Best welder in world!!! Ded jel???

[Badbusboy]

Hello all,
I have just bought what must be the best welder in the world?! It's made by PLASPLUGS and you use it in conjunction with a car battery! It has one lead (to positive?) and a trigger - it looks like a gun. DOES ANYONE KNOW HOW EXACTLY IT WORKS-WHAT DO I DO TO RIG IT UP? I bought it today from a car boot sale and several people stopped me and said how handy they were/they had used one to plate a wish bone on a taxi (taxi owner who was quoted £320 for recovery!!). Anyways, any help with how to use would be much appreciated.
Thanks BBboy

 

[rtbcomp]

It's probably the same as the Rawlplug Welder's Mate - any chance of a picture?

http://www.mig-welding.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?t=27535&highlight=rawlplug

I can Email you the manual if you like.

 

[brightspark]

It's probably the same as the Rawlplug Welder's Mate - any chance of a picture?

http://www.mig-welding.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?t=27535&highlight=rawlplug

I can Email you the manual if you like.

theres a blast from the past just keep it in the cupboard for nostalgia thats all there good for

 

[Badbusboy]

Wow that was quick!
Well RTBComp, that's exactly it. The manual would be very helpful and thanks very much.
BBBoy

 

[cumbriasteve]

It has one lead (to positive?) and a trigger

I presume there should be another lead from the battery to earth the item you are going to weld.

You should get some nice sparks, any idea who's taxi was welded up with one? want to make sure I don't use it.

 

[Paul.]

I had one given to me, they used to be quite common in the 70's usually found for sale in the exchange and mart, there was self assembly kit available as well called an XP welder I have one of those as well, never did get it to work

 

[keithski122]

I've got a very similar one, you connect it up to an arc welder and it supposedly welds thin sheet.Bought it about 15 years ago used it once,chucked it in a cupboard and bought a mig welder!
Probably still in the cupboard somewhere.

 

[Badbusboy]

Hello All,
what exactly do you mean Steve? Another lead? Taxi in Co.Durham I think! I hope he's done a proper repair by now! Tig Paul - I used to live in N'ton! Spent 5 yrs there-loved it. Do you want to flog any of them? I think they're funny.
BBBoy

 

[Paul.]

The other lead is just like a jump lead with a crock clip on each end, one to the battery, the other to the work, I think i'll keep them thanks, if only for the novelty value, actually I'll rig it up tomorrow and see if i can get it to run a bead and report back,
Where in Nptn did you live,

 

[rtbcomp]

Badbusboy - you have a PM

I used mine to weld an extension to my Landrover battery box, with the battery still in it

 

[cumbriasteve]

As Paul mentions..you need another lead to complete the circuit.

They are cool though.. a bit of history and I will bet some people welded their cars up with them.

I remember a brazing attachment I bought for my arc set about 30 years ago, it allowed you to slide 2 rods together, there was then a fierce flame as the electricity jumped across the two, a fair bit of heat and a lot of scary crackling noise..I did repair something with it but can't remember now what it was.

 

[Badbusboy]

RTBCOMP I think i've pm'd you!
Tig Paul, 1.weedon rd, 2. Kingthorpe 3. Palmerston rd and others.
Good times!

 

[Badbusboy]

Thanks all,
we often go to Cumbria, one of our fav. places wherebouts steve?
BBboy

 

[cumbriasteve]

Thanks all,
we often go to Cumbria, one of our fav. places wherebouts steve?
BBboy

The grand old town of Whitehaven..look out for welding smoke and the occasional cursing..that will be me

 

[the snooper]

good old frankenstien looking bits of kit
see it does mention 2 batteries though 24 volts?

 

[pedrobedro]

My next door neighbour used to use one for bits on his car. I was just a lad and was very impressed, it was like a Buck Rogers ray gun.

 

[slimjim]

You can sort of still get them

http://www.frost.co.uk/automotive-welding-tools/body-welding-attachment.html

 

[awemawson]

Yes I used to have one back in the early 70's. Basically it works as a buzzer. The fat bit is a solonoid. When you touch the electrode to the work and current flows the solenoid pulls the electrode back, breaking the circuit. A spring then brings it back into contact repeating the process which allows you to create an arc at a lower voltage. The spring is adjustable. Not much use at 12v but okish at 24v with a 1.6mm electrode iirc.

 

[keith19]

I can remember using one of these in the mid 1970's, trying to tack a panel onto a rusty Austin A40 wing. (My 1st s/h car!).
I only had one 12v battery, didn't know anything about welding thin bodywork and rusty metal, and only succeeded in blowing larger holes than were there already. Ended up with the fibreglass behind the repair and the jollop on top, as you'd expect
Put me off welding for three or four years...

 

[Paul.]

Well as promised I set up the toy welder, first on one 12 volt battery and using a 2mm 6013, all that happened was a bit of vibration and a few sparks, no arc at all, so joined up 2 batteries with jump leads and tried at 24 volts, slightly more vibration and bigger sparks, still no arc, so then hooked it up to a dc inverter, no vibration and a nice smooth arc, just like a regular electrode holder, so it either has a fault, or is as I have always suspected a waste of space, either way I've wasted enough time on it and its now back in the box of random rubbish under the bench and probably wont come out again.
Manufacturers of proper welders can relax once again.