Stick welder

[Brad93]

PCBs (Poly-chlorinated Biphenols) were phased out of production in the 70s and 80s but if you had existing stocks they could still be used up.

Make sure you're covered up as they are incredibly damaging to the environment and very carcinogenic.

If you get rid of the oil or change it out, make sure it's disposed of at the dump and clearly marked PCB Oil.

 

[Rig Pig]

The original oil was non pbc, obviously it may have been charged/topped up.
As everyone else has said they are brilliant machines and need a hefty supply! I wouldn't be without mine - or the nice long extended leads so I don't have to move it far!

 

[swedge]

It does have decent length leads on it, gonna clean up an remake the connections though as their a bit tatty

Anyway got it plugged into today, because we don't have access to the fuse box at my mates unit I took it to my mum's to test it out in case it does trip the switch

Anyway it does trip the breaker when plugged in but it only trips when the plug is plugged in not when welding?

So I plugged it in flicked the switch back on and done some welding

I've done a fair bit not before but only ever tried stick once and I couldn't even get it to arc, it was a cheap ebay job machine

First thing I noticed was how easier it was to arc the rod with this machine

Can remember the rod size I used bit it was the most common they use at my work (industrial heating engineers)

7mm mild steel

Because I'm used to mig it took a few attempts to remember to feed the rod in lol

Didn't think my attempts were too bad for first shot of stick welding

None of the steel was prepped etc I just wanted to check it actually worked first

Here's my attempts

 

[brightspark]

with it being a transformer the initial turn on is enough to knock a b type 32 amp miniature circuit breaker off not a problem but might take 2 attempts to stop on . its not faulty they just have a large starting amperage

 

[swedge]

Yep just throws the switch when it's plugged in not when it's actually welding

 

[brightspark]

a 13 amp supply with plug really isn't sufficient and will give problems popping fuses

 

[the artfull-codger]

a 13 amp supply with plug really isn't sufficient and will give problems popping fuses

Unless you have a "special" fuse fnarr fnarr!! not that I would recommend/do anything like that of course.

 

[swedge]

Unless you have a "special" fuse fnarr fnarr!! not that I would recommend/do anything like that of course.

Cough nether would it

That's why it's tripping at the fuse box not the plug

 

[brightspark]

Cough nether would it

That's why it's tripping at the fuse box not the plug

it would still take a 32amp mcb out before a 13amp cartridge fuse went on start up

 

[gt6s]

That is identical to my Oxford Olympic Bantam 180. Mine (at long last) has a 32 amp plug on ( used for years on a special fuse ) Just dug her out again for new setting contacts after years unused. Might as well be in working order sitting inactive under the bench.

Laurence