Unchained Preppers

General Category => D.I.Y. => Topic started by: gapatriot on March 24, 2012, 02:10:41 AM

Title: Emergency arc welder
Post by: gapatriot on March 24, 2012, 02:10:41 AM

OK guys, dont know if many of you know about this little trick. You will need several set of good heavy gauge jumper cables AT LEAST 3 car batteries and come arc welding rods. You set you batteries up in a row using the jumper cables connect the positive terminal on battery #1 to the negative terminal of battery #2, then take another jumper cable lead and hook the positive terminal of battery #2 to the negative terminal of battery #3 and so on if you have more batteries. this should leave you with one negative terminal open on battery #1 and the positive terminal open on the other end of the battery bank. Connect your jumper cable lead to the open positive terminal and the piece you plan to weld. Connect your jumper cable to the open negative terminal and with the other end use it as your welding rod holder. That's all you have to do to start welding! Always wear eye protection for anyone that hasn't burned their eyes, imagine getting sun burn on your eye balls IT SUCKS! This isn't the best way to weld but it will do for an emergency situation when you have no other choice. If I can get my wife to show me how to use the scanner I will draw out a nice little picture and attach it to this post.

Title: Re: Emergency arc welder
Post by: special-k on March 24, 2012, 02:33:49 AM

I saw them do this on the first season of "The Colony." 

Dangerous, but it works.

Keep up with how warm the batteries are getting and be sure to take breaks often to give them time to cool down...don't be in a hurry.  Placing the batteries in a container with water, about 3/4 the way up the side of the batteries wouldn't be a bad idea.

Title: Re: Emergency arc welder
Post by: JohnyMac on March 24, 2012, 07:10:27 AM

Thx Gap!
In the marine world its called "series." I have done exactly what you described but by accident. 

Here is a diagram:

http://www.nyc-arecs.org/Connecting_Batteries_and_Chargers_in_Series_and_Parallel.pdf (http://www.nyc-arecs.org/Connecting_Batteries_and_Chargers_in_Series_and_Parallel.pdf)

Title: Re: Emergency arc welder
Post by: EJR914 on March 24, 2012, 08:53:40 AM

Hell yes!  Number 563,965 thing that I didn't know that you knew, and I had no idea about before.  LOL

Title: Re: Emergency arc welder
Post by: Reaver on March 24, 2012, 11:40:57 PM

That's funny bro. You can arc weld two titanic size ships together with a bunch of batteries, but you can't figure out a fucking scanner.  :))

Title: Re: Emergency arc welder
Post by: thatGuy on March 25, 2012, 01:21:45 PM

That is funny Reaver,

This trick does work though I used it to re-attach a tie rod. You got to use you'r arc length to adjust your heat i.e. longer arc hot weld.

And like Special-K says don't blow the batteries up.