Few people know, but from an ordinary salt battery and a 15-20 A DC source, you can make a cheap analogue of TIG welding. With which you can weld thin metal with filler wire, weld strands of wires, and solder holes. If we take specific examples, it is quite possible to carry out high-quality repairs of a torn bicycle fender, a broken motorcycle muffler, weld holes in a saucepan and repair similar defects.
Will need
- steel circle with a diameter of 25 mm and a length of about 30 cm;
- Bulgarian;
- lathe;
- thread cutting tool;
- M4 screw with washer;
- M6 bolt with nut and 2 washers;
- wire with a cross section of 16 mm2 – 50 cm;
- wire end – 2 pcs;
- used salt batteries.
Welding electrodes and wire on AliExpress at a discount - http://alii.pub/606j2h
Welding holder manufacturing process
Using a grinder, cut off a 30-35 cm steel circle. We measure 10 cm from one end of the circle, and grind this section on a lathe to a diameter of 10-15 mm. We will make a holder from this part.
From the side of the wide end we drill a hole with a diameter of 3.3 mm and a depth of 1 cm on a lathe. From the side of the narrow end we drill a hole with a diameter of 4 mm and a depth of 1 cm.
In a hole with a diameter of 3.3 mm we cut an M4 thread. We take a wire with a cross section of about 16 mm2. We clean both ends and attach the end caps. Using a screw and washer, fasten one end of the wire to the hole in the circle where the thread is cut. Tighten the screw well.
We connect an M6 bolt with two washers and a nut to the end of the second end of the wire. Tighten well.
The process of making a welding electrode from a battery
Let's move on to the next stage. We will need regular salt batteries. It is important that the batteries are not alkaline!
We disassemble the battery and take out a graphite-carbon rod, which is very well used in welding.
We sharpen the graphite rod to a cone so that the welding arc is focused and not scattered.
Welding with graphite electrode
Insert the rod into the free hole in the holder.
The device is ready - we have a welding holder for welding with a carbon-graphite electrode from a battery.
For the work itself, you will need a welding machine or a powerful DC transformer.
We connect the holder to the minus input of the welding machine. Ground to the “plus” input. We set the current limit to 15 A, and begin to weld the metal, using additionally regular or welding wire for surfacing the metal.
With a self-made holder you can weld any thin sheet metal, copper and aluminum wires, brass plates and much more.
