How To make A Powered Welding Positioner

[@pbmachines972]

dude I made mine from a sewing machine motor which is 120 volt with a foot pedal I was hoping to keep it a secret but so much for that now I have to show mine off thanks a lot

[@clintsorensen4315]

Here is my $0.20. Make the socket out of delrin. Add a delrin spacer between the motor and your bracket. Then use nylon bolts to fasten it. This way it is isolated from your welder. If you don't do this and you ever forget your ground the amperage will go through that motor and up your ground line. It will smoke the motor. Don't ask how I know this.

[@Thefabforums]

will do

[@77Avadon77]

Lol good advice

[@mikeyork9188]

hi thanks for showing the motor and braket segment ill be putting on my positioner

[@johnkruton9708]

2nd foot pedal while TIG will be like drumming. As a beginner to welding and drumming I can make 5 seconds of a groove and then it falls apart. Like my welds !!! Practice practice practice

[@garyparker2969]

Such Cooolll Stuff Kyle, God Bless All

[@TheMick26]

Hey Kyle. That's the upside to being in the modification business, you can always customize things to suit your needs.👍 My wife does a lot of sewing and I wonder if a sewing machine foot pedal would work for you.😕 They can be had for cheap or sometimes free. Nice positioner, btw. Have a great day, man.

[@Thefabforums]

thanks....gonna have to look around and see what I can find

[@77Avadon77]

@@Thefabforums problem with that is you're going to have one pedal on your TIG and the other pedal on the sowing machine pedal. That's going to be a lot for your brain to be working with. All four limbs going at once, but if you need to control the speed while it's going that might be the only way

[@drewalsup9200]

Thats really cool man, i enjoy small little projects like this. It cool what you can do with a bit of soldering and Chinese electronics, definitely something i would do, the quality of that rotisserie speaks for itself. Nice piece the worm gear drive is awesome

[@Thefabforums]

yeah its a great piece....just need to complete the motor setup in the same fashion

[@vr6swp]

I got one of the Chinese positioners off eBay. Works better than expected, but it turns just a little too fast, even plugged into an outboard speed controller (like for a router). About 1rpm is about as slow as it goes, any lower and it just stops. Planning to dig into it soon and see if there's some gears I can swap out to slow it down to 1/2 or 1/4 RPM

[@Thefabforums]

yeah I have also found when they get real slow they tend to be inconsistent

[@VladekR]

You need no second foot pedal, you need a voice activated smart switch (go, stop, faster, etc.). Ask This Old Tony, he will make you one.

[@delinquentdesign]

Thats what she said...

[@MrMrsregor]

voice activated is not always effective in a nosy work environment

[@VladekR]

@@MrMrsregor sometime need to turn down the music

[@photonashville]

A year has passed yet still no details on the motor and control. What rpm, brand etc. that would be helpful.

[@drunkbus77]

Kyle, thanks for the content. One quick thought, mount your motor to the pivot bolt rather than the top, so you don't lose the range of motion on the positioner table. Should allow for full articulation.

[@JEEP2001MRED]

That's exactly what I did works out good look at my video Jeep 2001 mred

[@alexsails80]

Hi mate. Do you have any videos using the weld positioner? Thanks

[@62420Victor]

Не стол это, а произведение искусства !!!

[@StevenAndrews]

I'd just the foot pedal just as an on/off and use your existing speed control. That'll help you get the puddle started. I might use the foot pedal as a brake now that I think about it... great idea on this though.

[@malcomjones2002]

What’s the out put rpm of the gear box at 12 bolts?

[@hawkie333]

Awesome. Maybe you can build an arm rest/perch for stability and have that also be the motor bracket.

[@mhw2k10]

Its friday fool, and I need that tool

[@WireWeHere]

I'm using a 90V DC motor but now I'm thinking about a stepper motor with easy to use digital stop and go settings to control the size and spacing of your dimes. I like PLC's because I grew up with them but Arduino would be far less costly and could do what's required in a neat little package. KZbinrs like AvE or This Old Tony, mentioned in a comment, come to mind as two of the many who might find this an interesting and useful piece to apply to any positioner. Time to go back and look at This Old Tony's yellow posistioner.

[@Thefabforums]

that would be cool

[@Michaelhood0]

I. Actually waiting for this diy positioner to arrive. Have youvaby reviews on useingnthe actual positioner for jobs? Also have you make and custom fixturing to hold parts to it? I have some ideas

[@miguelrivera3635]

Love it man

[@exhaustsauce]

A year later, hows it running? Lookin to do the same thing

[@fatjonbacja5712]

Hi , can you help, as I'm interested in such a device. if there is any info?

[@MT-rg4dm]

Does the ground clamp hurt the motor?

[@southernswag706]

You can use a sewing machine pedal?

[@justin_parks]

Can't you use a finger trigger instead of 2 foot pedals? Would be hard for me to run 2 pedals at once, but you could probably do it fine

[@lannabulls]

Skillfull hands, rally interesting! Sorry about my rookie question, I don't understand much about electricity. I am building my positioner, my welding table has a section that is my rotary part, practically I cut a circe in the table, the circle is the rotary part, connected trough a shaft to a dc motor controlled by a ccw dimmer switch to reduce speed and turn direction. My tig welder ground clamps into the table. When I am welding, the rotary table turns, electricity obviously runs trough the table and the dc motor, Do Ihave to ground the motor? If yes how? It is a dc motor so 2 wires (L and N). The weld action current can harm, burn the motor? Sorry again for my silly question , I direction don't know much about electricity. Thanks so much for your help!

