How to spot weld. spot welders, New vs old!! Future plans!!

playing around with a new spot welder I bought and dug out a old spot welder and got it up and working. want these spot welders for some future projects and can make the work a lot easier

[@dans_Learning_Curve]

Door skin spotting is what I learned today! The extra plate on the outside is brilliant!

[@KiwiStag74]

I've seen the little (modern) one in use, but that big old beast looks just the ticket for most things anyone would ever want to spot weld. Looks a lot more versatile - and talk about quick! Loved the finish it gave too....and you're right - the spot welds look way more factory and original than a smooth surface. Glad I am not the only one who goes looking for them on vehicles I am interested in! The old unit reminds me of an arc (ark? haha) welder my Dad had many years ago. It was old when he bought it back in the 80s and she hummed like a substation when he flicked the switch on the transformer (the 'old school' version of the modern inline RCD units that take the hit and cut the power in an overload or short circuit scenario). It could happily weld quarter and three-eighth inch plate and although it was on a dedicated trolley, she wasn't something you moved without thinking hard about whether you really HAD to. Damn thing weighed a good 120kg easy, I reckon. Did its job well for many years, that thing. Dad built a boat trailer with it for a mate of his who owned a 32' Pelin Topaz. He used a mix of three-eighth inch angle iron, C-channel and I-beam to do it. This trailer was the bane of my existence when I mowed our lawn, because his mate sold the boat (without telling Dad, who was still working on the trailer for it) and then went overseas for several years....so it got put out to pasture so to speak. It was the cause of many bruised shins, orange-tinged sheets (when I pushed it too close to the washing line) and caused our neighbour to have to take a trip to the local A&E unit to get stitches after a number of cold brews with the old man one night. In the pitch-black darkness of winter, he forgot it was parked between the garage and his gate in the fence and he went face first over the rear of it....but it could have been a lot worse - and just made my job of mowing the lawn harder because there was one less place I could park it! It was finally sold after 8 years sitting in various places around the lawn and as testament to the quality of the welding, it was towed all the way to its new home - some 120 miles away over winding hills in the country. Anyway, thanks for showing us those spot welders, Tony. I know of a few places on one of my vehicles where either one of them would be useful. Might have to look into that..... All the best!

[@garymccord4277]

I worked to repair rust and quickie paint jobs to make a living in the 80"s and bought a Lenco spot welder and made me a lot of money repairing rust but it was hard work and the handles of the welder got so hot you needed heavy welder gloves to use. The sound made good memories. and I still have the welder.

[@magnusatheos7301]

Man I've watched a lot of welding and fabrication videos, and while I've learned something from all of them I find this channel and these videos the best.

[@jim21804]

My brothers and I bought a Lenco Mark II years ago to repair rust on our cars in the 70’s. I still have it. We would put a line of welds in a patch panel. Then I would use a propane torch and melt lead solder on the edge. It would soak in the solder just like soldering a copper pipe. It would seal the joints between the welds to keep moisture from getting in from behind and popping the bondo off the patched panel.

[@aquarius9909]

Another great video. Keep it up your excellent work. Some tips to improve the quality and make professional spot welds with the ProPoint machine. For 18 gauge ( 1.2mm ) mild steel or stainless sheet metal the recommended electrode tip diameter is 0.216 in ( 5.5mm ) and has to be perfect flat, not rounded, with smooth surface and clean. To make good quality spot welds you have to make the welding electrodes to be COAXIAL to each other when the 2 metal sheets are between the electrodes & the proper clamping force is applied. To achieve this setting the factory supplied upper tong end has to be bent more until the 2 mounted electrodes get coaxial. It is obvious that for every thickness of sheet metal you will have to use different diameter / length welding tips & set up their alignment individually. Using copper spacers between the welding tips and tongs makes this setting easier. Sparking is not normal and could be dangerous ( proper protective gear is a must ). During welding it is not allowed angling of the clamped materials, The welded materials must have smooth surfaces in the welded areas, to be clean, free of paint , rust, grease, etc.....I recommend to make sample welds first , twist and peel test them using a wise and pliers and check if the proper welding nugget is formed between the electrodes. The goal in resistance spot welding is to melt the 2 or more sheet metals placed between the two electrodes and fuse them together. If the heat is generated between the two mating surfaces of the welding tips and sheet metals, due to dirt, oxidation, rust, rough finish, no proper welding nugget will be generated. On a good quality spot weld the sheet metal mating surface with the tip has very little discoloration from heat and should remain flat. It is important also to use dielectric grease on the welding tip’s thread, otherwise it can fuse to the arm due to the very high welding current. Adding a timer is also a must for good quality spot welds. There are timers with welding time compensation. These are monitoring the welding current and adjusting the welding time accordingly. I managed to spot weld aluminium sheets too with my 220V ProPoint.

