Welding Tips and Tricks

I have my grandfather's old R2D2 looking Smith 25-18 AC Welder. I am looking for the plug in's for the electrode holder and the ground cable. Does anyone have any idea where to find them?

See pictures.

Thanks,
Marc

Welcome to the forum, Marc! Cool machine, does she power up? If it has a fan, you may want to make sure it's spinning before using the welder.

The jacks you need look similar to the jacks for a Miller Thunderbolt welder. (Picture here: http://www.airgas.com/p/MIL039901?agcer ... 800:nosale) If you can't find original parts, a visit to your LWS will let you inspect Thunderbolt jacks to see if they're the right size, or if they can be trimmed down to fit the Smith.

Good luck with it, let us know how it goes! Great that you get to use your grandfather's equipment!

Cool looking machine, never seen one like that before. Hope you can find the parts

Wow, right out of an old scifi flick.
Also looks like the same plugs that are on my older Century cracker box.

Looks like R2-D2's grandfather.
I wonder what the copper inside of it is worth?

A company called Lenco also makes after-market cable connectors in a variety of sizes.

Last of those I saw lived under the bottlehouse shop foreman's office at Genesee Beer Foundry in 1967 and had been there longer than any employee remembered.

You can make the plugs from brass rod, copper tube and solder faster than you'll find them.

Before you do anything, open the machine and blow the crap out with LOW PRESSURE air. Leaf blowers work well. Inspect the internal connections for tightness.

Be forewarned, that machine has high open circuit voltage and WILL knock you down changing rods in wet conditions.

Ark quality was good for a machine built in the 1940s as I recall.

Found the Lenco plugs at a local welding shop-Round Rock Welding. Thanks for your help.