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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Aug 2011
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    Default Emergency welding with car batteries

    Hi all,

    I'm currently on the home stretch of a road trip that incorporated some fairly remote parts of australia. The most challenging being the crossing of the simpson.

    Most of the trip was done without incident but I did snap the lower part of my strut insert where it attaches to the lower control arm about 90km out of Maree on the oodnadatta track. I managed to limp Into town where I removed my front strut and got it welded good enough to at least get me home.

    If it happened in the simpson it would have been more of an issue. Anyway it has prompted me to look into the technique of welding using 2 batteries which would be a good capability to have.

    Most people's setups use cables and some welding electrodes to set up a basic arc welding arrangement but I also notice that some have made a basic ageless mig setup using a 24v spool gun.

    Has anyone here had any experience in using either of these techniques?

    I'm self taught with both mig and arc but I learnt arc first and it is my preferred method of welding but wondering if the mig setup would prove more versatile.

    Cheers for any sharing of experiences...

    Simon

    Sent from my SM-G970F using Tapatalk
    Girl, I don't wanna know about your mild-mannered alter ego or anything like that." I mean, you tell me you're, uh, super-mega-ultra-lightning babe? That's all right with me. I'm good. I'm good.

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Aug 2008
    Location
    near Rockhampton
    Posts
    6,216

    Default

    I would imagine the people using MIG for such situations do not understand how superior stick is. Anyone who has tried to weld some oil contaminated part with a MIG would understand.

    MIG's are nice in the workshop or onsite welding nice ground clean parts. Hopeless everywhere else.

    Also keep in mind how easy it is to switch from welding steel, to stainless steel, to cast iron, even aluminium and if your car is submerged you can even weld underwater.
    Gold, the colour of choice for the discerning person.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Jan 2004
    Location
    Mackay North Qld
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    6,446

    Default

    Hi SimonL,
    12 volt Mig sounds good but you may need more than one battery. It was the sort of thing you would find in the back ads in the Popular Mechanics magazine, a few years ago.

    Check this site out to see what they say about it.



    AMPERAGE RANGE: The Ready Welder welds very thin metals using a 12 and a 6 volt battery, (18 volts) or very thick metals with 36 volts DC, (three 12 volt batteries) yielding from 45amps, up to 350 amps of power.

    ReadyWelder Australia ? There's Nothing Like It!

    Theres some blurb about no one every been injured but look at the pic the battery is way too close to the work.
    It is the hydrogen that i would be concerned about.

    This system was featured on the net about 15 years back . It seems to have fallen in popularity as I haven't seen it recently.

    Grahame

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Sep 2010
    Location
    Lebrina
    Posts
    1,910

    Default

    Definitely too close with the batteries, but of course when you have one bloke barefoot and another in thongs welding under a vehicle, a little Hydrogen explosion is probably the least of your worries.
    I had a look at the website for the Readywelder. Not cheap are they, $885 upwards. Seems like a lot of money for not much welder, although they are compact, you still need two decent batteries to run it and I definitely would not be using my starting battery as a power source.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Aug 2011
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    Melbourne
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    Default

    Thanks for the replies. RC, yes you are preaching to the converted wrt arc welding. It's my preferred method but I still see the advantages of mig when welding sheet metal etc.

    Those ready welder are not cheap and I certainly can't justify the cost. However that doesn't stop me from copying the idea using a cheap Chinese spool welding gun for under $100 on eBay and running it on a couple of batteries.

    However, does the flexibility of mig justify the slightly more complex setup with the gun and the chance of the spool feed (for example) failing over the much simpler arc weld setup which is essentially just cables and the electrodes?

    I guess I have answered my question really.

    Realistically any failure that stops you is not going to require a sheet metal type weld. It's more likely to require a heavier structural weld that arc will do fine.

    When I get home I think I will put together some cables and actually try some car battery DC arc welding.

    If anyone is interested, I can post some results but I figured it's probably of limited interest o this forum.

    Simon

    Sent from my SM-G970F using Tapatalk
    Girl, I don't wanna know about your mild-mannered alter ego or anything like that." I mean, you tell me you're, uh, super-mega-ultra-lightning babe? That's all right with me. I'm good. I'm good.

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Aug 2008
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    near Rockhampton
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    Things also have changed with light small inverter generators and the ability to join two inverter generators together if there is a group in a convoy. A small inverter welder that has power factor correction and why would you bother with batteries? I know high quality inverter generators are not cheap, but would anyone go bush these days and not have a generator?

    If it came down to using batteries, you would probably also be using jumper leads for cables. I think you would need 24V for emergency welding. Good fun to experiment with while at home though.
    Gold, the colour of choice for the discerning person.

  7. #7
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    Aug 2011
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    Melbourne
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    Hi RC. As I mentioned I'm at the end of a 4 week trip that included Cameron corner, strzelecki track, birdsville track, across the simpson, down the oodnadatta, onto the northern flinders and then home to Melbourne.