[@redlight3932]

Ur a honest guy and make videos that are very clear and to the point thank you for your work fitz!

[@bigsquatchsasfoot1964]

Ha ha rolls canhardly bless you Fitzee my dear old dad used to say that brought back some great memories. Super video my friend really enjoyed it , im teaching myself to weld at the moment and I’m also in the market for a few different welding devices so this was truly a gold video for me thanks dude 👍

[@David_Walker16-3-51]

Rolls-Cunardly, my dad’s favourite brand. He never bought one as we lived on top of a hill, but that is probably a good thing as I hear they suffered from poor rocker panel integrity.

[@fixinstuff9662]

I've been using a stud welder for metal shrinking, and all this time, they have spot welders with an actual setting for it. I learned something today.

[@bother1844]

Sir, you are the best maestro I have seen teach in years. Thank you for your insight. I have been a bodyman for over 45 years, Your work is very impressive.

[@davidfuller1993]

Nice to see the Porta Spot 2001! I bought one just before Covid hit for doing panels on a project car I am working on. By the time I get around to using it I will have to get reacquainted with using it. When I first brought it home I spent quite a bit of time trying different heat settings and times until I got spot welds that consistently held and would tear when testing their strength.

[@jimhorgan3995]

I am going to go get one today. I started thinking about how many times I would use it on my restoration after you gave some ideas that it became a no brainer. Thanks for the tips, your the best. Oh, thanks for bringing up the need for a 220 extension cord, that has pushed me toward the 110 model.

[@leonardgilbreath9004]

I was trying to figure out how to weld the door skins on with out mig welding em to look factory and you showing how to do it with the plate will solve the problem just wish I could find a spot welder like you're old one that would be the ticket thumbs up 👍.

[@johnbarker5009]

I'd never really considered it before, but lap welding with an offset on both pieces provides exactly the same sort of strengthening as bead rolling...factory style and hiding in plain sight. Everyone knows factory panels normally have some contours stamped into them for stiffening, but you can see how the panels you spot welded together have good stiffness along the length of the joint.

[@bradwickensimer8283]

Got that same spot welder from the shop I worked in back in the 80's.still works very well..can be used to shrink too.good old tool to have.

[@Ed70Nova427]

Try to think about the name on the large welder. It is resistance welding. With the smaller welder, try applying light pressure when you hit the switch and then more pressure at the end and then release the switch. The heat will come from the resistance from the poor connection when starting and then the added pressure at the end will squeeze the metal that has melted together. I have a 110V and that seems to work real good for me. Also on the smaller welder, lets say you want to weld your tool box draws back together. You can scratch tiny spots in the paint on the front of the draw (like 4 spots)and use a sharp tip to make contact inside that spot on the metal. Then sand the back side of the front portion of the painted draw so there is no paint. Sand the metal on both sides of the folded side wall side so that there is no paint between the two panels and no paint on the inside of the folded wall. Then use a fatter tip on the inside so no matter where the sharper tip on the front side is located, it will hit someplace inside the area of the fatter tip on the inside of the draw. Then apply a small amount of pressure and press the switch. When you see the paint change color on the front, give more pressure and release the switch. You can reweld this way and not do so much damage to the paint on your box. My box is a Snap-On and they refused to repair or replace the draw, so this is how I fixed it. Another great video Fitzee, thank you for spending the time to show us. EDIT: I didn't know spot welds can be made without the two welding contacts being directly across from each other pressing the two pieces together. Holding those two welding tips next to each other and having it work really surprised me. Sometimes you think you know, and then someone comes along and changes everything. Thanks again Fitzee!

