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  1. #16
    Join Date
    Feb 2021
    Location
    Geelong, Australia
    Posts
    4

    Default

    Hi guys, thanks for the comments.

    After laying down a couple of rods the electrode lead was cool, including where I repaired it (which was by cutting back to clean wire, soldering the full thickness, packing out with hotmelt glue and then heatshrinking), so that's good. The earth lead was slightly warm, about skin temperature, along the whole lead. I guess a larger lead would be beneficial but as this is the factory-installed lead, I don't think it's the cause of my current problem.

    I was running the welder on a 25m 15a extension lead connected to a dedicated outlet in the meter box. However connecting the welder directly to the meter box outlet didn't change anything (which is consistent with other welders I've had over the years having run fine on the 15a extension lead). I also measured the voltage coming into the welder and it was a little over 240v which seems fine, though I'm not able to measure it under load.

    So I think it comes down to somthing about the welder, either the electronics or the transformer. If I feel brave (or stupid) enough I could bypass the electronic current control and connect the power input directly to the transformer and see how that performs.

    Quote Originally Posted by PlotJ View Post
    1. I traced the circuit out and have drawn up the schematic. It looks like the attachment
    By the way, great work on tracing the circuit PlotJ! I actually contacted Cigweld to try to get a manual for this welder and they referred me to Cutting And Welding Support Site which is a great site with old Cigweld manuals and service information (incidentally including a circuit diagram for this machine!). Good pointers in parts availability.

  2. #17
    Join Date
    Feb 2021
    Location
    Geelong, Australia
    Posts
    4

    Default

    Well I connected the power directly to the transformer and seemed to get slightly more welding power, but nothing like the 25 amps extra I'm looking for. I also took off the earth clamp and clamped the cable directly to an area of the work that I ground back, so earth is not an issue. I guess this will have to remain an unsolved problem.

    I'm still keen to hear what setting any other users of this particular welder run 3.2mm 6013 rods on though.

  3. #18
    Join Date
    Sep 2010
    Location
    Lebrina
    Posts
    1,910

    Default

    It's going back a bit now, but I did spend an hour or two on an Easywelder. As I recall, a 3.2 6013 electrode took every bit of power that they could muster. When those machines came out, the welding equipment world was full of machinery specs that told porkies. I don't believe those machines were ever capable of sustaining 140A outputs and would have rated them more like the 115-120A that you are experiencing. Their slightly smaller brother, the Compact 2 was allegedly 109A on the 3.2 setting and having owned one, I can confidently tell you that they would not run 3.2 electrodes for love nor money. We ran ours with 2.5's on the 3.2 setting with good results.

  4. #19
    Join Date
    Feb 2021
    Location
    Geelong, Australia
    Posts
    4

    Default

    Thanks Karl, that's very helpful info.

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