Where were you when I needed you?!! Had a car owner at a car show explain at length how is car was absolutely perfect colours standard and exactly as it left the factory. He got very defensive when I pointed out his panels were fitted with tack or puddle weld in pre made holes. He was adamant they were spot welds! I tried to explain to him that spot welds are a resistance and pressure weld with no holes or any other pre preparation. He relented to claim they were the same thing! I had to explain spot welds introduce no extra material to the joint whereas puddle or spot welds does. He left a bit crest fallen but a little smarter. I bought a spot welder for discerning customer work but it ain't cheap kit! The cost of the solid copper arms is a bit eye Watering! Great video mate
Great demonstration! tangentially related: If I were the car wash owner, I would have gotten these bottle holders fabricated entirely from cotton or some soft hydrophobic fabric. The top and bottom hems could have a stainless steel wire embedded inside to keep a cylindrical shape to accept the bottles.
Ive just discovered your channel, and I subscribed instantly. Thanks for sharing your knowledge. I'm particularly helpful for your excellent ways of teaching, your descriptions, etc. Let me tell you that I learned a lot just from this video. I wish you the best in your business! Greetings from Chile
In my work place, they do spot welding and other times too. I don't need to use them or whatever but it's interesting to know stuff ay? I'm sure I'll be checking out other videos on your channel as I'm interested in all the metal work they do. Again I don't use the machines lol, I'm production chaser.
Thanks for sharing! First time on your channel and have to say you're very very good at talking to the camera and explaining things + what you're aiming to do.
Thanks for the video.. you should hold down, keep pressure for about 3 seconds after you stop delivering power so they will bond better than just lifting off..
Thanks jeff , im debating on building one or buying , i have a 3 volt 800 amp transformer
9 ปีที่แล้ว +27
my high school metal teacher had only taught us to do a quick zap and let go. I didn't think of about holding it for couple seconds. A lot our spot weld projects would fall apart the same day or the next week.
I work for in an automotive assembly plant, and our spot welding is all robotic, now. They are programmed to hold for a second, of course there’s a lot more current in those welders than the one in the video.
I’ve got both a 120 volt and a 220 volt spot welder. I bought the Heavy) 220 model because of the supposed limitation of 1/8” of the 120 model, and with welds of thin materials, weld time is very short.
Oops. Seem to have hit the post arrow. Anyway, the 120 for really thin, and the 220 for over 1/8”. But guess what, the 120 model easily welds 1/4” material, including stainless. It just takes a second or two more time. Since you’re not welding continuously, but spot to spot, it never heats up, even after an accounted 50 welds in a period of 3 minutes. Since the 220 model is rated for 3/16”, I naturally tried it with 3/8”, and it worked just fine. Both could possibly even work with thicker material, but I didn’t try that. Enough is enough. And even though you’re told it won’t, it will weld aluminum. But the tips get contaminated with aluminum. I tried my MIG tip cleaning dip on the tips, and it seems to work. Good luck.
Hi Jeffrey, I want to weld some pieces of sheet metal 18Ga. For how long should I press the button so I can get a strong weld? For how long should I let the machine rest before the next weld? My project needs 12 spots of weld. And I need to build at least 100 units. Hope you can guide me through. Thank you!
Without knowing the amps of your unit or whether it is 220v vs. 110v it is hard to take a guess at that. Best advice is try to find some scrap pieces and to a couple of small samples, try to break the weld. A few destructive tests will help you more than a "good guess" from a guy like me. Plus it is always good to practice a bit before doing a production run.
@@jeffreysanto It is a 220V. I' ll try that experiment, I bought a Harbor Freight one and after watching your video I thought that an extra advise would help.
@@pacoryu 18 gauge is .050 thick, so .100 for the two layers. So your just shy of 7/64 in thickness overall... On that model welder I would guess it to be between 4 - 5 seconds.
Another great video. Keep it up. Just wondering why the loop can not be one piece only eliminating the connecting plate, 6 spot welds and labor. For 18 gauge ( 1.2mm ) mild steel or stainless sheet metal the recommended electrode tip diameter is 0.216in ( 5.5mm ) and has to be perfect flat, not rounded with smooth surface and clean. The electrode tips must be aligned until they are coaxial to each other when the welding materials are between the electrodes & the proper clamping force is applied. Sparking is not normal and could be dangerous ( proper protective gear is a must ). During welding it is not allowed angling of the clamped materials, The welded materials must have smooth surfaces in the welded areas, to be clean, free of paint , rust, grease, etc.....I recommend to make sample welds first , twist and peel test them using a wise and pliers and check if the proper welding nugget is formed between the electrodes. Using a timer can further improve the quality of the spot welds
So is sheet the only use for this type of welder . I just got a low amp stick arc welder clarke 95 model . I am going to start practicing . But I just seen one like this on craigslist for 30 dollars and I know I will have some use for it . I am doing the finishing touches on a tubing roof rack . A fabricator did the bulk . I have to put some crossmembers for the floor and add expanded metal sheet on the floor and paint yet .