[@Roboticgladiator]

Thank you for your videos. Some of the tips I've learned on your channel have been very helpful when dealing with problems with my own restoration project.

[@mikedimaio1237]

Great tips as always, looking forward to more Crusty videos.

[@Jim_M_75]

That welder is brilliant, the speed you can knock out spots once everything is place and setup is outstanding. The amount of time you will save doing full floor pans is huge. Loved the tip for spotting door skins Tony, thankyou very much.

[@JimsFastbackGarage]

Great video once again, I think a friend has one of these smaller spot welders and I can now have an idea how to use it. Thanks for the classroom type lab, I definitely learn more from this type of education. 👍

[@karlrussell6765]

I use these machines but a larger version daily at work. As stated below the correct way to weld using your big machine is to still have the electrodes on opposite sides of the metal being welded. It still works in the way you are doing it but it isn't as strong. Also make sure you go from one end to the other. Don't tack each end and work your way to the middle. If you do that you might end up with a pucker that only gets worse the closer you get to the center. One end to the other walks the excess material out the other end.

[@mattthescrapwhisperer]

Nice! That old school machine is awesome. I have the 110V version of your Princess Auto model; not enough power. Would love to find a vintage spot welder. Can't wait to see the results on Crusty!

[@deanm4138]

Very cool video Tony, that clamp style spot welder I’ve used in high school shop classes but that older one is way cool and looks like it would make quick work of crusty’s floors . The tips are always great

[@cliffwill]

there are very few youtube videos on the old two-hand spot welders. this is gold.

[@mikelknight799]

Thanks for that demo. I 'awhile back I bought one of those old pinch type spot welder. (weights abut 150 lbs). Been eying one of those old spot boxes but really wasn't sure they they would work as advertised. But now I'm defiantly getting one. like you said the time it saves drilling spot welds, filling them with mig welder and so on. Thanks again for the demo.

[@terrencebuller7676]

Great video, Fitzee, a lot to be said for old-school machines. I have a 1964 300 amp Hobart, my father bought brand new. I am still using it today. Thanks for the lnfo and tips. Take care 👍

[@malcolmgeorge]

I have the Harbor Freight 110 unit. Had to upgrade to a 30 amp breaker and 10 gauge cord to use it. Now it works well. Put a roof on a '72 Cutlass with it.

[@larryryan2973]

I own that same porta spot.bought it in 78.amazing tool that paid for itself many times over

[@jodaddysdodgegarage3533]

You gotta love this dude! You always learn something new with him! I just picked up an old Miller Lectro spot for rockers….

[@claytondewey3367]

Awesome video. It's great the way you show how the two welders actually work.

[@buckeyejim2989]

I used spot welders like those in 80s, n bought em both by the early 90s. My tong welder is twice the weight of that one. Life changed and I got away from sheet metal fab work. Sometimes it was easier to clamp the ground off on that oldie, n do a spot at a time. Old tin snips got two pieces of steel welded in jaws to step metal in short steps. Never did a floor job but did do a rocker on a 55 chev 😁👍 Wasn't a prob putting three layers together when ground lead was pressed towards triggered lead. You're going to use these quite a bit.👍 Thanks for sharing Fitzee

[@josephgallik2345]

Love the old one. My .02 you already have you extension cord either of two ways. 1) Add a receptacle outlet box onto the case of the old one wiring to the contactor in that machine or 2) cut the cord near the old machine an add a plug to the old machine and a receptacle outlet to the cord.

[@fitzeesfabrications]

Plan is for number 2

[@gshort4707]

Very interesting. I didn't realise spot welding could be done from a single side, I've only seen those clamp type before. I guess the biggest issue doing floor pans is keeping the sheets clamped together. You could use Clecos but that would defeat the reason for using the spot welder.

