oxford arc set

[Paul.]

In the days before we all had Mig sets I used to use an Oxford to build canal boats, Iron powder electrodes by the crateful, they would work for 10 hours a day and never give any problems, i've seen the oil smoking many times and they still run, on the odd occasion when a current selector contact would burn, all you do is lift the top of with the crane, & braze it up, up and running in 20 mins, the Cytringans were much the same, as weldequip says, bulletproof,

 

[dcocks]

Spent many an hour years ago hard facing plough shares with an Oxford
never lets you down' we ran ours of 2 phase's of a 3 phase socket never much good on single though it did work.
Cheers David

 

[aero]

Just a point, reading an old instruction book the other day I found that when you wire them for single phase the POSITIVE goes on the '0' volt terminal and the negative on the '240'. You'd think it was the other way round.

Why are they so good? Old fashioned quality and heavy duty engineering. They use high quality materials and simple designs so you have a machine that lasts a lifetime and works without failure.

Also because they look like a crappy old metal box and weigh a ton they often sell for for silly money. I once picked up a 225 for £40, the 180 I have now cost £80, two Aldi welders or an Oxford....thinks.... The only problem is their size and weight, for me its no problem as I don't do site work and gets used to chain other tools to in the workshop when not in use.

 

[zardoz]

I'd have said - "Does its performance justify the size and weight and cost involved?"

Well it cost me £37 off ebay, and it will last forever, is practically unbreakable so i'd say yes!

A tad heavy though, at nearly 4 hundred wieght. But hey thats what the wheels are for

As steve said, they are so good, they never break down and you never need to buy a new one. Which was probably a good part of there reason for going under. Pickhills still make them at a premium price, but then you get what you pay for.

pickhill-engineers.co.uk

 

[wyn]

Would any one have any details of what each control knob does.

We have two large Oxfords in work but all the printing on the relavent plates has worn off over the years. I've got a reasonable idea and end up getting roughly the right amps for the job but it would be handy if i knew exactly what each did.

Thanks.

 

[zardoz]

here is mine, top one: High/low, middle one: current, bottom one: Off/On

 

[snowcat]

Steve, you have to admire George for his perseverance in trying to prove the best out of kit the rest of us would happily bouyancy test in the local canal. .

I cant even see an aldi machine making a good anchor TBH......

 

[wyn]

Cheers Zardoz,

I have a better idea of what's going on now. The two i've been using also seem to have an adjustment handle next to the output terminals.

Unless , like an idiot, i've been turning the knob on what is another output terminal thinking i was doing something.

I'll have to have another look at them tonight.