Manual for Elektrosta Multisoud 220A

[richo]

Hi All,
This is my first post, I'm trying to learn to weld and have purchased a Fench made Elektrosta Multisoud 220a, 3 in 1 machine but have no operators or parts manual.
I've been to the Elektrosta site, but hoped there may be a dealer or distributor in the UK, who could send or copy me an owners and or parts manual.
The machine has the rear case broken, ( had a hard life in its short 9 months with the first owner ) although the machine appears to operate, there is not much joy for a novice even trying to figure out what's what.

If there is anyone in the UK who can assist I would certainly appreciate it. As I live in Australia, there is actually only one seller of the machine and honestly they are hopeless. No surprise they sold me the machine without supplying any operating manual or some of the required and supposedly included accessories.
It's main use will be to repair a couple of D series Citroens which have rusted badly over the years and this machine was the best deal going at the time.
There doesn't appear to be any users of this machine on this forum, but I'll keep my fingers crossed.
Thanks in advance.
Richo

 

[richo]

Elektrosta in France sent me an owners manual via PDF after I phoned them from Australia.
Excellent result - BUT
Take a look at the small knob on the far right.
Can anyone tell me what it is for ? The manual says it adjusts " linear inductance ".
Okay, I'm a newbie and would love to know what this function can do, or what it affects.
Anyone out there know please ?
Thanks in advance


cheers
richo

 

[Woody.v8]

Elektrosta in France sent me an owners manual via PDF after I phoned them from Australia.
Excellent result - BUT
Take a look at the small knob on the far right.
Can anyone tell me what it is for ? The manual says it adjusts " linear inductance ".
Okay, I'm a newbie and would love to know what this function can do, or what it affects.
Anyone out there know please ?
Thanks in advance


cheers
richo

hmm that's a different set up ,usually you would have different sockets for your earth (neg) to different tapping on a inductance coil, anyway you want more turns on lower settings and less on higher to promote spray transfer so i would guess that on the min power setting of the unit you would have the inductance up 100% and as you take up the power bring the value down until max power is min inductance. That's how it normally works anyway...cheers...pete.

 

[richo]

Thanks Pete,
I'm still not quite clear on what you mean by different sockets for your earth.
Is this a feature which works on the MIG function as well as the TIG, or Stick, or something which only applies to the one application ?
Fortunately I do understand what you mean by turn the critter up on low settings and down on higher ones. Does this promote less spatter or something like that ?
Thanks again for answering the call.
cheers
richo

 

[Woody.v8]

Thanks Pete,
I'm still not quite clear on what you mean by different sockets for your earth.

richo

This is what most welders would have but yours has been replaced with a variable inductance control rather than having just high and low via sockets.

 

[shenion]

Thanks Pete,
I'm still not quite clear on what you mean by different sockets for your earth.
Is this a feature which works on the MIG function as well as the TIG, or Stick, or something which only applies to the one application ?
Fortunately I do understand what you mean by turn the critter up on low settings and down on higher ones. Does this promote less spatter or something like that ?
Thanks again for answering the call.
cheers
richo

Will work in all modes but is most effective on MIG and stick.

Increasing the inductance will make the weld spool "wetter". It is needed for short-arc MIG. Too low inductance on short-arc will cause spatter and very poor penetration.

The inductance reduces the surge of current when the wire touches the weld pool. Without it, the wire will just vaporize. I have read a 200A MIG will typically do a 1400A surge when the wire hits if there was no inductance. Withe the inductance, the current builds up slower. Then when the wire melts back, the inductance will maintain the current in the arc putting more heat in the weld pool. This increases the average current (low inductance = short high-current pulses with a low "on" time; higher inductance = more constant current and less surges.)

On stick it also effects the "wetness" of the weld pool.

Spray-transfer MIG (usually 170 amps and above with high % argon mixes), does not need much inductance as the wire never touches the weld pool once the arc gets going.

It should not have a significant effect on TIG. May make scratch start easier.

Mine is adjustable with 10 different taps on the coil (have to open case to do it .) For 0.6mm wire, I have it at the maximum setting. For 0.8/0.9 it works best on the upper third.

The few spray-transfer welds I have tried worked an any setting, but it moved into spray mode faster with lower inductance.

 

[richo]

Thanks Shenion, NOW I understand the function and it's intended use.
Even nicer that it is on a pot, rather than stepped.
My major use for this machine is body and chassis repairs with thin sheet on an old Citroën, their body and chassis sheeting essentially went from .8mm to 1.2mm for the chassis. Not easy to weld without burning.
I appreciate your easy to understand ( for me as a newbie ) explanation. Thanks again.
cheers
richo

 

[richo]

This is what most welders would have but yours has been replaced with a variable inductance control rather than having just high and low via sockets.