[@elkoposo686]

Clecos are temporary, the welds permanent. Alignment and maintaining a firm grip with Clecos, whilst the primary 'spot welds' are applied, seems a legitimate method to me. I guess particular installations require particular methods, like when larger pieces are to be installed, or multiple pieces are to be installed and correct/good alignment, is a priority.

[@gshort4707]

@@elkoposo686 but then you have to weld the holes up after and grind back. Not saving much time and effort over plug welds.

[@ronaldwatterly7747]

I've used one of those old ones often back in the day We used them to put patches on then we would braze around the edge

[@retiredtruckersgarage.7606]

another very educational video from you bud,your channel must be the one to go to for diy restorers.

[@kenwalters2315]

Hey thanks for you're reply Matt, & so fast too, cheers mate, hopefully fitzee see,s these comments on here, & he will do a follow up video of the inside of this old girl,, the old saying over here is just because it's new doesn't mean it is better, the old stuff is simple & more reliable, cheers again Matt.

[@drumrd]

Fitzee, you're just awesome! Really enjoyed this! Thanks!

[@garymallard4699]

you can hold the leads on both sides to pinch weld it like the Pro Point style ( or Classic Pinch type spot welder ).. line up your leads to one spot weld... where you can reach both sides...

[@number1trucker]

I love the out takes.

[@andrewszerbiak7330]

This is an awesome video! I had to do some rewelding of old vintage mags that broke and this type of spot welder looks it will work fabulously for my needs! Thanks for the tutorial video!

[@4speed3pedals]

Thanks for breaking out the old spotwelder. I have never seen one llike this. IMHO, I would rather have the old spot welder than 4 of the new ones. It can go where the other Chinese product cannot.

[@merykjenkins3274]

I would be really interested to see how far apart you could have the electrodes on the spot welder. Could you even clamp one to the chassis and just use the other one to spot weld? 🤔. Thanks for the video Tony - great out- takes too!

[@dayslife]

You sure can modify and make one nice extension cord with that existing one to use for both units . Great tips once again Tony , thanks for sharing.

[@johnwkolbjr.9605]

Keep the videos coming, love the content keeps my grounded with all the uncertainties in the world today !!!!!

[@rickolson9011]

Really neat to see how you figure out a new machine, why you grind the tips and so on!

[@joepacheco4038]

My only comment about this video is that it was spot on !! Take care Tony

[@DougsMessyGarage]

I recently picked up one of the Harbor Freight spot welders. I haven't fired it up yet but I am looking forward to giving it a try.

[@lennym1273]

They sell a tool that not only punches holes but on the other side of the head it will off set the metal just like you did with the metal breaker but do it uniformly I "think" it's called a pneumatic hole punch, I used one on all the panels I would spot weld with one of those "old time" spot welders, made my job A LOT faster and easier, enjoy it you will love it and say to your self "how did I ever do with out one" lol...

[@guillermonieri4203]

Extremely interesting & helpful. Thank you.

[@gerrycomfort7027]

This man is good so much,BRANE I WOULD THINK SOMEONE WOULD, NOT HAVE IT, i LOVE THIS BRAIN TO MY ONE.man he is good, I LOVES THIS GUY.YOUR THE MANS,

[@richardpratt4310]

45+years ago I had a120 volt clamp type, I think I only used it twice. I still had a torch and brazing patches ,no mig for another20 years .I was not doing anywhere near the kind of repairs and builds you do..sure are fun to watch,gets me up and out there and I thank you for that.

[@mijyadoc5374]

Thanks Fitzee.... very much appreciated.

