ago, but I ran two alternators, now with modern tech regulators, one alt can supply all needs. And some I believe give 230 AC semi sinusoidal with inverter tech.

 

[Bill Edwards]

read the links
as a std car alternator gives virtually enough voltage and current to weld with, if unregulated 70v ac at 6000rpm (alt speed) it is the regulator/ diodes that keeps it at 12v dc ish, these heavy duty alternators are re wound usually with more turns to give voltage at lower rpm so 110dc is easily obtained, I was rewinding alternators to give 240v dc 25 yrs ago, but I ran two alternators, now with modern tech regulators, one alt can supply all needs. And some I believe give 230 AC semi sinusoidal with inverter tech.

Fair enough, I didn't realise they're easily capable of it but like I say, I'm not very knowledgeable on this. I looked into it a while back and decided not to make one due to a lack of time and need.

 

[normspanners]

http://www.whisperpower.com/uk/4/7/products/alternator-systems.html

 

[Memmeddu]

I'm studyng about alternator welder, because i can't buy an engine driven welder, my alternator it's ready to work, but i miss of an engine and i must make all the controll sistem.
I think that it's better for our friend, buy an little engine driven welder like a mosa magic weld whit Honda or Lombardini engine.
I'm dont completaly sure but i remember that mosa ts 200 it is a little bit big 
Opposit the mosa magic weld is compact and "light".
For the alternator welder it's better put it on the pick up engine, and have respect of all the rules of this situation.
If the problem is the distance from the pick up to the work zone....
I think it's better the mosa magic weld because is not to heavy to move

 

[Gwil]

I'd have to add to the general air of pessimism about the inverter route.

I used to weld, short periods only, on my boat with a Victron 3kw inverter (rated at I think 4.5 for very short periods), backed by a 770amp/hour battery bank.

Whatever the maths said, it always seemed to drag the batteries down far more than I expected, despite the 90 amp alternator charging at the same time. Victron stuff is top notch, but I always felt I was abusing the inverter.

 

[dannyp]

the efficency of batteries crashes at high loads and the looses in cabeling go skyward,

i did experiment with running large batteries / inverter as the stuff was there and surplus so i tinkerd, it sort of worked for a bit, 24v-230v inverters don't like inverter welders tho, and inverter welders don't like running on inverters ether. it'll work for a bit till the supply or welder inverter goes pop in mean time the batteries dont enjoy it they get HOT.

i've managed to run an inverter welder off a 110v engine mounted alternor genorator. weldanators are ok bit hit and miss to use main issue with them seems to be how much load engines will tolerate on there accseory belt pullys,

transit 2.4 will delaminate its harmonic damper in frount pully ( sucks but not end of the world ) L200 with eat the keyway in its frount pully and cranck even faster than it would have, vw tdi caddy will breck key out of the yeyway in the cranck ( eventually )