+timothy thomas Mild and Stainless steel sheet is the most common material processed with a spot welder. I just did a video last week for one of my subscribers spot welding stainless steel wire, he wanted to make a miniature grill for backpacking. If you would like to see it here is a link. th-cam.com/video/wxooEzpNrKI/w-d-xo.html
Thanks for the vid, but I'd think that you need something more than cloth tape to protect the cars, especially higher end cars. Guys washing cars tend to lean over them a lot to reach the center of say a hood or windshield so that they can dry/wipe them. Anything with exposed metal is going to scratch the car. Even getting into and out of the car quickly (which these guys also do a lot of) is going to cause something hanging off their sides to bump door panels. You might want to look into something like a rubber coating to completely cover them especially since cloth tape tends to come off in water, as well as having a slightly abrasive finish.
Great video. Out of curiosity, whats the reason for closing the belt loop and not leaving an open clip that could slide over the belt with out needing to undo the belt to slip it on?, similar to a gun holster belt clip?
It's all about the company's image, the owner got tired of seeing underwear. The reason for the holsters was because employees we're just shoving these cans in their pockets. The owner decided that creating the holster in such a way where it would require a belt to use would kill two birds with one stone.
9:10 i build my spotwelder my self from a microwave transformer(=MOT) and i can also found the limit at around 1/8 (to be esactly a bit more= 3,5mm). Since the build was so easy and cheap i will double the power by adding a second MOT(700W) in parallel so i can weld double the thickness, the upgrade costs only ~15$. later when i found another MOT i will add a third and fouth so i can weld 1/2inch (with 4mots) Funfact; i could weld thin coppersheet onto stainless steel :D But i had problems connecting different steels types (same type is no problem)
Two reasons, first is if I am making a lot of the same part I do them in steps rather than welding the entire thing together at once, helps me stay consistent. The second reason is it prevents heat building up in the part, to much heat can discolor stainless steel and also make it harder to hold on to without gloves.
This welder is limited to sheet stock, The transformer in the unit would melt before rebar ever welded together. There may be an industrial spot welder that could do it but the electrical power required is not something your going to find in a home shop. At that point the machine would be so large and heavy that it would no longer be portable. Rather than go through all that its cheaper to Mig or Stick weld it together.
Hi Jeffrey. I liked this video and I'm totally new to welding apart from a couple of things I did at college many years ago. My question comes from an idea I'm being drawn to. I would like to build a dish draining rack from small diameter steel bar (2 - 3mm diameter). So aside from the bending and shaping of the pieces, would I need specially shaped tips on the spot welding points? I ask because I would imagine it would be difficult to hold the pieces together accurately.
Hello, My spot welder is not home made, it is sold by Harbor Freight Tools and ran just under $200.00 U.S. I do not think the model I have is still made but they do offer something similar.
Argon and other shielding gases won't do much with spot welding like this, shielding gas protects the molten weld puddle from impurities until it solidifies. Since the metal never makes it to a molten state it would have little effect. What appears on the metal surface with spot welding is a combination of heat discoloration and any coatings, oils or other chemical treatments such as galvanization. The key is cleaning your parts as good as you can before the weld, The heat discoloration really can not be helped and will very between metal types, thickness of the metal and how long the current is applied to the part.
Brown stuff... lol Spot welds will have heat discoloration as the metal itself is heated but it can be primed and painted over, so the color is not relevant.
Dark: I have hte same setup I have welded up stainless steel exhaust tubes. What is the trick to keep the stainless from sticking to the copper contact points?
At harbor freight it retails for 209.00 and goes on sale for around $175. Drop by their web site and search spot weld and it will pop up. I am going to upgrade to a Miller one in the future, that one should run me about $800 or so.
