A DIY Spot welder finally done - aka R2D2...

Finally put the finishing touches to my DIY Spot welder. I did post on this a while ago, and since then was waiting for the local powder coaters to reopen - which they only did this week! So, all assembled and done, and tested. Works very well indeed.

Uses a Nucleo ( STM based uP) Arduino type processor module.

Stepper driven upper pincer arm, with three pincer pressure ranges - 280kg/sq.cm, 350kg/sq.cm, 450kg/sq.cm.

Auto-Weld Modes:

1 or 2 weld pulses per 'pinch', spaced 0.5sec apart. Pincers contact area is 3.2mm diameter

0.2sec up to 5.9sec weld timer.

1500amp, 2500amp, 3200amp and 4500amp settings ( on 2+2mm stainless)

Foot pedal control.

Manual Weld mode by pushbutton as well.

Welds 2mm+2mm Stainless and mild steel with ease at 4000amp / 0.8sec timer setting

Uses 40 amp 220V mains circuit - single phase - I have 3phase /60amp in the shop, so no problem...

Front main panel controls

Sub panel controls

Foot Pedal control

Moving Pincer Bus bar

Heavy Wiring

2+2mm stainless Nugget

0.8+0.8MM Galvanised steel Nugget. The split is the nugget tearing a hole in the lower sheet.

Only Space left in the Shop - Next to My NC Shaper..

Will maybe post a video showing the sparks flying...

Joe

Edit - Did try to attach a video - did not work  - will do something maybe via utube.. 

Edited By Joseph Noci 1 on 19/01/2018 20:33:48

Looks an amazing piece of tooling. Another piece of useful equipment.

David

Great stuff Joe, amazing work

Did make me smile though

Edit - Did try to attach a video - did not work

you can build pretty much any tool imaginable, but the software in here defeats you

Ice clean floor, easy to mop.....will look at ur previous post.....

Impressive work! I've had a spot welder in the workshop for many years, its a very basic machines for which I had to make some parts for to get in to a usable state. Well worth the (little) effort. I used Copper electrodes initially, they would last for 10 -20 weld before needing to be reshaped. I then bought some proper electrodes, (Copper/Chrome alloy?), these will hold their shape a lot longer but still deform because they get so hot. The obvious way forward is to water cool the electrodes.

Joe, have you considered cooling the electrodes? What material are your electrodes made from?

I've just completed a job that required nearly 400 welds, it took all day, allowing time for the electrodes to cool and only 2 reshapings of the electrode!

John

If you have not done so already, look up and read about the "Noci's" work in conservation in Namibia, it will blow you mind.

This is apart from what Joseph writes about on this Forum, which is also inspirational.

Very nice!

But R2D2?

It looks more like Huey:

Neil, That's a nostalgic kick in the butt! But, you are right - the shop is now so crowded I cannot see the wood for the trees...

Joe

ps- Still working on a video - A steady hand is required so to scared to post something that may offend MichaelG...

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No, it's Seasick Neil you have to worry about on the wobbly video front it seems!

Merry

Ouch,

That's a dig, not cool, not cool!

Michael W

I apologise Michael. I did not mean to be rude.

I posted a video some time ago, either on my Lathe ELS cutting a thread or on my shaper doing its thing, and I believe it was MichaelG twho commended the video for its stability. I tried to find that comment in all my posts but did not succeed - I have posted far to much junk.

Anyway, I wanted to try live up to Michael's comment with a suitable video of the spot welder, but I sort of give up..To little space to move in the shop, always some distracting stuff in the background, panning between controls and machine business end, etc. The video is at best , nauseating.. Bah- Humbug!

Sorry MichaelG..

Joe

I do so wish some of the other posters on here will take heed of Joe's words.

" To say that a lot of the members here can make such marvelous models and jobs the fact that the tripod was invented at least 400 years ago seems to escape them" .

Hi Joe

If the above is what you are referring to it was JS RIP.

I just wish I had 10% of your energy!

Spend far too long in the arm chair!

Cheers Michael.

Don't worry too much about back ground clutter, that's half the interest in a lot of video, ie what does he have hidden under the bench, or in my case where is the bench, there must be one somewhere.

Ian S C

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No problem, Joe ... I was just confused by the remark.

Your work so far-exceeds my expectations, in both quality and quantity, that I doubt anything you produce is likely to offend me.

But do feel free to prove me wrong

MichaelG.

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Edit: Further to Michael Horner's comment ... This appears to be the thread in questiion:

http://www.model-engineer.co.uk/forums/postings.asp?th=126045&p=1

Edited By Michael Gilligan on 21/01/2018 10:44:37

Oh Dear..My memory precedes me...

It was John Stevenson's post I was trying to refer to. How I got the rest of this forum mixed up in the dig, I have no idea.

Nuts.

Sorry Chaps..

Regards

Joe