48 replies to this topic

[Ben_O]

Thats exactly what you are looking for with a satisfactory weld.

Looks good!

 

Thanks for sharing

Ben 

[Viktor]

Here are the results from the test Ben has suggested above.

0.8+0.8mm material

Machine set to 0.8 and middle timer setting.





Peel test, smaller hole you see here is from timer set to lowest setting



I had this in the vice on the bench and I could not get it to peel apart, used the vice grips and let them pivot against each other to get it to go.

Thanks Colin, that is really useful and reasuring!

[GraemeC]

Judging by the instructions the Vevor machine is potentially the same as a Sealey one (seeing as they refer you to a Sealey dealer for a full range of arms and electrodes!)

[DomCr250]

Had a non timed basic one for many years, one set of arms.  Got it off ebay 2nd hand (they come up on FB Marketplace too).

 

Great bit of kit but it needs a 16A supply.

 

When you put sills, an A panel or a front end on it's just so simple and the results look like factory - I've had MOT testers comment on the wing welds 'finally someone who's done it correctly' - 'not like the mini restoration company locally who send their cars to us with lumpy welds everywhere', which I was well chuffed about.

 

It's also a really usefully tool to have about for general repairs or fabbing stuff out of sheet metal, boxes, mowers getting broken - its endless and will save you £££'s in the long run.

 

But as has been said previously, spend time experimenting and keep the tips clean and correctly shaped.

[colinf1]

I had been keeping an eye out of FB marketplace and local advert sites for a few weeks, one literally came up for sale a few hours after I bought this one! Hopefully I can get a chance to use it soon, bit of prep work needed before I can try it on the inner wing, even if I only get 50:50 spots to plug welds its a lot less drilling and linishing off!

[gaspen]

Hello !

 

I also have a Vevor 230V spot welder but it makes pretty poor welds. For example 1+1 mm metal and default timing : I can break the weld with my hands and the diameter of the weld is approx. 2-3 mm

 

If I set the both thickness and timing to max. I get some strenght but the diameter is still 3-4 mm only.

 

As I learnt that it is a Sealey clone so I followed its manual to setup but it did not help.

 

I am doing something wrong ?

[68+86auto]

Hello !

 

I also have a Vevor 230V spot welder but it makes pretty poor welds. For example 1+1 mm metal and default timing : I can break the weld with my hands and the diameter of the weld is approx. 2-3 mm

 

If I set the both thickness and timing to max. I get some strenght but the diameter is still 3-4 mm only.

 

As I learnt that it is a Sealey clone so I followed its manual to setup but it did not help.

 

I am doing something wrong ?

 

Have you set the electrode gap properly? Install the bolt that hold the position, the gap should be the thickness of ONE of the panel you are welding together. That means if you are welding two 1mm sheets then put a piece of 1mm in the gap and adjust the electrodes. Also if you happen to be testing the strength by twisting the steel, it will always be easy to break.

 

 

It's quite possible that it's faulty - there's a reason vevor is cheap.

 

Get the Telwin/Sealey one.

[gaspen]

 

Hello !

 

I also have a Vevor 230V spot welder but it makes pretty poor welds. For example 1+1 mm metal and default timing : I can break the weld with my hands and the diameter of the weld is approx. 2-3 mm

 

If I set the both thickness and timing to max. I get some strenght but the diameter is still 3-4 mm only.

 

As I learnt that it is a Sealey clone so I followed its manual to setup but it did not help.

 

I am doing something wrong ?

 

Have you set the electrode gap properly? Install the bolt that hold the position, the gap should be the thickness of ONE of the panel you are welding together. That means if you are welding two 1mm sheets then put a piece of 1mm in the gap and adjust the electrodes. Also if you happen to be testing the strength by twisting the steel, it will always be easy to break.

 

 

It's quite possible that it's faulty - there's a reason vevor is cheap.

 

Get the Telwin/Sealey one.

 

 

Thanks !

 

It looks like I misunderstood the manual because I placed double thickness material.

 

I will make another test

[68+86auto]

 

 

Hello !

 

I also have a Vevor 230V spot welder but it makes pretty poor welds. For example 1+1 mm metal and default timing : I can break the weld with my hands and the diameter of the weld is approx. 2-3 mm

 

If I set the both thickness and timing to max. I get some strenght but the diameter is still 3-4 mm only.

 

As I learnt that it is a Sealey clone so I followed its manual to setup but it did not help.

 

I am doing something wrong ?

 

Have you set the electrode gap properly? Install the bolt that hold the position, the gap should be the thickness of ONE of the panel you are welding together. That means if you are welding two 1mm sheets then put a piece of 1mm in the gap and adjust the electrodes. Also if you happen to be testing the strength by twisting the steel, it will always be easy to break.

 

 

It's quite possible that it's faulty - there's a reason vevor is cheap.

 

Get the Telwin/Sealey one.

 

 

Thanks !

 

It looks like I misunderstood the manual because I placed double thickness material.

 

I will make another test

 

 

I just read the manual and it's definitely not clear. I'm not sure if I read it elsewhere or if it's just my interpretation but I only use one sheet.

[gaspen]

 

 

 

Hello !

 

I also have a Vevor 230V spot welder but it makes pretty poor welds. For example 1+1 mm metal and default timing : I can break the weld with my hands and the diameter of the weld is approx. 2-3 mm

 

If I set the both thickness and timing to max. I get some strenght but the diameter is still 3-4 mm only.