When you’re doing more than one spot right after the next do you keep the spark on less time time than you would your first one because the metal is already heated? Thanks
I don't believe the heat is much of a factor ti the welding process itself. Some spot welders have timers on them so that each weld is uniform. Its really the passage of the current that fuses the material together. Welds made by heat alone generally require that the parent melt to a point to create the fusion. Also to much heat combined with the pressure of the electrodes could start to really deform the copper tips and shorten their life span.
Is there any problems with localised oxidisation at the site of the actual spot weld of the stainless? Other methods of welding stainless require a gas shield to prevent oxidisation during the weld process.
The only time I have had an issue spot welding stainless is if the copper contact points on the machine are old and need replacement. If the tips mushroom because your using to much pressure it increases the amount of contact to the metal. The heat is not as focused and as a side effect more heat is put into the piece than normally needed to fuse the parts together. You'll start to see discoloration in the material but not much more than that, to get oxidization you would have to stay on the heat for a while and begin to physically burn the steel. Since your only doing a quick fusion with spot welding you do not have a molten weld puddle like you would have with TIG welding for example, so the outside atmosphere will have little effect on a spot weld.
Hi Jeffrey, great informative video. How do you think spot welding would work for 10ga galvanized sheet metal? Would that harbor freight weldor be up to the task? Thanks!
I Vw If memory serves 10ga sheet runs .140 which is slightly thicker than 1/8 inch. So 2 pieces combined would be about .030 over 1/4 in. According to the Harbor Freight site this spot welder which is the 240 volt model welds stock to 3/16 in. combined thickness (mild steel), two pieces of 20 gauge... Also if you planning on welding or heating anything galvanized just be aware that the fumes are extremely hazardous. This is the description from one of the welding sites I follow: Zinc is the coating used on galvanized metals The typical effect of breathing zinc fumes is metal fume fever. One or two hours or more after welding-without proper personal protection-you may experience severe thirst, pain in the legs, shivering, congestion in the head, dryness and tickling of the throat, and a cough. In very bad cases, you may feel severe shivering, a high fever, buzzing in the ears, nausea, vomiting, and even hallucinations and convulsions. Your symptoms will usually last 24 hours.
Jeffrey Santo thats a good point -- the steel will be too thick for this welder.. I've got 10k pieces of greenhouse material that require 4 welds each.. Its a hefty project and I don't have time to stick-weld dirty galvanized steel (and I agree -- zinc is nasty stuff. Had a horrific stomach ache once.. learned my lesson!). I really appreciate the feedback. Looks like I need to do some more researching to find a safe/efficient way to get this job done.
Hi Jeff, I’m from Indonesia. Can you tell me where did you buy the spot welding machine? Because I’m currently looking for one. And also, can it be used to spot weld 0.8mm aluminum to aluminum with wire mesh in between? Thank you
Hello, I am yuki , we are professional welding manufacturer in China, 0.8mm+0.8mm with wire mesh you can use Medium Frequency Welding 100 KVA to weld. welcome to whatsapp me +86 15755023215
+Franky Yodi The contact points are made of solid copper. I had to make them on the lathe as replacements for this spot welder are nearly impossible to find.
Sir, I would like to make a large size spot welding machine that will make 5mm GI wire within 1/2 milliseconds. But I do not understand that I am How many volts and how many amperes will make the transformer.plz help me
+kasim farahani Are you talking about the discoloration from the heat or the little dimple where the current passes through the material? I use fine steel wool without any soap or water over the surface to remove the heat lines. The little dimple that is created could be removed by grinding but you would find yourself removing half the material thickness to do it.
Why weld the belt loop? If it is not welded it can function as a clip-on. No need to unbuckle your belt to loop through the belt loop at the beginning and end of the work day.
salut je peux soude des filt galvanisé avec cette soudeuse par point et merci de me répondre le plus vite possible pour acheter une ce elle soude le filt
Could you recommend a welder for a newbe? I just need it to connect cj7 tub side channel supports in my jeep 1976.. (That way I can install a cj8 half hard top and bulkhead) Congratulations on living your dream job! :)
Your HF spot welder doesn't have a weld timer on it I see. Try holding the clamping force for a few seconds after you release the trigger switch. This gives time for the weld nugget to cool while clamped( forge time) for a better weld.
robert stirling I was about to say the same thing. At my school in the metal shop, we spot welded our product together and it had a weld timer. Makes it a lot easier when all you have to do is flip a switch and not hold the switch for a few second.
