15 replies to this topic

[skoughi]

Seems like spot welders are the hot topic! I've just bought a second hand cheap as chips Sealey SR 10 11 spot welder. However I can't seem to find any online guides or user experience for successfully operating this model. Has anyone on here used one? It has no adjustment on amps or timer just pressure. I would think it's very limited on what thickness of steel it can successfully weld? 

[richmondclassicsnorthwales]

Have a look at this thread

 

 

https://www.mig-weld...t-welder.58586/

[skoughi]

Cheers! I actually registered on the MIG welding forum earlier today and asked the same question that I have done here! I've also read the thread you've posted. I thought there's probably more chance of someone on here having worked with one seeing as it's defo a hobby spot welder.

Edited by skoughi, 02 June 2021 - 08:17 PM.

[skoughi]

I think I was at your place a good few years ago when you were based in N Wales and bought a wiring loom for my mini. We were on holiday at a nearby Haven holiday park, probably about 8 years ago.

[richmondclassicsnorthwales]

I remember !!

 

We live in Ireland now - over in the West - Good to hear from you !!

 

Time goes so quick these days 

[skoughi]

It certainly does! The mini that it went into actually got finished and has given me 5 years of pretty much trouble free motoring, and very enjoyable. Glad you're well, the west of Ireland is a lovely place, I'd quite happily retire there too.

[pete l]

I have one, it's very good but you must use it as it says in the book i.e. one weld every 20 or so seconds, otherwise the coppers welding tips get too hot and the welds won't hold. 

 

I had to buy new tips for mine, once overheated they are scrap.

 

I might try dipping them in water next time, but it's not just the tips that overheat, the arms do too.

 

So, it's good, very good, but it's not fast.

[richmondclassicsnorthwales]

We live in the middle of no where   grass, grass, grass and more grass, we have just under an acre, and then there is acres and acres all round us.

 

 

Glad that Mini has given good trouble free motoring. They usually will give a good innings when stripped down and then put back together, both my Minis after full rebuilds were really reliable, and the same, gave lots of uninterrupted pleasure.

Edited by richmondclassicsnorthwales, 03 June 2021 - 03:16 PM.

[skoughi]

I have one, it's very good but you must use it as it says in the book i.e. one weld every 20 or so seconds, otherwise the coppers welding tips get too hot and the welds won't hold. 

 

I had to buy new tips for mine, once overheated they are scrap.

 

I might try dipping them in water next time, but it's not just the tips that overheat, the arms do too.

 

So, it's good, very good, but it's not fast.

Cheers pete. There was no book with it, but I did get a big selection of tips and arms. I would think that the dia of the tip will be very important. I'm think somewhere between 3.5 - 4mm would be something to aim for? Any larger and the welds will generate less heat and any smaller they'll be too small and weak? How long is the weld time?

[Johnmar]

I have one, it's very good but you must use it as it says in the book i.e. one weld every 20 or so seconds, otherwise the coppers welding tips get too hot and the welds won't hold.

I had to buy new tips for mine, once overheated they are scrap.

I might try dipping them in water next time, but it's not just the tips that overheat, the arms do too.

So, it's good, very good, but it's not fast.

Cheers pete. There was no book with it, but I did get a big selection of tips and arms. I would think that the dia of the tip will be very important. I'm think somewhere between 3.5 - 4mm would be something to aim for? Any larger and the welds will generate less heat and any smaller they'll be too small and weak? How long is the weld time?

See: https://www.howtores...-electrode.html

When I bought my spotwelder I bought the clark spotweld dresser: https://m.sitebox.lt...65#.YLk_1upNc0M
(Only not for that price...)

I would suggest an cheaper alternative that I recently tried as a test that worked out great..:


https://m.nl.aliexpr...40Q90.jpg_.webp

Edited by Johnmar, 03 June 2021 - 08:56 PM.

[pete l]

 

I have one, it's very good but you must use it as it says in the book i.e. one weld every 20 or so seconds, otherwise the coppers welding tips get too hot and the welds won't hold. 

 

I had to buy new tips for mine, once overheated they are scrap.

 

I might try dipping them in water next time, but it's not just the tips that overheat, the arms do too.

 

So, it's good, very good, but it's not fast.

Cheers pete. There was no book with it, but I did get a big selection of tips and arms. I would think that the dia of the tip will be very important. I'm think somewhere between 3.5 - 4mm would be something to aim for? Any larger and the welds will generate less heat and any smaller they'll be too small and weak? How long is the weld time?

 

 

mine has a timer on the rear, the max is 2 seconds.

