Hot earth lead ?

[W.olly]

I havnt used my welder for a while but for building a gantry and now just made a couple of gates and now welding a few new sections to the chassis on my kit car, i noticed the weld isnt as good, now its either me or the welder, it welds ok for a short run, a inch or so, not good at tacking as spits, but also noticed the earth clamp and the foot or so upto it gets hot, the clamp gets that hot you need to quench it in water to cool it.
I have checked all connections from the welder to the clamp. if it matters it is a Thermadyne 181i 3in1

any ideas folk

cheers

wolly

 

[brightspark]

I havnt used my welder for a while but for building a gantry and now just made a couple of gates and now welding a few new sections to the chassis on my kit car, i noticed the weld isnt as good, now its either me or the welder, it welds ok for a short run, a inch or so, not good at tacking as spits, but also noticed the earth clamp and the foot or so upto it gets hot, the clamp gets that hot you need to quench it in water to cool it.
I have checked all connections from the welder to the clamp. if it matters it is a Thermadyne 181i 3in1

any ideas folk

cheers

wolly

if the leads getting hot all the way along there not heavy enough . if its hot on the ends or the clamp the conections arent tight enough . a heavier new lead and a good strong new clamp wont go amiss. your loosing current that is been turned in to heat

 

[W.olly]

Hi kida, it is the original clapm and lead and not used all that much hour wise, also the clamp is tight and i always clean back to get a good contact if its dirty surface etc, i was upto around 85 amps aswell so not much.

 

[PTvor]

I agree with brightspark. A bad earth clamp, a weak spring in the clamp, a bad or loose connection to the earth clamp, or maybe not a good contact between the earth clamp and the work. You should really grind back to bright where the clamp contacts.

New earth clamps are only about £4. Usually, the lead has a lug through which a bolt fits. The lugs are about a quid. I've seen some horrible bodges with bare wire wrapped around the bolt and screwed down. Maybe you just need to clean up the lug and make sure it's all tightened by the bolt.

 

[W.olly]

I have done all that aswell PTvor, i will get some pics up when it stops peeing it down, the only bit i didnt clean up was the ring connector that attachs to the clamp,

 

[Bill Edwards]

It's not unusual for welding leads to get warm during heavy use, but as said this would be along the entire length. You must have a poor connection, broken wires etc for it to be in one place, and it should never get hot enough to need cooling.

 

[Welderpaul]

Clamps get very hot with sustained use, even with the cable crimp/cable end in perfect condition. With use the connection gets steadily damaged as individual cores snap off from continual flexing and the clamp gets hotter and hotter until the cable burns out.

I've burnt my hand a few times by trying to undo a clamp that red hot. Thats with welding at 300-400 amps..

 

[PTvor]

It might be the cable with a lot of broken wires towards the end as Bill says. If cleaning the lug back to bright doesn't work try taking off the last foot and putting a new lug on or get a new earth lead. Often it's cheaper to get the whole thing ready made than muck about.

I've not known earth clamps and leads give problems unless obviously knackered or not tightened up properly or codged.

 

[W.olly]

Thanks guys, i will shorten the lead a bit at a time aswell as clean all connections again, if no luck i will get another new lead.
I havnt been using the welder on a constant weld, short weld when building the gate when doing the 10mm rods so short bursts, also the chassis is just 1.6mm box.

Thanks again lads, i was worrying incase theer was a problem with the welder itself.

 

[PTvor]

No. I think the worst you are in for is a new cable and earth clamp.

If you do decide on a complete new lead and clamp, make sure you get one that's a generous rating for the max current the welder produces and proper welding cable. £20 - £25?

 

[W.olly]

I will just get the one for the rig if i cant et a better quality one, i think they will be universal though for many rigs.

 

[Welderpaul]

Best investment i made was a heavy duty crimp tool and a box of lugs - just lop the damaged end off and crimp a new lug on.
Few minutes and all is well again.

 

[PTvor]

I bet the official Thermodyne part would be dear.

I'd be inclined to ask the local welding supply place what they can do, and say you are happy to go a thickness up. They usually have cable, lugs etc and the proper hammer down press for fitting the lugs. You might find they are outrageous, or you might be pleasantly surprised. It's worth asking.

 

[brightspark]

Best investment i made was a heavy duty crimp tool and a box of lugs - just lop the damaged end off and crimp a new lug on.
Few minutes and all is well again.
View attachment 45061

yep i got a set the same given and got a pair from autojumble for 20 quid for a mate

 

[Welderpaul]

yep i got a set the same given and got a pair from autojumble for 20 quid for a mate

Yeah, about 60 quid i think off ebay - brand spankers. Nice and solidly built.......feel safe swinging on them.
Which autojumble do you go to? You can't be a million miles away from the Rufforth one?
Used to go to the big boot sale at Selby - Whitley Bridge - but the last half dozen times i went it was just full of rubbish!

 

[brightspark]

Yeah, about 60 quid i think off ebay - brand spankers. Nice and solidly built.......feel safe swinging on them.
Which autojumble do you go to? You can't be a million miles away from the Rufforth one?
Used to go to the big boot sale at Selby - Whitley Bridge - but the last half dozen times i went it was just full of rubbish!

yes ruffoth but the guy has put up the prices of stalls and half of the sellers have stopped going i was there saturday and it was the worst it had ever been i only spent a fiver years ago i used to fill me van and spent a few hundred quid . theres another autojumble started at wetherby . the biggest and best is at newark but u need to camp there the night before

 

[500e]

With the new clamp make sure it has a braid between jaws, the pin & spring take the current if not, spring gets week & you are off again, Good clamps have it as standard but a braided battery cable is easy to fit if not.

 

[W.olly]

With the new clamp make sure it has a braid between jaws, the pin & spring take the current if not, spring gets week & you are off again, Good clamps have it as standard but a braided battery cable is easy to fit if not.

On this clamp it is a flat tin and its not in the best nick, i am sure i have a length of braid in the shed that will do the job, old earth strap of a car i had, good size aswell. I have been looking and found new earth leads are around £25 as said above froom PTvor. well going to clean ai all up shinnnny today and give it a go as got the other side of the gear box mount to do then i can weld it all up in time for a derust reapaint

 

[sardine]

You can buy, or make a hammer crimper if your only doing one lug, sitting the lug in a v block or price of angle and twatting it with a domed end punch works, not as pretty though.

You can also pimp up your clamp by lining the jaws with copper, which stays clean and bright.

Its not an earth though, it has no connection to earth, its a return, to the machine.

 

[W.olly]

Well all sorted, i just removed the crappy strap and fitted a car battery lead inplace, bit bulky but does the job untill i can sot a braid strap for it, i can now once again SORT of weld )))

while here, what makes the spatter when welding good clean, new, metal it can mess the tip up and block it from feeding through. ??? gas to high?