Hi Jeff, nice video. I like projects with stainless 3mm diameter rods. I currently use TIG welding to join them but sometimes it's too much power and it can easily deforms or blow them because I don't have very low amp features on the machine. I know you said here that your spot welder doesn't handle more than 1/8" combined metals, but is there any chance that it will work joining 2 rods of 3mm each (one on top of other) maybe because rods don't have much metal near the current area and can not dissipate heat therefore forcing heat to concentrate in just one spot and ultimately making it weld? Or can you simply just make a video about it? English is not my main language, I hope you have understood me. Thanks.
I picked up this one at Harbor Freight for just about $200, its not a bad unit for the cost but finding replacement tips can be a hassle. If I had the money I would have gotten a Miller model, that one starts around $700.
Jeff, great and informative video. I never owned a welder of any sort. I am wanting to weld two coat hanger thick wires together for a project I am doing. (One wire crossing over the other with a weld to hold them.) Would you recommend spot welding for welding two wires like this together? Your advice would be greatly appreciated.
I would recommend a spot welder, but for something like that, check out Grant Thompson's DIY spot welder, don't waste 200-800 dollars for a small project
@@ryanlewellyn5504 my apologies, you need to "sandwich " the aluminum sheets between a thin steel tong. This way the current can travel between the two pins of the spot welder but the heat effect mainly the aluminum
Nice work! is that a 240V welder? 20 gauge sheet metal? I just picked up a Stark 240V spot welder to do a series of welds in 18 gauge sheet metal. My instructions also state "up to 1/8". I haven't set my welder up yet. I'm looking to get as much info as possible before I start burning. Thanks for posting!
Jesus man I'm more impressed with the engineering everything was thought out absolutely amazing every little detail
I’m taking my first metalwork course in school and it’s very much welding, especially spot welding, focused. This video really helped :)
Lol same never done it before, that’s why I’m here 👍
Very good video. Good instruction on how to spot weld. Thanks for the 1/8” limitation on it.
Proper explanation, lucid and well presented. Thank You.
Thanks for the explanation dude. Just learned and heard about this word spot welder and I’ve totally forgot
Thank you for taking the time out to show everyone this.
Well done bro, thank you for your video, you give me a great idea, thank you again!!!
Great spot welding class, thanks! 🖖😎⚒
Where were you when I needed you?!! Had a car owner at a car show explain at length how is car was absolutely perfect colours standard and exactly as it left the factory. He got very defensive when I pointed out his panels were fitted with tack or puddle weld in pre made holes. He was adamant they were spot welds! I tried to explain to him that spot welds are a resistance and pressure weld with no holes or any other pre preparation. He relented to claim they were the same thing! I had to explain spot welds introduce no extra material to the joint whereas puddle or spot welds does. He left a bit crest fallen but a little smarter.
I bought a spot welder for discerning customer work but it ain't cheap kit! The cost of the solid copper arms is a bit eye Watering!
Great video mate
Great demonstration!
tangentially related: If I were the car wash owner, I would have gotten these bottle holders fabricated entirely from cotton or some soft hydrophobic fabric. The top and bottom hems could have a stainless steel wire embedded inside to keep a cylindrical shape to accept the bottles.
Ive just discovered your channel, and I subscribed instantly. Thanks for sharing your knowledge. I'm particularly helpful for your excellent ways of teaching, your descriptions, etc. Let me tell you that I learned a lot just from this video. I wish you the best in your business! Greetings from Chile
P
Thanks man. Have a handheld spotwelder at the shop and had no idea what the damn thing did. Already hatching new ideas.
Very nice idea
Awesome video.
Great video, very informative!
Thanks
Tony
good video. i use spot welding often on body panels like cab corners and rockers
i get use spotwelding to welding 2 plates de aluminum ?
In my work place, they do spot welding and other times too. I don't need to use them or whatever but it's interesting to know stuff ay? I'm sure I'll be checking out other videos on your channel as I'm interested in all the metal work they do. Again I don't use the machines lol, I'm production chaser.
Thanks for sharing! First time on your channel and have to say you're very very good at talking to the camera and explaining things + what you're aiming to do.
Chế rác kim loai
Great video Jeff, very good teaching
Thanks for the video.. you should hold down, keep pressure for about 3 seconds after you stop delivering power so they will bond better than just lifting off..
Very cool. Thanks.
Thank you. Answered a lot of questions in 10 minutes.
Thanks for sharing!
Very good My friend y like tks joe
Thanks,I'm from Malaysia..appriciaete it...
The spot welder would be great for making cabinets or carts etc .
I have loved it! where can I get it jeff?