[@LorneKelly]

Thanks Fitzee...as usual you are right on time for what I need to know, I will modify the contact points on my propoint welder that I have had around for a while now. I use a 220v extension cord that I bought at Princess Auto..I have had it in use with my 220v mig welder to get anywhere in the shop. (just cut some of the cord from the old guy and put plugs on it)

[@HubertusSchaper]

Hi, Fitzee great and informative spot welding video greetings.HCS have a great Easter holiday.🍀☮🇺🇸🙏

[@elkoposo686]

With all due respect, resistance welding is a technical process and watching a single video by Fitzee probably isn't the best way of learning just what actually happens during the weld process. There are many good skills videos on YT and elsewhere, that tutor the actual process and best case scenarios and requirements for this method of welding. I would urge all to give sometime to learning these processes and requirements to achieve your best, strongest and safest welds. Knowledge is useful, applied knowledge is powerful. Don't get me wrong, I love Fitzee's presentations and I have learnt a great amount from his techniques and experience, for which I am grateful. Looking forwards to more inspiring content, Sir! Onwards...

[@grahamsmith5252]

I have the Princess Auto 110V spot welder but have almost never used it. Very timely video as I have a rocker panel repair to do that it will be just perfect for now that I know how to properly set it up !

[@darico8437]

I always wanted to know how to used a spot welder properly. Now I know. Thanks for the tips as well Tony. Another lesson well done.

[@larrymccollum917]

Awesome video! Good info, thanks for making it!

[@papawheelie5835]

Cool demonstration, Fitzee! I learned a lot today, thank you!

[@jasontaylor3046]

Back at it with another one....I love that part

[@thegarageetc]

awesome tips, you can use the same tip for the door skin welding to weld sheets of aluminum together

[@funfactor5]

I have used it to shrink sheet metal as well. Same principle as using a torch to create a rose bud and of hot metal and then knock it down with ball hammer then use a planishing hammer and dolly. Only good if you have access to the back for the final steps. You use the lighter amperage because of the single thick ness and it’s a lot easier if a second person has the hammer poised and ready!

[@calvinmientke3539]

A coiled, high current, long power cord will act as a transformer. It causes problems with starting an arc and slow starting high power motors. Spread the cord out for smoother equipment operation.

[@robertsomerville320]

Awesome video Fitzee ! I really like that old spot welder, looks like it will really ease the amount of work on the floor panels and such. Bet that's a lot of fun to use after mig welding plugs for a long time. I look forward to the Crusty floor panels video(s) as we do a lot of them here in Manitoba. Cheers!

[@labrd41]

T'was a good class today.

[@stewartalbert3523]

The series welds that you made when made, with commercial spot welders have a copper plate backup. The current goes through the metal into the copper then through metal back to the electrode

[@tobygathergood4990]

Rolls C'nardly...I haven't heard that one in many a year 😆😆 You can get fusion welder that have interchangeable electrode of different lengths and shapes. If both of those welding arms are replaceable on the princess welder, you could make your own arms out of copper rod...Great demo Fitzee!

[@robertlamontagne2547]

Use a piece of refractory for heat sink I used that it worked great for me still learning from your show thank you

[@carlpenney901]

I think you can't beat the old ones because they are built to last (heavy duty) better copper in the coils and it has a timer.

[@paulerickson1906]

The only downside is the lack of rust preventative coating between the welded seam. Even with MIG welding there will be some damage to the rust paint coating between the seam's panels.

[@johnwdferguson3149]

Zinc coating is weld through with those machines.

[@kenwalters2315]

When you mig weld the temp is around 2700c or f, can't quite remember, the degrees, but zinc weld though primer melts & goes to a liquid at that temp, where as copper weld though primer melts at 4700 degrees, so copper weld though primer is a better option, & a better conductor for resistance welding, but is dearer, just a thought guys.

[@3xzena]

Great video Fitzee. I have an old Lenco panel spotter 3000 that I picked up on craigslist a few years ago for $200. Works great if you have clean metal and no gaps. It will scare you a bit when you hit a gap though.

[@johnkranz4004]

Very interesting Fitzee The 2001 is Neat old tool Thanks for the information

[@jrmrencso8716]

Great video Tony, time to go out and buy a new tool!