Thanks Woody,
Now I am beginning to understand ! shenion reply below also made it easier for me.
Sounds like this welder is a far better thing than I imagined, though the multifunction of the buttons on the left side can be confusing for me as a learner driver

 

[dstealth]

My major use for this machine is body and chassis repairs with thin sheet on an old Citroën, their body and chassis sheeting essentially went from .8mm to 1.2mm for the chassis. Not easy to weld without burning.

OOHH another Citroen restorer! What Citroen have you got? I'm busy rebuilding a DS.

Chris.

 

[richo]

Rusty Old Citroëns

Hi Chris,
Mine are both ID19s, both Conforts, one 1966 originally black and delivered new to the French Embassy, New Zealand and one 1967 ID19B with no history at all, rusted plenty. The '67 is one of those rare 2nd front, green fluid, short stroke engined cars. I also have a DS23 Safari, which the bodywork was professionally done with me watching, learning and preparing. The body took 4 months of approx. 10 hours per day.

cheers
richo

 

[dstealth]

Hi Chris,
Mine are both ID19s, both Conforts, one 1966 originally black and delivered new to the French Embassy, New Zealand and one 1967 ID19B with no history at all, rusted plenty. The '67 is one of those rare 2nd front, green fluid, short stroke engined cars. I also have a DS23 Safari, which the bodywork was professionally done with me watching, learning and preparing. The body took 4 months of approx. 10 hours per day.

cheers
richo

Wow, very nice! I'm glad to see I'm not the only DS enthusiast on the forum. Mine's a RHD DS23 Pallas with one of those webasto sunroofs.

The bodywork is in a horrible state. Unfortunately alot of patchwork has been done on the floorpan of the car and the sills so all of that will be getting cut out and be replaced with the original panels. I've got a brand new boot floor panel sitting under my bed to put in, but before I can weld that in, the panel under the rear axle needs to come out as well and a new one of them put into place before the new boot floor goes in. As you probably know the boot floor overlaps that panel by about an inch.

Once the boot area is done, I will be putting a new LHS epaulette panel on - the current one is rotten. Then I will be moving onto the center section of the car and droppng a new fuel tank floor in. Then there's all that patchwork left to cut out on the sills!!

Mechanically, engine runs but isn't tuned properly. It's a carburettor and it needs lots of adjustment. The hydraulics work fine without any problems. The semi-auto gearbox is out of sync - the car lurches forwards and backwards instead of creeps. So the centrifugal regulator as well as the block infront of the carburettor is going to need some tweaking to sort the hydraulic clutch out!

Anyway, that's the rant over about my DS. I'll try and get some pics up to show you and it'd be great to see pics of your two ID's.

Chris.

 

[richo]

I've pmed you mate. Better keep to the thread topic eh !
cheers
richo

 

[classic2cv]

Wow, very nice! I'm glad to see I'm not the only DS enthusiast on the forum. Mine's a RHD DS23 Pallas with one of those webasto sunroofs.

The bodywork is in a horrible state. Unfortunately alot of patchwork has been done on the floorpan of the car and the sills so all of that will be getting cut out and be replaced with the original panels. I've got a brand new boot floor panel sitting under my bed to put in, but before I can weld that in, the panel under the rear axle needs to come out as well and a new one of them put into place before the new boot floor goes in. As you probably know the boot floor overlaps that panel by about an inch.

Once the boot area is done, I will be putting a new LHS epaulette panel on - the current one is rotten. Then I will be moving onto the center section of the car and droppng a new fuel tank floor in. Then there's all that patchwork left to cut out on the sills!!

Mechanically, engine runs but isn't tuned properly. It's a carburettor and it needs lots of adjustment. The hydraulics work fine without any problems. The semi-auto gearbox is out of sync - the car lurches forwards and backwards instead of creeps. So the centrifugal regulator as well as the block infront of the carburettor is going to need some tweaking to sort the hydraulic clutch out!

Anyway, that's the rant over about my DS. I'll try and get some pics up to show you and it'd be great to see pics of your two ID's.

Chris.

hi there

another Citroen restorer (lots of 2cvs)

but i'll be busy rebuilding a DS23 Safari later in the year

it's in very good nick for it's age so it shouldn't take too long

 

[richo]

Citroens, rust and welding

D series Cits rust, it's a sad fact, they all need welding. I'm actually surprised there aren't more of us on this forum, though no doubt there are !

The 1966 ID19 is undergoing serious rust repairs at the front of the car, both sides. The rear of the car appears okay.
My 1967 ID19 I haven't personally seen. It is in another state being worked on to get ready for the road trip and ferry home to Tasmania in a months time. It is full of rust, in interesting places. It may not make the cut if I decide the rust is to much.

If there is anyone out there in Europe who knows an Elektrosta seller that can order parts for my Multisoud 220A I'd appreciate contact details. The Australian distributor is terrible.
Thanks and cheers
richo