Thanks jeff , im debating on building one or buying , i have a 3 volt 800 amp transformer
my high school metal teacher had only taught us to do a quick zap and let go. I didn't think of about holding it for couple seconds. A lot our spot weld projects would fall apart the same day or the next week.
I work for in an automotive assembly plant, and our spot welding is all robotic, now. They are programmed to hold for a second, of course there’s a lot more current in those welders than the one in the video.
Thanks, that was very helpful.
I’ve got both a 120 volt and a 220 volt spot welder. I bought the Heavy) 220 model because of the supposed limitation of 1/8” of the 120 model, and with welds of thin materials, weld time is very short.
Oops. Seem to have hit the post arrow.
Anyway, the 120 for really thin, and the 220 for over 1/8”.
But guess what, the 120 model easily welds 1/4” material, including stainless. It just takes a second or two more time. Since you’re not welding continuously, but spot to spot, it never heats up, even after an accounted 50 welds in a period of 3 minutes. Since the 220 model is rated for 3/16”, I naturally tried it with 3/8”, and it worked just fine. Both could possibly even work with thicker material, but I didn’t try that. Enough is enough.
And even though you’re told it won’t, it will weld aluminum. But the tips get contaminated with aluminum. I tried my MIG tip cleaning dip on the tips, and it seems to work.
Good luck.
Hi Jeffrey, I want to weld some pieces of sheet metal 18Ga. For how long should I press the button so I can get a strong weld? For how long should I let the machine rest before the next weld? My project needs 12 spots of weld. And I need to build at least 100 units. Hope you can guide me through. Thank you!
Without knowing the amps of your unit or whether it is 220v vs. 110v it is hard to take a guess at that. Best advice is try to find some scrap pieces and to a couple of small samples, try to break the weld. A few destructive tests will help you more than a "good guess" from a guy like me. Plus it is always good to practice a bit before doing a production run.
@@jeffreysanto It is a 220V. I' ll try that experiment, I bought a Harbor Freight one and after watching your video I thought that an extra advise would help.
@@pacoryu 18 gauge is .050 thick, so .100 for the two layers. So your just shy of 7/64 in thickness overall... On that model welder I would guess it to be between 4 - 5 seconds.
What type of metal are you using ¿and where to purchase can you be purchased¿ by the yard 'foot?
Another great video. Keep it up. Just wondering why the loop can not be one piece only eliminating the connecting plate, 6 spot welds and labor. For 18 gauge ( 1.2mm ) mild steel or stainless sheet metal the recommended electrode tip diameter is 0.216in ( 5.5mm ) and has to be perfect flat, not rounded with smooth surface and clean. The electrode tips must be aligned until they are coaxial to each other when the welding materials are between the electrodes & the proper clamping force is applied. Sparking is not normal and could be dangerous ( proper protective gear is a must ). During welding it is not allowed angling of the clamped materials, The welded materials must have smooth surfaces in the welded areas, to be clean, free of paint , rust, grease, etc.....I recommend to make sample welds first , twist and peel test them using a wise and pliers and check if the proper welding nugget is formed between the electrodes. Using a timer can further improve the quality of the spot welds
you could do a vinyl dip like what pliers handles have
How thick plates can you spot with your spot welder
Very Nice my brother 👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽
how strong is spot welding is it possible to weld a bandsaw with a welder like your
Can we use that spot welder to wire mesh
Very useful, Thankyou sir
nice video, thank you for the lesson!
So is sheet the only use for this type of welder . I just got a low amp stick arc welder clarke 95 model . I am going to start practicing . But I just seen one like this on craigslist for 30 dollars and I know I will have some use for it . I am doing the finishing touches on a tubing roof rack . A fabricator did the bulk . I have to put some crossmembers for the floor and add expanded metal sheet on the floor and paint yet .
+timothy thomas Mild and Stainless steel sheet is the most common material processed with a spot welder. I just did a video last week for one of my subscribers spot welding stainless steel wire, he wanted to make a miniature grill for backpacking. If you would like to see it here is a link.
th-cam.com/video/wxooEzpNrKI/w-d-xo.html
Thanks I will check it out . I have not heard from the guy that has the spot welder for 30 dollars yet .
Would this weld stainless wire mesh like 10 gauge or 8 you think?
