Originally Posted by
RustyArc
Finally had the chance to give this a try - my little BOC Smootharc 130 set to maximum noise (140A) running a 3.2mm 7018 (I don't have any firesticks). DMM measuring Volts, clamp meter measuring Amps.
At idle, OCV is 16V. Attempts at striking an arc saw the OCV rise to about 75V before averaging around 20V and 135A during welding. Once the arc was broken, the OCV rose to 75V for about a second before dropping to 16V.
I've got 2 other welders to try out - just need a bit more messing around to set them up for measuring.