Cold winter - will it affect my welder?

I'd make room for it inside. I never felt comfortable leaving my electrical gear in the garage as that's a prime spot for mouse nesting and the humidity will screw it up quick. I always brought mine in. The little lady was less than happy having a welder next to the dryer but I value and take very good care of my gear and it pays off in the long run. I have my maxstar in my bedroom because I am out of room elsewhere. Some of the pics are on my website I just started

It's a hack job but it works.. Yes, the pictures of welding in my kitchen are real. Yes, it's a Michigan ave. apt. 40 floors up in Chicago... I could have put this in storage like you are thinking but what you see is really there. I have a longer Snap-on box that does not fit in the freight elevator so it's in a heated storage facility. The box here is my backup. Sorry about the rant there--- it just puts merit to keeping your 210 warm and dry. -30 is damn cold. I'd rather be cumbersome than non functional.

Just my .02 cents before taxes.

Rob

Check the manual - if it doesn't restrict the storage temperature to something above -30C, your warrantee should be good. You do want to keep mice out of it - fine mesh hardware cloth if the openings in it are poorly designed for mouse-proofing (there's design for planned obsolescence), as well as traps & mothballs or camphor blocks in the garage - or a tight storage cabinet that the thing (and cables, gloves, etc) fit in that is mouse-proof.

My brand new when I got it (shoulda looked in the want-ad-paper, but had not discovered the local one yet) red-cased welder has been in unheated surroundings in Vermont for 5 years now, and -22F/-30C is not uncommon here, either.

Rob the look of your appartment is very insightful. We all see you are living for a dream and this is a best that a man can do. Very inspiring.

As for cold weather, those are interesting though. I just bought a 210 and my garage is not heated - i will check with Miller just to see what they think also.

cheers

Well, I went from a house with a cheating woman to an apartment and a replacement girlfriend and sold the big house and mashed as much as I could into a temporary holding pen. (aka: apartment) It's a look into madness trust me. Nothing more.... Just proves when there is a will, there is a way. My neighbors think I'm nuts. I had most of it in the shop until a few weeks ago. More of a nightmare rather than a dream though. Hoping things just get better.

Rob

At least Rob you hang to the dream :-)

Just checked and for Millermatic the storage temperature is -30C to 50C. The operating temperature is -20C to 40C. But those might be humidity controled. In a garage where humidity is not a problem it would be ok - but in Ontario close to the big lake or in Quebec close to the St-Lawrence some winter days are very humid.

(reference manual for MillerMatic 210 page 9)

I will take the chance this year making sure the garage is not to humid.

Rob, After seeing your website, I know why we haven't hooked up.... You don't need an anvil for a coffee table decoration I still have one for you (and I keep stubbing my toes on it when ever I get to one side of my shop). I will be going out to Morris tomorrow, any chance you'll be down near Joliet or Lemont?

Greg

FWIW - I'm in Richmond Hill - north of Toronto - and keep my Lincoln

175 Squarewave TIG in the garage (detached and unheated) all winter long I DO cover it in the Fall when condensation is a problem - so far it's working like a charm. If you have to baby the welder then it aint a welder.

Good point -- dew point is the killer of metal. That is when the air at a certain temp and certain humidity develops dew or water dots on cool objects. Martin

Martin Eastburn @ home at Lions' Lair with our computer lionslair at consolidated dot net NRA LOH, NRA Life NRA Second Amendment Task Force Charter Founder

R. Zimmerman wrote:

As an addition: Be cautious about wrapping up your machinery. The best is to wrap it in canvas or plastic leaving a vent near the top then underneath place the small heat source. As the light bulb heats the air underneath it will rise up through the machine and vent at the top taking any residual moisture away. It would not be wise to simply cover everything tightly with the bulb underneath stopping air from moving. This principle will work for any sort of equipment that has to be stored in a cold environment. Randy

Amen!