Miller thunderbolt AC/DC question

acrobat-ants wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@4ax.com:

I see by your previous posts you are a hobby welder. If you are looking for a good home use SMAW machine, this is it, jump on it if the price is right. I can not remember when they actually started producing this model machine, but I do remember owning one back in 1980 or there abouts. It is a fine smaller machine. It is a transformer/rectifier power source. The secondary coil is moved closer or farther away from the primary coil to adjust amperage.(via inductance between the two coils) It is a bullet proof design, not much goes wrong with a machine like this, so if it still works it will continue to work. Pull the sheetmetal and blow it out with compressed air, check the fan. It is a great little "stick burner". The chances are the older Thunderbolt machine may actually be better than the newer model in that it probably has real copper windings rather than aluminum windings that MAY be in the newer machines.(I'm biased, as I like the ole copper wounds). I do not know for a fact that that the newer machines have aluminum windings, just a guess, as it is "more cost effective". If it is one of the older machines it will have the hand crank at the top of the machine, rather than on the front. What is the person asking for the machine? (just curious) If it works and the price is right, go for it!

Kruppt

yes, it is the one with the crank on the top, i did exactly what you just described, removed the metal cover and blasted the dust from the inside also lubde the "stud"/ core and the rod that moves the "stud"

even , I have no use for such machine just yet, i always wanted to get an AC/DC stick welder. I am thinking of building an out door "metal spiral stair case" in the future, for my deck , they look so cool. Sorry, i am just a magnet for tools. when I see one , I just have to have it. paid $150 - machine, leads, and full face helmet.

one thing does not make sense to me on this machine is the hi and low range for A/C low range goes from 30-150 high is fro 40-225 it looks like this, this show the full core/ stud movement , numbers are side by side just like this:

--- 225

--- 200

150 170 125 150 105 125 85 100 70 80 50 60 30 40 _________ low high A/C

so for example if I crank the stud / core to where the pointer is at

105 on low, it is 125 on the high side,so there is not much difference. can you explain what is the advantage of using ,low side may give a bit finer adjustment?????

thanks

I think you'll find that the low scale is DC and the high AC since you mentioned, "it is a 220V, 225 AC amp and 150 DC amps stick welder". My Lincoln AC/DC 225/125 has a similar scale. Mine has a polarity switch where yours has different jacks to plug the leads into, right?

What happens is AC comes out the secondary full strength whereas DC comes out the same windings and then goes to the rectification department where some of the power is lost in the form of heat in the rectifier circuit.

there is 3 range on this machine

low A/C 30-150 high A/C 40-225 and DC 30-150

in addtion to EP or EN on the DC side

there is 5 plugs/connectors all together on the front of the machine

3 on the AC side , * plug to the work piece *A/C low *A/C high

and 2 plug for D/C

• DC +

• DC --

cool , that makes sense.

$150 is a good price, if you ever wanted to sell it to upgrade to something different, you will easily get all your money back, and more likely, more than you paid for it.

Wow, I had forgotten about that, the two taps for different amperage ranges. I found a picture of one of the older models like I had many moons ago, and probably is like the one you have just purchased. I had to look at the picture to jog my memory on the taps, completely forgot about that feature.

Using the lower tap, allows for welding at lower amps, while keeping the OCV high. The lower tap allows for welding thinner sheetmetal etc. You could later put together a scratch tig setup, for little cost, that would work great on this machine also.

This machine will work out just fine in building of your spiral stairway. You did very good for $150.

Kruppt

acrobat-ants wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@4ax.com:

thanks for the picture , that is the machine alright. except mine has wheels, and a handle on top for dragging it around.

I was able to find information on Millers website, and downloaded a

40 page original owners manual (free). A nice touch from Miller.

thanks for the >$150 is a good price, if you ever wanted to sell it to upgrade

The 2 ranges gives a operator the option of kicking up the amperage by swapping plugs rather than cranking the knob. Handy when switching from a filler rod of one flavor to a finishing rod for final pass. Thats what a local old timer opined to us upstarts when we were just starting out.

Low range does give you a more stable arc when burning the rods.

Feeling the years today

Jim Vrzal Holiday,FL.