 

You want to do tests before to make sure the welds are strong. Use clean scrap metal the same thickness as the cars panels, and do a spot weld, then pull it apart, the weld should never break, the steel should rip around the weld.

 

Pete.

[skoughi]

Resurrect a thread time! I finally got organised to give this old spot welder a run today. I had a 32 amp blue socket fitted in the garage a wee while back due to the purchase of a s/hand AC/DC TIG welder to see what all the fuss is about. I've learned that I'm crap at TIG due to my horrendous hand tremor but that's another story! So I purchased a decent length of cable as the cable that's was on it was very short, wired that in along with a 32amp blue plug. I fitted a short set of electrodes, removed the tips and mounted them in the battery drill then turned it against the wheel on the bench grinder until I got the dia of the tips down to approx 4mm got everything lined up then drew a file between the tips to clean them up. Got a couple bits of scrap 1mm mild steel, adjusted up the pressure on tips when squeezing them together and gave it a go. This spot welder has no adjustment for either amps flowing through or a timer, it's up to the operator to judge, which means there's a risk of inconsistency of weld quality but after having a few goes I think with more experience you'd have a good idea on what time of weld to do. So the first few goes resulted in poor welds, very easy to prise the two bits of steel apart. So I thought there maybe wasn't enough "squeeze", tried more and more tension but no real improvement. So I held the weld time on for longer, it has a two stage trigger. I could then easily see the metal around the tips quickly glow red, I judged how much you'd expect to see when plug MIG welding and kinda went from there as to how long to weld, then fully pressed the trigger to compress the two red hot bits together for a good 5 - 6 seconds. However still no good strong welds where it pulls the weld nugget out. I then thought that as I was pressing the two bits of metal together quite hard there wasn't enough resistance so I backed the tension right off the tips to the point it was barely pressing the two bits of scrap together. Hey presto a good weld! Managed to pull the weld nugget out of one side of the bits of scrap! It's all about having just enough squeeze to bring the two parts together but not enough to allow the current to easily pass through.  So I think there's going to be a lot more trial and error regarding weld time, squeeze and distance between spot welds. Maybe will try some 0.8mm mild steel too and see how that goes, 1mm is defo the max that I think this little unit can do. I'll be buying a proper tool for cleaning up the tips as well.

[skoughi]

 

 

I have one, it's very good but you must use it as it says in the book i.e. one weld every 20 or so seconds, otherwise the coppers welding tips get too hot and the welds won't hold.

I had to buy new tips for mine, once overheated they are scrap.

I might try dipping them in water next time, but it's not just the tips that overheat, the arms do too.

So, it's good, very good, but it's not fast.

Cheers pete. There was no book with it, but I did get a big selection of tips and arms. I would think that the dia of the tip will be very important. I'm think somewhere between 3.5 - 4mm would be something to aim for? Any larger and the welds will generate less heat and any smaller they'll be too small and weak? How long is the weld time?

See: https://www.howtores...-electrode.html

When I bought my spotwelder I bought the clark spotweld dresser: https://m.sitebox.lt...65#.YLk_1upNc0M
(Only not for that price...)

I would suggest an cheaper alternative that I recently tried as a test that worked out great..:


https://m.nl.aliexpr...40Q90.jpg_.webp

 

I've had a look for tip dresser tools that simply mount in a chuck but can't seem to find any, then I remembered your post regarding the chamfer cutters. Looks like it would do the job, quite a sharp angle on the taper but worth a try. Cheers!

[DomCr250]

I've had a very similar one for years (got it second-hand with no arms, so got one set from Machine Mart and turned them down to fit), it works very well and I'd not be without it.

 

You don't need a timer, or any form of Amp setting, just good clean steel to spot weld across.

 

You quickly get a feel for the length of time you need to squeeze the trigger and a good gap setting

 

No need for expensive electrodes or that tool for setting the right tip, I've never replaced mine and it's been used on loads of rebuilds and projects over the years.

 

One set of moderate arms (I think mine are about 8") allows you to do a lot on a mini, the only the last 4" of an outer sill at the rear cannot be reached.

 

Tips need to be clean, I use a rounded profile, almost like a half moon shape. 

 

Only thing is they weigh a ton, so physically using it can be a bit of an effort.

[skoughi]

I remember the bodyshop where I worked for a holiday and Saturday job (just over 35 years ago now!!) had a handheld one and it was used quite a lot. Once set up it saves a ton of work regarding making plug weld holes and grinding. I'll be doing a lot of practising with it to get things sussed, I've got a better chance of producing a decent weld with the spot welder than what I do with the TIG that's for sure!