Tweet
We have enough people here with Sputwelders now to discuss some special techniques, and useful tricks. We can make some of these threads sticky if we think that they should be. You guys tell me. We will cover other techniques in threads to follow.
Placing and welding the wire exactly where you want it.
This method can be used to weld the wire onto the edge of a thin plate, or to weld the wire on the bottom of a blind hole. The test piece was Al barstock, 1/8" thick x 3/4" wide. The wire was 14 AWG (0.064" dia.) 1100 alloy Aluminum. I wanted to weld the wire on the 1/8" side, in the middle of the bar.
I got some garden variety glass tubing from McMaster-Carr, about $2.50 per foot. The size was 6mm OD x 2.7mm ID. Glass tubing is traditionally spec-ed in metric sizes. This is 0.236" dia. OD x 0.106 dia. ID. I cut a piece about 3" long. Cut this by scratching it where you want the break (glass cutter or carbide tool) it will break easily with finger pressure at the scratch. I fire polished both ends with a propane torch just enough to smooth the sharp edges. You want to select a tube large enough for the wire to slide freely in it, and small enough to to fit in the blind hole if that's what you are doing. Glass has the advantages of; cheap and available, you can see the wire in it, it wont burn or char, and very smooth surfaces.
Prep the wire by wiping it with a paper towel wet with mineral spirits, and cut a shallow angle (wire cutters) on the weld end. I held the plate on its edge by using two plastic spring clamps to act as "feet", then connected the black cable to it. Insert the wire in the tube so that the weld end is about 1/2" above the end of the tube, and connect the red cable about 1" above the other end of the tube.
Charge the CDW, I used 28 Joules. I positioned the tube where I wanted the weld on the edge, and quickly slid the wire the rest of the way down the tube into the metal to make the weld. Disconnect the red cable and slide off the tube. All done, and the wire is exactly where I wanted it. The tubing also prevents any weld spatter outside of it.
This is easiest to do with 14 AWG or larger wire but smaller sizes will work with smaller tubing and some practice on scrap.
McMaster also has ceramic tubing, more expensive than glass, but very thin wall, I got some 0.125" OD x 0.062" ID.
Actually, any tubing that is of suitable size and is an insulator will work. Rigid Teflon tubing works good too.
I was using a Type 5 CDW; since it auto compensates for capacitor leakage, you can take all the time you want to get things lined up the way you want. This is what this feature is for.
Placing and welding the wire exactly where you want it.
This method can be used to weld the wire onto the edge of a thin plate, or to weld the wire on the bottom of a blind hole. The test piece was Al barstock, 1/8" thick x 3/4" wide. The wire was 14 AWG (0.064" dia.) 1100 alloy Aluminum. I wanted to weld the wire on the 1/8" side, in the middle of the bar.
I got some garden variety glass tubing from McMaster-Carr, about $2.50 per foot. The size was 6mm OD x 2.7mm ID. Glass tubing is traditionally spec-ed in metric sizes. This is 0.236" dia. OD x 0.106 dia. ID. I cut a piece about 3" long. Cut this by scratching it where you want the break (glass cutter or carbide tool) it will break easily with finger pressure at the scratch. I fire polished both ends with a propane torch just enough to smooth the sharp edges. You want to select a tube large enough for the wire to slide freely in it, and small enough to to fit in the blind hole if that's what you are doing. Glass has the advantages of; cheap and available, you can see the wire in it, it wont burn or char, and very smooth surfaces.
Prep the wire by wiping it with a paper towel wet with mineral spirits, and cut a shallow angle (wire cutters) on the weld end. I held the plate on its edge by using two plastic spring clamps to act as "feet", then connected the black cable to it. Insert the wire in the tube so that the weld end is about 1/2" above the end of the tube, and connect the red cable about 1" above the other end of the tube.
Charge the CDW, I used 28 Joules. I positioned the tube where I wanted the weld on the edge, and quickly slid the wire the rest of the way down the tube into the metal to make the weld. Disconnect the red cable and slide off the tube. All done, and the wire is exactly where I wanted it. The tubing also prevents any weld spatter outside of it.
This is easiest to do with 14 AWG or larger wire but smaller sizes will work with smaller tubing and some practice on scrap.
McMaster also has ceramic tubing, more expensive than glass, but very thin wall, I got some 0.125" OD x 0.062" ID.
Actually, any tubing that is of suitable size and is an insulator will work. Rigid Teflon tubing works good too.
I was using a Type 5 CDW; since it auto compensates for capacitor leakage, you can take all the time you want to get things lined up the way you want. This is what this feature is for.
Comment