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With this simple welding machine you can cut thin metals, weld copper wires, and engrave metal surfaces. Other applications can be found without any problems. This mini welding machine can be powered with a voltage of 12-24 V.
Mini welding machine 12 V

The welding machine is based on a high-voltage, high-frequency converter. Built on the principle of a blocking oscillator with deep transformer feedback. The generator generates short-term electrical pulses, repeated at relatively large intervals. The clock frequency is in the range of 10-100 kHz.
The transformation ratio of this circuit will be 1 to 25. This means that if you apply a voltage of 20 V to the circuit, then the output should be about 500 V. This is not entirely true. Since any pulse transformer source or generator without load has powerful high-voltage pulses reaching a voltage of 30,000 V! Therefore, if you disassemble any Chinese pulse charger, you will see a soldered resistor parallel to the output capacitor.This is also a network load; without a resistor, the output capacitor will quickly leak due to excess voltage, or worse, it will explode.
Therefore, attention! The voltage at the transformer output is dangerous to life!

Mini welding machine diagram


Mini welding machine 12 V

Required parts:
  • The transformer is homemade, the manufacturing procedure is described below.
  • Resistors - 0.5-2 W power.
  • The transistor used was FP1016, but it is difficult to find due to its specificity. Can be replaced with transistor 2SB1587, KT825, KT837, KT835 or KT829 by changing the polarity of the power supply. Another transistor with a collector current of 7 A, a collector-emitter voltage of 150 V, and a high gain (composite transistor) is also suitable.

The transistor must have a heat sink installed. Although this is not on the diagram, it would be a good idea to place a filter capacitor in parallel with the source so that all interference from the operation of the blocking generator does not penetrate the source.
Mini welding machine 12 V

Transformer manufacturing


The transformer is wound on a piece of ferrite rod from a radio receiver.
  • The collector winding is 20 turns of 1 mm wire.
  • Base winding - 5 turns with a 0.5-1 mm rein.
  • High-voltage winding - 500 turns with a drive of 0.14-0.25 mm.

All windings are wound in one direction. First is the collector winding, followed by the base winding. This is followed by three layers of white electrical tape insulation. Next, we wind the high-voltage winding, 1 layer of 125 turns, then insulation, then repeat. In total, you should get 4 layers, which is equal to 500 turns. We also insulate the top with white electrical tape in several layers.
Mini welding machine 12 V

Mini welding machine 12 V

Mini welding machine 12 V

Mini welding machine 12 V

Mini welding machine 12 V

Mini welding machine 12 V

Mini welding machine 12 V

Let's put together a diagram. If everything is in order, everything should start without problems. Since the operating frequency of the generator exceeds the sound frequency, you will not hear a squeak during operation, so you should not touch the output of the transformer with your hands.
Mini welding machine 12 V

Start the generator with a voltage of 12 Volts and increase if necessary.
The arc is ignited from a distance of 1 cm, indicating a voltage of 30 kV. The high frequency does not allow the burning arc to break, as a result of which the arc burns very stably. When using a copper electrode in close contact with another electrode, a plasma medium (copper plasma) is formed, resulting in an increase in the temperature of arc welding and cutting.

Welding machine testing by cutting and welding


We cut the razor blade with an arc.
Mini welding machine 12 V

We fuse copper wires up to 1 mm thick.
Mini welding machine 12 V

Thick copper wire was used as an electrode. It is clamped in a wooden match, since dry wood is also a good insulator.
Mini welding machine 12 V

If you liked this small welding machine, then you can make it larger in size and power. But be extremely careful.
Also, to increase power, you can assemble a generator using a push-pull circuit, and even using field-effect transistors, like here - Simple 12V Induction Heater. In this case, the power will be decent.
Also, do not look at the bright arc discharges with the naked eye; use special safety glasses.

Watch a video of making a welding machine using a blocking generator



Author of the homemade video - Artym Kositsyn
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Comments (9)
  1. Alexei
    #1 Alexei Guests 22 November 2017 19:10
    6
    With 315th transistor. Why are you doing this to him?
  2. Alexander.
    #2 Alexander. Guests February 13, 2018 00:26
    0
    It's funny. I’ll come to work, spend a couple of hours (maybe more, it’s just sitting at the computer) and check. As for materials, everything is in stock. Even a couple of dead household radios. Even the notorious FP 1016 (I don’t remember where I soldered them from, but everything that is not “field” is not used at all (as “power”), although it does not go into the trash (it’s easy to throw it away :-).
    Actually - the ratio of turns. Well, it doesn’t work out anyway. But I saw your video (don't believe your eyes). Therefore, first check, then review.
    Why does the transistor indicate a power of 700 watts?! Is everyone reprinting? I'll get a datasheet for it tomorrow - I couldn't find it today. But I’ll look for a blocking generator on a powerful field machine (them too figthe cloud lies idle).
    No, I won’t say anything. I'll try it first...
    Why do I need it? Curiosity.
  3. Him
    #3 Him Guests 20 April 2018 16:12
    1
    It consumes a lot at idle.
  4. Arthur
    #4 Arthur Guests May 8, 2018 00:13
    1
    What kind of transformer is needed for the second option, the one that is more powerful for field workers? Please, I really need it!!!
  5. Arthur
    #5 Arthur Guests May 8, 2018 10:02
    1
    Sorry for the inaccuracy! In the previous article you said that this circuit is more powerful if used for microwelding. So the question is, what should the transformer data be?
  6. th
    #6 th Guests 31 August 2018 15:13
    2
    Assembled on 2SB1587.From 12V it sparks a little, but from 24V the winding starts to smoke.
  7. Ilya
    #7 Ilya Guests October 5, 2018 01:07
    2
    The proposed options for replacing the transistor are full g.., their frequency is 3 MHz, and for a high-frequency arc the author of the video suggested 65 MG - do you feel the difference?
    That is, the author of the article does not know anything about this matter and has not tried it himself.
  8. Guest Sergey
    #8 Guest Sergey Guests January 23, 2019 00:20
    0
    How about using a switching power supply like the one for halogen lamps? You just need to use a minimum of 250W (I couldn’t find a more powerful one in local stores) and rewind the winding a little. There, as a rule, the output contains 5-6 turns, the frequency is also decent, you can experiment...
  9. Guest Sergey
    #9 Guest Sergey Guests 7 June 2021 17:59
    0
    The secondary of the transformer is a thin wire and it should supposedly provide an arc current for melting and welding 1 mm wires. The smoke must come from the transformer itself, because all the power when the arc closes falls on the secondary.
    Transformer with an open core! This means that it works as a generator of high-frequency interference and primarily irradiates the welder himself.
    There are no blocking capacitors, which means that RF interference is emitted by the power wires and goes into the network.

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