[@deanvigna7519]

Very nice to have that old machine. Quick tip, use anti sieze on your tips when you screw them in. I have a 110 Miller and after about 40 or 50 welds they get pretty hot then when they cool down and you need to change tips they gall the threads in the tongs and you will need to replace them. Ask me how I know. Haha. Since antisieze haven’t had a problem.

[@konradweniger3141]

The tip small holes for the dent puller pins large hole was. For threaded bolts for like removable panels like door panel that push one mine also made a pencil sharper that you just put on and turned a few time for clean shaped tip. We used to sell car at the actions that needs rut fixed the old would weld paint thinner can metal to door skin that almost didn't need thinner before primer and paint used car got what you pad forr.

[@darwinfoster7420]

I made this out of an old syick welder works great .

[@martysheets6882]

Again another video by the Master, Thanks Fitzees.

[@gordonstarship]

Can't wait to see the floor build on Crusty..

[@johnds6621]

great video I learned a lot today thanks.

[@dans_Learning_Curve]

I stuck around! Didn't know the two lead spot welder existed. Would like to know more about the shrinking feature. I've done stud welding.

[@harrytaylor6854]

crusty is going to look great with that spot welder very interesting video thank you where the cat lol

[@jarekdudzio]

I worked for Jaguar Landrower in UK. We used spot welder with flat tips. They has about 5mm flat part

[@morgansword]

I wish I was there first of all.... Tony, the first welder showed the points of heat from either side where this is side by side. I hope not to confuse you or sound so stupid that you remember me an just pass me off. I see a kinda dream idea i guess as i see one man under an one in the rig with a very tiny hole drilled through to make the two spots line up and then weld along a seam...would that work? Or say you have your tags to hold the metal in a spot wanted as a floor pan to the crimp seam... just going slow and steady... think it might do a decent weld??? Hey, I am a crippled seventy three year old man who did like stick welds back in days long gone. I will never even get to drive again... those things that I miss terrible.. is it one that you just have to try for yourself an it might work for me an never come close for anyone else... Just some damn old man who shouldn't be bothering you. I sure miss those days as I started in the late fifties... never ever really great at anything of high notice but I never stopped trying

[@jjtrucker5950]

Wonder what the duty cycle might be on that old machine, maybe part of the difference in penetration on your test piece? Well Fitz, I am now envious once again and want one of those old machines lol. I have the 110 volt harbor freight version and have used it several times . My 110 volt doesn't like wide tips, seems to make stronger welds with new narrow tips. Even then it's not that great . The short cord sucks, and it's difficult or even impossible to use on the car in most cases. . I bought mine mainly to weld the rockers together , it worked good attaching the floor pan lip to the rocker panel but wasn't much good for anything else. Thanks for the door skin tip , I doubt if my 110 version has enough power, but your 220 seems good. That old machine seems like it will be a huge time saver once it's dialed in all the way.

[@avid6186]

The name plate he showed in the video said 50% duty cycle. For a normal welder that means 5 minutes use out of 10 minutes. Don't know if it's the same for a spot welder but would assume it is? If that is the case he was nowhere near its limit. That would only apply in a production type set up.

[@stevenzagony6187]

Great video! learned a lot.

[@swallowinn4410]

Hello Fitzie I enjoyed seeing the old spot welder brought back to use. You also found a good way to use and replace consumable tips. You asked about questions. I noticed you kept the spacing between the ground and electrode quite close. Will the unit work if you keep the ground In a fixed location and run the seam just relocating the electrode? If yes, do you have to adjust the power or time as the electrode is further from the ground point? I have a project that I was wanting to use this method of attachment, space is very restrictive and just moving the one probe would be very helpful for the repair. Thanks.

[@bobnorman4730]

Just a thought... Looks like you were getting slightly better penetration with the old solid brass tip than the new one on the last panel, that is - every second weld was better than the one next to it. Would you use these like the Propoint (front and back) on a rocker? Also, how far apart can you use these, do they have to be close together? Seems really handy to have a spot welder that doesn't require you to have access to the back. I'd love to find one!

