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Welding with 2 batteries really works

bajaviking

bajaviking

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A couple of months ago I bought cables, electrodes and welding glass to carry in my truck. This weekend I went wheeling and finally got a chance to test my trail welding skills. The steering on my friends Yota broke and we got the 2 batteries hooked up to the cables and I welded the broken tierodbar back together, I welded some old bolts to the side of the area that was broken to add some strenght to it, plenty of amps and surprisingly easy to work with. This is really an easy and cheap way to carry a welder on the trail.
 
How long do you think the current would last, assuming a pair of decent batteries? Can you do this with the truck running? (using the alternator)
 
I don't know how long 2 batteries will last, I made about 5 welds about 1 inch long each and after I finished welding we put the batteries back into the trucks and both had plenty cranking power left to start the trucks again. You can not do this with the alternator and you will have to disconnect the negative from the battery on the vehicle that you will be welding on.

The 2 batteries should be connected as follows:

Ground cable to negative on one battery, the positive from this same battery goes to the negative on the #2 battery and finally the positive on the #2 battery is connected to the electrode.
 
yep it works good. Just kind of hard to do using 3 pairs of sunglasses (forgot a welding helmet) :D
He ripped his ram mount off the axle.
100_0661.sized.jpg
 
Go to a welding supply shop and pick up a set of welding cables, one for the ground and another cable with the handle that holds the electrode. Besides that you will need another short piece of cable with a battery terminal on each end to connect the 2 batteries, some electrodes and remember the dark glass so that you can see what you are welding. For my trail fix I just taped the glass to a piece of cardboard :doah:
 
2 batteries is doable but 3 batteries is the ticket if you need some penetration. We had to weld a D44 axletube that slightly spun in the pumpkin together one time an 2 batteries just couldn't get enough to get it done. With 3 batteries though it sizzled nicely.

For lighter stuff 2 may be fine but for the heavy duty stuff more power is the ticket.

Harley
 
How come you can't use the alternator? Not enough voltage? I know you can weld nicely w/ 80 amps. Just curious.
 
What great ideas!

This is a great site! I can learn so much just reading the threads. Thank all of you for the great tips and info!!
 
If you used the alternator that charges your battery you would do some wicked damage to your electrical system. You can however mount up a 2nd alternator that is not connected to the electrical system and convert it to use as a welder. There is a few theads around here and alot of info on this over at Pirate4x4.com

Harley
 
Many moons ago, I welded a fender back on our flat tracker, using coat hangers for electrodes and jumper cables and one battery.
 
I have used this methed before, and it works! I made cables out of 0/1 gauge with the jumper haveing Batt. ends on it, and then a good ground clamp and stinger (electrode holder) It worked good, but now I have a Readywelder :D :bow: :bow: :bow: :bow: Man that thing works good, and it was only $390 with free shiping from Vulcan Perfomance.
I have welded as long a 15min. (of actual welding time) the old way with 2 regular old batt.s and they still had plenty of juce to start up the truck.
And yes, it's the voltage, U need atleast 24V to get anything done, that's why U cant do it with just 1 batt. and the stock alt.
 
omg...... i cannot believe..

welding with car batteries.. lol!

have i heard them all yet ??


lol

what if you dont have a welding shop near you ?

are you screwed ?

how do you make cables ?

i need to make cables!! lol

damn

what rod you use to weld.. say.. something like frame rail thickness steel ??

what kind size and all that ?

this is cool as hell! lol!

i had no idea..
thats just FREAKIN cool !

maybe i will learn to weld after all haha!

0 guage cables you said?

like just regular old stranded copper ones ?

large strand or small strand or ?

pics anywhere of homemade cables anyone ??


thanks!
 
Zzzzzooooaaauiugghhtt!!

I've seen guys weld broken stuff with nothing more than a good heavy duty pair of jumper cables and a battery or two many times off road,or in a place where electricity wasn't available...

I did a google search and looking under "homemade generators",I found several websites that show how to mount an altenator to a mower engine for use as a generator,by using an inverter to convert the 12V to 110V AC!...also saw one guy's home built welder,using a mopar 100 amp altenator mounted on his riding mower's engine-(a ride on welder! :laugh: :bow: )-and he used the mower engines altenator to supply the "excitation" for the field in the mopar altenator...It showed some of the welds he did,they look very impressive!--they say the altenator welders work so well because they produce a high frequency current similar to TIG machines,rather than just melting stuff together with brute amperage...

I have my doubts as to how long the altenators will last though...if you can blow the diodes by shorting a positive cable to ground in your vehicle,isn't trying to weld with it doing the same thing??...Some of the home brew rigs used heavy duty rectifiers instead of the stock diode trio..I can see that working,but just using a stock altenator,it must not last very long...

The same site shows how to make common induction motors off washing machines into generators!--all you have to do is add some capacitors,run the motor slightly faster than its rated speed with a gas engine,and you can get 110V AC from the cord you normally plug into the outlet!.. :eek1: :screwy: :saweet:
 
We tried this for the first time last October. We used 2-3 batteries and 2 sets of jumber cables. No one had any electrodes so we used a 1/4" piece of all-thread. Lets just say, make sure you have electrodes. The all-thread seemed to weld fine, but the weld broke almost as soon as some pressure was applied. :haha:
 
Years ago I polled three ML's about what rod to carry. the winner, by a small margin, was 7014
7018 was the very close second.
Size?

Huntsman makes or made a soft leather 'beanie' hood that drapes over a baseball cap. Gives full face coverage and folds up nice and small. I've only seen one and I've not yet found any to buy.
 
I used alot of 6011, 1/8" and 1/0 gauge welding cable for all the cables. I'm still driving the frame I welded back together with this set up 4 years ago :laugh: and it has not craked yet ;)
 
Only thing i've heard that i HAVENT read here.. is that you want to use a couple pairs of jumper cables to get as far away from the batteries as possible... and also get a blanket to throw over the batteries.. just in case they blow up. :eek1:
 
U have a good point there! I have never seen it happen, but I HAVE talked with people who HAVE had it happen :eek1:
So let's keep it safe out there people! Batterys DO explode so be prepaired :doah:
Not to say they WILL, but it can happen.
 
Wabout? <-- spl intentional!

I just got an 82 K5 with duel batteries. To solve the alternator problem you could go to summitracing.com and get two Painless Wiring Quick Disconnect Alternator Leads - Part# PRF-40110 at $17.95 apiece. Intall one in your K5 and connect the tail end of the second to your welder. When you are ready to weld disconnect the alternator from the vehicles electrical system so you dont harm it and plug in the welder. After your done plug your vehicle back in and recharge the batteries. Wabout that? P.S. Im sure someone could fab those disconnects for cheaper if inspired to do so!
 
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