[@joshualemons3858]

It's been over a year now. What motor did you buy? Post a link... Pretty please

[@chris47190]

Thats awsome

[@patrickbrown3141]

I liked using a foot pedal to start and stop

[@celsoguajardovillarreal]

excelente idea. saludos.

[@douglasthompson2740]

Foot controls on sewing machines run from nothing to full speed. The more industrial models have more robust controls. Just saw on Bangood or Ali under welding grounds a grounding swivel that might be useful in your project. Nice 'conceptionizing'. Take care. Doug

[@kylewest100]

Guy that does 6061 should do this. Pretty sure he has the drill setup. This just seems more idk professional?

[@bayouboattrash]

You need to make some shirts that say WWKD (what would kyle do), with your picture on it. Lol That's a great idea for that piece if equipment.

[@jerryjordan4533]

Sweet

[@BigHayes7771]

Genius defiantly needs a foot pedal

[@JuanGarcia-ob5uh]

Say man, awesome video, could you send the part numbers for the rotisserie, the little motor and speed controller and where bright them from. I'm gonna make me one for my shop. Thanks for sharing knowledge. Be blessed man.

[@CarsBikesandCoffee]

Could you make something that works off your welding pedal? The thought is, does your welding match the movement of the motor? Maybe use the speed control with the pedal in that case.

[@Thefabforums]

I think there are some that do that...not sure I will go through that much trouble though

[@CarsBikesandCoffee]

The Fab Forums right on, great mod though you’ve got already!

[@bobrossi1185]

awesome... i just got the positioner haven put together yet.... whats parts number or links

[@sculptivefab1086]

Need yah a lathe now to make couplers ;)

[@sonnywillier9419]

Did I miss which RPM motor you chose? There are many options from 5 rpm to 800 on Amazon. Can you tell me what RPM you got and if you are happy with the range once it goes through the reduction of the positioner??? This is a great idea, and I want to do it to my positioner kit I ordered to re-center some wheels on.Your videos have been a great inspiration to get my past my shop burn out funk. I'm back in the shop again doing work son!

[@Thefabforums]

I will....let me play with it some more

[@rickwhite3112]

Hey Kyle. Its been a year since this video was posted. I just bought a 12V 16 rpm motor and it seems too slow, even when the controller is at its highest setting. Can you say what size rpm motor you used in the video? @@Thefabforums

[@rickwhite3112]

@@Thefabforums Hey Kyle. Its been a year since this video was posted. I just bought a 12V 16 rpm motor and it seems too slow, even when the controller is at its highest setting. Can you say what size rpm motor you used in the video?

[@ericvee179]

so has everything worked out? link to the motor??

[@Thefabforums]

yeah it works pretty good... i will admit though it could probably be a little better better. I may revisit this at some point

[@themechanicdrredewaan5916]

Hi, did you buy the plates ready cut as a kit or did you have it cut? Are there drawings available?

[@Thefabforums]

you can buy it as a complete precut kit...link in the description

[@WelcomeToTheMadness]

Well that looks like it should make a lot of things easier.

[@Thefabforums]

yeah im stoked to get it sorted and use it when doing vband flanges

[@ACELABUTSA]

Doesn't the motor have to completely independent from the metal on the positioner due to the electricity from the welding screwing with the motor... Thought whats why these things cost so much. Anyway nice build if this works well i am going to build one my self.

[@Thefabforums]

not sure....drill works with no issues

[@melgross]

The drill is battery powered, and double insulated. All fine when all is well.

[@frankm8533]

Nice!!!

[@amha4383]

Nice Things you build!! Are your Steel cut with Laser or Plasma.....it looks like Laser. Greets from Austria (Salzburg)

[@Thefabforums]

yeah these are cut by laser.... Nice Salzburg, I am pretty sure I was near there when I came over a few months back

[@KAWABAGGER06]

link to gear reduction /motor/ controller assembly

[@Thefabforums]

let me play with it some and make sure it works well before I supply links

[@turboman351w3]

fab i notice something, you don't have a 3D printer, like jay leno.

[@Thefabforums]

yeah....soon

[@thomasballew7876]

get you a foot pedal for tattoo machines. small and would be easy to operate

[@ccfmfg]

You should sell the weld positioner as a kit.

[@Thefabforums]

it is for sale as a kit...link in the description

[@tonykozak2407]

Can i ask where did you buy the controller and motor. I have the same postioner.

[@Thefabforums]

I got it on amazon....let make sure its all gonna work well before I give out links

[@bakkencutter189]

Make it voice activated. That way u dont have to juggle 2 foot pedals

[@Thefabforums]

lol ... "Alexa turn on the positioner"

[@bakkencutter189]

@@Thefabforums exactly lol

[@rafatrill]

just add thin shimes

[@travisschulz6342]

What ever happened with this project ?

[@Thefabforums]

still have it

[@travisschulz6342]

@@Thefabforums have you used it at all on any projects ? I just built one myself but am having trouble getting the right worm gear deal . The first one turned too slow and the next 2 I’ve tried don’t have enough tq to turn it . What was the part # you used if you don’t mind saying