[@Patrick-c8x]

Years ago l bought a Lenco Mark ll spot welder from a closing body shop for $300 (identical to your orange one) years later sold it for $400 -- now they go for $1200+ ! I was a fool to sell it ☹️

[@380.motorsports]

Rather than the steel plate for door edge welds could you make a little cup piece out of steel with a flat steel bottom that fit over your one electrode and provided that shield for the outside door skin? Might be easier than trying to clamp a plate on uneven door edges.

[@MATTYANDSMOKE]

I got a portaspot 2001 also bud. 💘 it. Gr8 video fitzee, learning lots. Princess auto right now has #220 volt weld extension on sale. Grabbing one tomorrow. Have a gr8 weekend fitzee.

[@fitzeesfabrications]

Too cool. You know any info on yours? Any history?

[@MATTYANDSMOKE]

@@fitzeesfabrications yes chum. The company has since moved to Montreal. I'll see if i can find the phone # in my cabinet. I had mine given to me. I had to get the circuit board replaced, but the lad looked like Michael Clark Duncan who fixed it gave me 2 new tips for it.btw for 20 guage steel i set at 70 amps lft dial.and 2.0 seconds right dial.

[@jonathanbrogdon9067]

I got a small miller one and use it alot now the 2001 one you got there id love to have it!

[@BrucePierson]

A lot of equipment is made in a a factory in China that makes the same product for multiple outlets. They just make them different colors with different names on them. I have an Ozito Chainsaw and a GMC chainsaw and they they are identical, other than the different color of the plastic and the name. I even used Ozito parts to rebuild the GMC saw. No doubt there are a lot of other examples.

[@chrisprice4420]

My preference would be the old welder. Much better adjustability. One question though, will the old spot welder weld 1/8 to 1/8 sheet metal?

[@waltthomas-s2d]

Very informative for me. Thank you. Have you heard of or used "Preheat"? Example a 50 millesecond pulse followed by a short no current interval e.g. 50 milliseconds, then the actual spotweld time, as in your "30"setting? This is supposed to make a better weld "nugget". Perhaps the "improvement is not worth the effort for your applications? (more electronics=$) I love your accent. Reminds me of NewFoundland. (When the end comes; may you be in heaven an hour, half an our in NFL, before the devil knows you're dead!) Cheers, enjoy while you can.

[@heinrichschmitt5252]

Great information. I really appreciate your content.

[@edmondpower5722]

Absolutely excellent video

[@bruceperron3796]

I use a Miller spot welder about the size of the one you're using,works great.

[@bruceperron3796]

I also have a Lenco panelspotter,I only use that for the pull washer attachment though.

[@melgross]

You really need a timer. Generally, thin sheet requires times that are less than a second. Sometimes, with thin gauge, less than a half second, or less. It’s impossible to consistently hold that switch down repeatably. I find that a tenth of a second one way or the other, on thinner work, makes a big difference. Spot welds should never show spattered metal. If it does, the time is too long. A photo timer with tenth seconds works well if the output is connected to a heavy duty relay, say a 50 amp solid state relay. The timer controls the relay activation input and the input to the contact is connected to the wall. For 220 you can get a dual channel solid state relay. Or you can go old school and use a mechanical relay.

[@simplyconnected]

Current flowing through the steel's resistance creates the weld. Too loose or too tight will NOT make a weld. Electrode surface area directs the current. You could have one flat electrode and one conical instead of using the third piece of steel. The ONLY way to know if a spot is a good weld is by destroying it, which is why they put so many welds in at the factory. They expect a percentage of 'bad welds' due to dirt, draw compound, etc. Welding aluminum requires A LOT of current for a short duration because resistance is so low. The name of the game is, squeeze, weld, hold. Factory welds are normally 1/4" which is WAY larger than your toy welder. Steel wheels have 1/2" - 3/4" welds made by pulsating current (squeeze, weld, hold, weld. hold) 'Hold' is always a wait time. Let go too soon and the weld simply pulls apart. Factory welders (electrodes and transformers) are water-cooled. When you pull your welds apart, let's see the actual size of the weld you made. Let's see the 'button' you made.