Thanks for the vid, but I'd think that you need something more than cloth tape to protect the cars, especially higher end cars. Guys washing cars tend to lean over them a lot to reach the center of say a hood or windshield so that they can dry/wipe them. Anything with exposed metal is going to scratch the car. Even getting into and out of the car quickly (which these guys also do a lot of) is going to cause something hanging off their sides to bump door panels. You might want to look into something like a rubber coating to completely cover them especially since cloth tape tends to come off in water, as well as having a slightly abrasive finish.
Is there a picture of the finished product. great video and very informative thanks.
Screenshot the video
thanks a lot. very nice.
Satın almak istiyorum nerede bulabilirim
Great video. Out of curiosity, whats the reason for closing the belt loop and not leaving an open clip that could slide over the belt with out needing to undo the belt to slip it on?, similar to a gun holster belt clip?
It's all about the company's image, the owner got tired of seeing underwear. The reason for the holsters was because employees we're just shoving these cans in their pockets. The owner decided that creating the holster in such a way where it would require a belt to use would kill two birds with one stone.
+Jeffrey Santo Ah that makes sense, and is a good idea.
That's cool, I like what you did there ;)
Nice Fedora. Looks like a Stetson Gunner.
How thick is that? Less than 1mm?
9:10 i build my spotwelder my self from a microwave transformer(=MOT) and i can also found the limit at around 1/8 (to be esactly a bit more= 3,5mm). Since the build was so easy and cheap i will double the
power by adding a second MOT(700W) in parallel so i can weld double the thickness, the upgrade costs
only ~15$. later when i found another MOT i will add a third and fouth so i can weld 1/2inch (with 4mots) Funfact; i could weld thin coppersheet onto stainless steel :D But i had problems connecting different steels types (same type is no problem)
Thanks Jeffrey, why do you let it cool between welds?
Two reasons, first is if I am making a lot of the same part I do them in steps rather than welding the entire thing together at once, helps me stay consistent. The second reason is it prevents heat building up in the part, to much heat can discolor stainless steel and also make it harder to hold on to without gloves.
Could a spot welder such as this be used for welding two rebar rods together?
This welder is limited to sheet stock, The transformer in the unit would melt before rebar ever welded together. There may be an industrial spot welder that could do it but the electrical power required is not something your going to find in a home shop. At that point the machine would be so large and heavy that it would no longer be portable. Rather than go through all that its cheaper to Mig or Stick weld it together.
Thanks a lot for taking the time to explain all this and helping to point me in the right direction. Really appreciate it.
Hi Jeffrey. I liked this video and I'm totally new to welding apart from a couple of things I did at college many years ago. My question comes from an idea I'm being drawn to. I would like to build a dish draining rack from small diameter steel bar (2 - 3mm diameter). So aside from the bending and shaping of the pieces, would I need specially shaped tips on the spot welding points? I ask because I would imagine it would be difficult to hold the pieces together accurately.
Have you ever spot welded a PEM fastener to sheet metal using the machine you show?
What gauge stainless steel is it?
Good job !!
Good job
Hi Jeffrey,
please tell me how you made this wonderful spot welding machine.
I want to make this for my workshop, Please help me.
Thank You
Hello,
My spot welder is not home made, it is sold by Harbor Freight Tools and ran just under $200.00 U.S.
I do not think the model I have is still made but they do offer something similar.
would spraying argon during the spot weld keep the brown stuff from forming?
How could one keep the brown stuff from forming on the metal?
Argon and other shielding gases won't do much with spot welding like this, shielding gas protects the molten weld puddle from impurities until it solidifies. Since the metal never makes it to a molten state it would have little effect. What appears on the metal surface with spot welding is a combination of heat discoloration and any coatings, oils or other chemical treatments such as galvanization. The key is cleaning your parts as good as you can before the weld, The heat discoloration really can not be helped and will very between metal types, thickness of the metal and how long the current is applied to the part.
Brown stuff... lol
Spot welds will have heat discoloration as the metal itself is heated but it can be primed and painted over, so the color is not relevant.
Decent guy decent vid great hoops
Dark: I have hte same setup I have welded up stainless steel exhaust tubes. What is the trick to keep the stainless from sticking to the copper contact points?
Drbooo; Anti-seize. I think that’s how it’s spelled. Dab on tips.
What does a spot welder like that cost?
At harbor freight it retails for 209.00 and goes on sale for around $175. Drop by their web site and search spot weld and it will pop up.
I am going to upgrade to a Miller one in the future, that one should run me about $800 or so.
You can make one yourself for about $10 in materials
Defferent types of welding
is the currant alternative or Directed ?
Samir Ammarcha DC.