 

As I learnt that it is a Sealey clone so I followed its manual to setup but it did not help.

 

I am doing something wrong ?

 

Have you set the electrode gap properly? Install the bolt that hold the position, the gap should be the thickness of ONE of the panel you are welding together. That means if you are welding two 1mm sheets then put a piece of 1mm in the gap and adjust the electrodes. Also if you happen to be testing the strength by twisting the steel, it will always be easy to break.

 

 

It's quite possible that it's faulty - there's a reason vevor is cheap.

 

Get the Telwin/Sealey one.

 

 

Thanks !

 

It looks like I misunderstood the manual because I placed double thickness material.

 

I will make another test

 

 

I just read the manual and it's definitely not clear. I'm not sure if I read it elsewhere or if it's just my interpretation but I only use one sheet.

 

 

Meanwhile I talked to a local welder repair workshop. They said that every conact surface must be clean and tight so I will check and clean the machine

 

1 Volt drop at the electrodes means -1000 amperage

[gaspen]

 

Hello !

 

I also have a Vevor 230V spot welder but it makes pretty poor welds. For example 1+1 mm metal and default timing : I can break the weld with my hands and the diameter of the weld is approx. 2-3 mm

 

If I set the both thickness and timing to max. I get some strenght but the diameter is still 3-4 mm only.

 

As I learnt that it is a Sealey clone so I followed its manual to setup but it did not help.

 

I am doing something wrong ?

 

Have you set the electrode gap properly? Install the bolt that hold the position, the gap should be the thickness of ONE of the panel you are welding together. That means if you are welding two 1mm sheets then put a piece of 1mm in the gap and adjust the electrodes. Also if you happen to be testing the strength by twisting the steel, it will always be easy to break.

 

 

It's quite possible that it's faulty - there's a reason vevor is cheap.

 

Get the Telwin/Sealey one.

 

 

Well. I dismantled the machine once more. I found two "issues"

 

1st : the lower arm bracket is screwed to the transformer with 4 screws and "rivnuts" - they are look like rivnuts at least, but they were not squeezed with a tool, just sit in a hole. I could pull them out easily

 

2nd : one terminal has a bad soldering, not allows to tighten the screw.

 

I repaired these, put it together but I did not experience any miracle. I get "normal" spotwelds on 1+1 mm material if I set both timing and thickness to maximum. 

 

Peel test is ok, the nuggets diameter is approx 4 mm, but I am not sure if it gives enough strength

 

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Edited by gaspen, 17 July 2024 - 04:56 PM.

[stuart bowes]

is the diameter of the 'spot' not dictated by the profile of the electrode tip?

 

unfortunately though the flatter (larger diameter) you make the tips, the more current you're going to need to produce a weld, and if you're maxed out already that might not be an option for you

 

as long as the peel test is leaving a slug behind then surely penetration is sufficient, you'd just need to do enough of them along the join to provide the correct overall strength

 

where an industrial unit is producing a 8mm spot, just for example, if yours is half that then just do twice as many welds.  The only potential snag there being a 'shunt' effect where if you try and spot weld close to an existing weld the current will go through the previous weld instead of where you want it, and reduces effectiveness, so instead of doing them in a straight line you might want to offset slightly, depending on where you're welding and how close the spots are getting, etc

 

disclaimer, I've not actually done it myself, I've only read about it in some detail

Edited by stuart bowes, 17 July 2024 - 05:41 PM.

[gaspen]

is the diameter of the 'spot' not dictated by the profile of the electrode tip?

 

 

This machine has  half-spehere shaped electrodes so I don't know what diameter nuggets I should expect.

 

I've got an advice for an old specialist that I should sharpen the electrodes and make a small flat where they contact. This way they will heat up quicker and make better welds.

 

Well... these half-spheres have pretty tiny contact surface, aren't they ? 

 

When I made my 1st Mini I borrowed an older Facom spotwelder. It was more powerful than this new Vevor and it made lovely big spots. Maybe I should not compare the two machines...

 

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[stuart bowes]

yeah that's pretty much what I was thinking, trouble is, you could flatten them and get a larger contact diameter, great, but will your maximum current capability still provide enough heat to penetrate with the larger surface area

 

you could try, I suppose, but the risk is basically wasting the electrodes, or I suppose having to reprofile them again, depending if the clamping action is adjustable far enough in that way., ? 

 

or just drill / punch a series of holes and plug weld instead, that was my choice but mostly because I don't have a spot welder or a sufficient supply that won't keep tripping (though I have been considering it)

Edited by stuart bowes, 17 July 2024 - 06:13 PM.

[gaspen]

yeah that's pretty much what I was thinking, trouble is, you could flatten them and get a larger contact diameter, great, but will your maximum current capability still provide enough heat to penetrate with the larger surface area

 

you could try, I suppose, but the risk is basically wasting the electrodes, or I suppose having to reprofile them again, depending if the clamping action is adjustable far enough in that way., ? 

 

or just drill / punch a series of holes and plug weld instead, that was my choice but mostly because I don't have a spot welder or a sufficient supply that won't keep tripping (though I have been considering it)

 

The conclusion is that vevor has these electrodes because this is its welding capacity.

 

I've made some test on plug welding with different settings - somewhere they call it "MIG spot welding". Moreover the new MIG welders have timing function. 

 

There is an other gas nozzle for this operation with two spacers on it. What I am afraid of that  will burn the edges of the flanges ... 

 

Peel test shows #4 plug weld break

 

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