    With 2 adults and 2 kids and the 200L of fuel, 120L of water and food etc. etc. for long distances with no services it meant we were right on the limit of the vehicles GVM. Certainly no room for a generator and in any case I really can't see a need for a generator TBH. We have a 150w solar panel that slides out from under the roof rack and it runs the fridge and all of our other powered devices indefinately. The longest we stayed in 1 place without even starting the car was 5 days and the battery was fully charged each day by 10am. So a generator would not normally be needed.

    I do see people camping with caravans and camping trailers that have generators running night and day. I can't for the life of me work out what they must be running. 240v should not be needed while camping in this day and age.

    Simon

    Sent from my SM-G970F using Tapatalk
    Girl, I don't wanna know about your mild-mannered alter ego or anything like that." I mean, you tell me you're, uh, super-mega-ultra-lightning babe? That's all right with me. I'm good. I'm good.

  8. #8
    Join Date
    May 2011
    Location
    Murray Bridge S Aust.
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    71
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    Hi Simon, I've welded a bullbar back onto its mounts, this happeded out of the BungleBungle Ranges in WA near Turkey Creek. 24Volts welds OK but for something thicker 36V is better.
    I've heard of one bloke that broke the small end of his trailer axle, using a file to create a chamfer, he welded it back on. When the batteries got a bit flat, he put them back in the vehicle and charged them up.
    I used heavy duty jumper leads about 2m long and down wind of the batteries, to get the 36V another set of leads were used, these were a bit lighter in wire diameter and were wrapped around several tyre levers to act as a choke. The batteries were Positive to Negative to Positive to Negative with the return lead on the Negative. I had before setting off, drilled a 3.5mm hole into the jaws of the jumper lead clip to act as an electrode holder. I also carried with me a welding lens, because space was limited a proper mask couldn't be carried, to utilise the lens a piece of card board was used with the lens fitted and held in place with duct tape.
    HTH
    Kryn
    To grow old is mandatory, growing up is optional.

  9. #9
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    Sep 2011
    Location
    Ballarat
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    Default

    Hi Simon
    I'd be interested in the results you get.
    Im out where you were at the moment and I won't say a breakage hasn't crossed my mind.

    Phil

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Apr 2018
    Location
    Perth
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    Back in the 80's I worked as a sparky on the Kalgoorlie Water pipeline. Work vehicle was a WB 1 tonner , it was fitted with a modified alternator manufactured I think by a auto electrical company in Victoria Park WA.
    That alternator was capable of welding up to about 120A and did it well as one job I had to do was weld earth studs onto the pipe and cyclone fencing in my district. By throwing a switch and adjusting the engine revs it also produced 240V dc which was capable of powering of running a grinder.
    Cant remember who made it but it was extremely reliable.

  11. #11
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    Thanks Kryn & Sparky. Interesting info.

    I also should mention for the benefit of those who don't camp or go 4x4ing, a dual battery system is commonplace for most serious campers. It allows you to run a fridge and other acc. Off the second battery without fear of flattening your start battery. So it's "normal" for people like me to have 2 batteries under the bonnet anyway. However if 36v is needed then that throws a spanner in the works...

    Hey Phil, where are you?

    Simon

    Sent from my SM-G970F using Tapatalk
    Girl, I don't wanna know about your mild-mannered alter ego or anything like that." I mean, you tell me you're, uh, super-mega-ultra-lightning babe? That's all right with me. I'm good. I'm good.

  12. #12
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    Hi Simon
    Sitting at Ayers rock at the moment and due to start heading south on Friday.
    Would rather keep going north but all good things must come to an end...eventually.

    Phil

  13. #13
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    Awesome!

    I can't believe how many people I know are at Ayers rock!

    Yea when we popped out at Mt. Dare I wanted to head further north through Finke and the geographical centre of Aus but wife and kids had work and school commitments. I still got another 2 weeks off.

    Tell you what Phil, wife can drive back and I'll hitch a ride up to meet you! Emergency welding with car batteries

    Simon


    Sent from my SM-G970F using Tapatalk
    Girl, I don't wanna know about your mild-mannered alter ego or anything like that." I mean, you tell me you're, uh, super-mega-ultra-lightning babe? That's all right with me. I'm good. I'm good.

  14. #14
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    Sep 2011
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    Quote Originally Posted by simonl View Post
    Awesome!

    I can't believe how many people I know are at Ayers rock!

    Yea when we popped out at Mt. Dare I wanted to head further north through Finke and the geographical centre of Aus but wife and kids had work and school commitments. I still got another 2 weeks off.

    Tell you what Phil, wife can drive back and I'll hitch a ride up to meet you! Emergency welding with car batteries

    Simon


    Sent from my SM-G970F using Tapatalk
    Gees, don't tempt me Simon.
    I've got the rest of my life off.
    Well maybe.
    I may have been offered a job at a very large historical steam engine place thanks to a forum member .
    Details hopefully will follow. Whisperings could be added to yet.

    Phil

  15. #15
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    Melbourne
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    That's ace news Phil. Long live Whisperings!

    Keep us informed!

    Sent from my SM-G970F using Tapatalk
    Girl, I don't wanna know about your mild-mannered alter ego or anything like that." I mean, you tell me you're, uh, super-mega-ultra-lightning babe? That's all right with me. I'm good. I'm good.

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