How does spot welding of titanium work?
I'm not sure, while I have welded with some exotic metals I really have only tried forging titanium.
maybe google sr71 spot welding. skunkworks called it Unobtainium
easy job. Argon should be used against oxides.
How much this machine
When you’re doing more than one spot right after the next do you keep the spark on less time time than you would your first one because the metal is already heated? Thanks
I don't believe the heat is much of a factor ti the welding process itself. Some spot welders have timers on them so that each weld is uniform. Its really the passage of the current that fuses the material together. Welds made by heat alone generally require that the parent melt to a point to create the fusion. Also to much heat combined with the pressure of the electrodes could start to really deform the copper tips and shorten their life span.
Is there any problems with localised oxidisation at the site of the actual spot weld of the stainless?
Other methods of welding stainless require a gas shield to prevent oxidisation during the weld process.
The only time I have had an issue spot welding stainless is if the copper contact points on the machine are old and need replacement. If the tips mushroom because your using to much pressure it increases the amount of contact to the metal. The heat is not as focused and as a side effect more heat is put into the piece than normally needed to fuse the parts together. You'll start to see discoloration in the material but not much more than that, to get oxidization you would have to stay on the heat for a while and begin to physically burn the steel. Since your only doing a quick fusion with spot welding you do not have a molten weld puddle like you would have with TIG welding for example, so the outside atmosphere will have little effect on a spot weld.
I would have not welded the belt loop closed...allow natural spring tension to slide over the belt.
Nicely taught, never done it b4, but would try now. Would spot welding work with aluminum?
Thanks, very informative, am encouraged. Good teacher.
Antonio Capule yes you can use is it for aluminium too
Just with spot welders, you need compatible metals (aluminum and aluminum, steel with steel, ect.)
Hi Jeffrey, great informative video. How do you think spot welding would work for 10ga galvanized sheet metal? Would that harbor freight weldor be up to the task? Thanks!
I Vw If memory serves 10ga sheet runs .140 which is slightly thicker than 1/8 inch. So 2 pieces combined would be about .030 over 1/4 in. According to the Harbor Freight site this spot welder which is the 240 volt model welds stock to 3/16 in. combined thickness (mild steel), two pieces of 20 gauge... Also if you planning on welding or heating anything galvanized just be aware that the fumes are extremely hazardous.
This is the description from one of the welding sites I follow: Zinc is the coating used on galvanized metals The typical effect of breathing zinc fumes is metal fume fever. One or two hours or more after welding-without proper personal protection-you may experience severe thirst, pain in the legs, shivering, congestion in the head, dryness and tickling of the throat, and a cough. In very bad cases, you may feel severe shivering, a high fever, buzzing in the ears, nausea, vomiting, and even hallucinations and convulsions. Your symptoms will usually last 24 hours.
Jeffrey Santo thats a good point -- the steel will be too thick for this welder.. I've got 10k pieces of greenhouse material that require 4 welds each.. Its a hefty project and I don't have time to stick-weld dirty galvanized steel (and I agree -- zinc is nasty stuff. Had a horrific stomach ache once.. learned my lesson!).
I really appreciate the feedback. Looks like I need to do some more researching to find a safe/efficient way to get this job done.
How do you get the edges looking so smooth?
Sander
Thx for the informative video. Are the arms interchangeable? You mentioned longer and shorter arms.
Hi Jeff,
I’m from Indonesia.
Can you tell me where did you buy the spot welding machine?
Because I’m currently looking for one.
And also, can it be used to spot weld 0.8mm aluminum to aluminum with wire mesh in between?
Thank you
Hello, I am yuki , we are professional welding manufacturer in China, 0.8mm+0.8mm with wire mesh you can use Medium Frequency Welding 100 KVA to weld. welcome to whatsapp me +86 15755023215
what metal is it?
the weld head
+Franky Yodi The contact points are made of solid copper. I had to make them on the lathe as replacements for this spot welder are nearly impossible to find.
wanna try with iron
but i guess
the iron head will melt quite fast...
The thing is copper has higher conductivity and thus does not get as hot as the iron and steel.
Franky Yodi
Sir, I would like to make a large size spot welding machine that will make 5mm GI wire within 1/2 milliseconds.
But I do not understand that I am How many volts and how many amperes will make the transformer.plz help me
Great work, my own sense would be that polyethylene would be a superior material for such a holster.
