Welder

[Lancs Lad]

same thing went on when they were building Llanwern steel works ... trucks'd go in the main gate, straight through the site and out the top gate - do a circuit and come in the main gate again - multiple times by all accounts - lot of ppl got very rich on that job ... particularly hauliers supplying and carrying fill (a lot of it was built on marshland)

Local job near here the owner of the site was a real tight arse.
He put fancy cameras everywhere..
When contractors put bills in for hours worked etc he'd go back and say no x truck was only on site for X hours etc etc.
All that happened was folks got "creative"

 

[DaveDCB]

So what arc welder do I need to buy then?? One I run of a 50m 13a extension lead if needs be… or plug straight into 32a socket?
Have access to my dads old oil cooled Arc welder, but it’s big and takes up floor space so It doesn’t stay with me.

 

[Stroppymonkey]

So what arc welder do I need to buy then?? One I run of a 50m 13a extension lead if needs be… or plug straight into 32a socket?
Have access to my dads old oil cooled Arc welder, but it’s big and takes up floor space so It doesn’t stay with me.

Use a heavier cable. Caravan hook up lead with 16amp blue plugs. I bought one of these on special from local ag shop. It works. Fits nice in a milwankee packout trolley, with helmet in there as well, then I keep all the bits with it and rods in a smaller packout on top. Nice and tidy and waterproof.

https://www.sam-turner.co.uk/produc...SBaTOCTvINbhOJUuoaATf0_SKzsIRC0QaAkFAEALw_wcB

 

[Canal Navvy]

Orange one ?

 

[Lancs Lad]

So what arc welder do I need to buy then?? One I run of a 50m 13a extension lead if needs be… or plug straight into 32a socket?
Have access to my dads old oil cooled Arc welder, but it’s big and takes up floor space so It doesn’t stay with me.

Engweld normally have deals on esab

 

[JD450A]

I just dont get it! well, i mean i do, obviously someone is making a kill, but surely someone has to think ''Come on''

Differant world, out in denamark last month, thet are building a new railway line too, a fair length from what i could see. No H&S bullshit, the site boundary was marked out with little flags, no miles and miles of fencing, hardly any machines had beacons flashing, and the ones that had only had one orange beacon, no christmas tree of multi colour beacons, very few people on the ground, most machines had tiltrotators and the dozers had GPS. mimamal saftey signs.

The job just got done, no hassle, no mess the site was tidy and well organised, no s**t, and i bet if a lad tripped he'd be told to get up and not be a stupid **** the next time, no claims

Definitely a country id be happy to live in.

Issue is unfortunately we live in a society that is constantly on the take and challenging it will not get you the job.

It's like a mirror to soviet communism...... Lots of yes, no gets you sent away, the party was right this railway is far too long......

 

[V8Druid]

Use a heavier cable. Caravan hook up lead with 16amp blue plugs. I bought one of these on special from local ag shop. It works. Fits nice in a milwankee packout trolley, with helmet in there as well, then I keep all the bits with it and rods in a smaller packout on top. Nice and tidy and waterproof.

https://www.sam-turner.co.uk/produc...SBaTOCTvINbhOJUuoaATf0_SKzsIRC0QaAkFAEALw_wcB

decent duty cycle on that

 

[Canal Navvy]

Orange one ?

A lot of builders round here run Jasic, seem to survive site conditions well.
It is pretty essential when running long mains leads to have them spread out, left coiled up an inverter welder will melt them rather fast

 

[Bri963]

A lot of builders round here run Jasic, seem to survive site conditions well.
It is pretty essential when running long mains leads to have them spread out, left coiled up an inverter welder will melt them rather fast

Any single phase welder will melt a coiled up cable, not just inverters.

Dave, if you’ve got a 32 amp socket, the oil cooled should be able to perform okay, as long as it’s single phase. Unless you’re desperate to chuck money about, if you’ve got it, use it. A lot of people get hung up on You need an inverter with arc force, hot start, etc., but an awful lot of things welded with those old oil cooled machines are still about. Spend what you save on decent electrodes, not Aldi specials or Machine Mart.

Does your dad’s machine have two voltage settings?

 

[doobin]

Any single phase welder will melt a coiled up cable, not just inverters.

Dave, if you’ve got a 32 amp socket, the oil cooled should be able to perform okay, as long as it’s single phase. Unless you’re desperate to chuck money about, if you’ve got it, use it. A lot of people get hung up on You need an inverter with arc force, hot start, etc., but an awful lot of things welded with those old oil cooled machines are still about. Spend what you save on decent electrodes, not Aldi specials or Machine Mart.

Does your dad’s machine have two voltage settings?

The thing with an inverter is that it will ‘do more with less’. Especially when it comes to running off a long lead or running off a domestic outlet.

I think they are a better option for most hobbyists.

 

[bobthebuilder]

So what arc welder do I need to buy then?? One I run of a 50m 13a extension lead if needs be… or plug straight into 32a socket?
Have access to my dads old oil cooled Arc welder, but it’s big and takes up floor space so It doesn’t stay with me.

I bought a small esab are will weld 12mm plate on a extension lead no bother

 

[V8Druid]

I bought a small esab are will weld 12mm plate on a extension lead no bother

My 180A Esab Caddy built a VA-r and a hell of a lot more
nothing wrong with a good old oil cooled tranny though

 

[DaveDCB]

Any single phase welder will melt a coiled up cable, not just inverters.

Dave, if you’ve got a 32 amp socket, the oil cooled should be able to perform okay, as long as it’s single phase. Unless you’re desperate to chuck money about, if you’ve got it, use it. A lot of people get hung up on You need an inverter with arc force, hot start, etc., but an awful lot of things welded with those old oil cooled machines are still about. Spend what you save on decent electrodes, not Aldi specials or Machine Mart.

Does your dad’s machine have two voltage settings?

Oh it’s a family heirloom , will never get rid of it, nor will I pry it away from my dad’s workshop! thus I need my own now as I’m 50odd miles away from him. It’s about time I got my own handy to be able to use on a lead so I can take it to site etc,

 

[V8Druid]

Oh it’s a family heirloom , will never get rid of it, nor will I pry it away from my dad’s workshop! thus I need my own now as I’m 50odd miles away from him. It’s about time I got my own handy to be able to use on a lead so I can take it to site etc,

s'why I originally bought the Caddy ... save dragging a genny to site for the odd weld ... must be 20+ yr old now and has done some work

 

[Bri963]

Oh it’s a family heirloom , will never get rid of it, nor will I pry it away from my dad’s workshop! thus I need my own now as I’m 50odd miles away from him. It’s about time I got my own handy to be able to use on a lead so I can take it to site etc,

I had a bloody good transformer welder, but tbh I chopped it in for my Parweld as it was too heavy to move about easily. Everyone will have an opinion about the best inverters but there’s not much in it performance wise. I do have a soft spot for ESAB machines though. If the Parweld dies my next one will be a Rogue.

 

[Lancs Lad]

I had a bloody good transformer welder, but tbh I chopped it in for my Parweld as it was too heavy to move about easily. Everyone will have an opinion about the best inverters but there’s not much in it performance wise. I do have a soft spot for ESAB machines though. If the Parweld dies my next one will be a Rogue.

Not daft money either on offer ....without sounding like a stuck record

 

[V8Druid]

half what the Caddy cost back when I bought it