Hi Jeffery
I am kaism,how do you rmove the spot weld effects of ss sheets?thanks
+kasim farahani Are you talking about the discoloration from the heat or the little dimple where the current passes through the material?
I use fine steel wool without any soap or water over the surface to remove the heat lines. The little dimple that is created could be removed by grinding but you would find yourself removing half the material thickness to do it.
thanks jeffrey...
Why weld the belt loop? If it is not welded it can function as a clip-on. No need to unbuckle your belt to loop through the belt loop at the beginning and end of the work day.
salut je peux soude des filt galvanisé avec cette soudeuse par point et merci de me répondre le plus vite possible pour acheter une ce elle soude le filt
Could you recommend a welder for a newbe? I just need it to connect cj7 tub side channel supports in my jeep 1976.. (That way I can install a cj8 half hard top and bulkhead)
Congratulations on living your dream job! :)
Most Lowes and Home Depot stores sell very basic starting welding equipment. Would you rather do stick welding or MIG welding?
So its kinda like riveting, but with a weld.
Tks
Have that same welder - didn't get a lot of life out of it - the tong tips go bad at the threads ruining the tong. Harbor Freight
Your HF spot welder doesn't have a weld timer on it I see. Try holding the clamping force for a few seconds after you release the trigger switch. This gives time for the weld nugget to cool while clamped( forge time) for a better weld.
robert stirling I was about to say the same thing. At my school in the metal shop, we spot welded our product together and it had a weld timer. Makes it a lot easier when all you have to do is flip a switch and not hold the switch for a few second.
Could you achieve the same thing with a TIG welder?
no exactly, spotwelding it between the 2 sheets
but TIG would weld the corners (which would do the job too btw )
Unfortunately at: 1:34 one of the loops is not in alignment.
Hi Jeff, nice video.
I like projects with stainless 3mm diameter rods.
I currently use TIG welding to join them but sometimes it's too much power and it can easily deforms or blow them because I don't have very low amp features on the machine.
I know you said here that your spot welder doesn't handle more than 1/8" combined metals, but is there any chance that it will work joining 2 rods of 3mm each (one on top of other) maybe because rods don't have much metal near the current area and can not dissipate heat therefore forcing heat to concentrate in just one spot and ultimately making it weld?
Or can you simply just make a video about it?
English is not my main language, I hope you have understood me.
Thanks.
How much does that Spot welding machine cost?? Please let me know...
I picked up this one at Harbor Freight for just about $200, its not a bad unit for the cost but finding replacement tips can be a hassle. If I had the money I would have gotten a Miller model, that one starts around $700.
Thank you Sir, I need one like that one ASAP. I want it here in Nairobi, Kenya. I hope to keep in touch with you. I need a 3mm one.
Jeff, great and informative video. I never owned a welder of any sort. I am wanting to weld two coat hanger thick wires together for a project I am doing. (One wire crossing over the other with a weld to hold them.) Would you recommend spot welding for welding two wires like this together? Your advice would be greatly appreciated.
I would recommend a spot welder, but for something like that, check out Grant Thompson's DIY spot welder, don't waste 200-800 dollars for a small project
Hi there, I know this was years ago but coincidentally I am trying doing the exact same thing right now! How did you get on with this?
any thing straight out the box you had to do to get it working? cause I'm having problems
+aanthony21 The only thing I had to do to it was adjust the gap between the electrodes.
Great Demo on Spot Welding. Does work with Aluminum?
it does but with a special trick
@@dimitrismoures thanks for sharing the special trick
@@ryanlewellyn5504 my apologies, you need to "sandwich " the aluminum sheets between a thin steel tong. This way the current can travel between the two pins of the spot welder but the heat effect mainly the aluminum
Most spot welders should be able to weld anything they can get hot enough to melt through
Hi do the arms of the welder get hot?
A little bit, normally you use the welder in short bursts. If your making a lot of welds consecutively then the heat will build up in the copper arms.
Are these spot welds very strong ? Iv'e never seen one like that uses and wondered what type of projects it would be used for.
Nice work! is that a 240V welder? 20 gauge sheet metal? I just picked up a Stark 240V spot welder to do a series of welds in 18 gauge sheet metal. My instructions also state "up to 1/8". I haven't set my welder up yet. I'm looking to get as much info as possible before I start burning. Thanks for posting!
muito bom o vídeo
Are you from Minnesota?
+Nerflover10097 Born and raised in Connecticut... unfortunately, would have rather been out west somewhere.
Oh okay, your accent sounded a bit like the characters from Fargo.