My welder has the propane conversion and uses a Continental engine (with magneto).
The generator is DC, so it provides a very smooth arc. No rectification or filtering required.
The welder has 5 amperage ranges that overlap and a fine amperage control.
The advantage of this setup is that the fine amperage control can be used to alter the characteristic of the weld.
The fine amperage control is used to adjust the percentage of one of the 5 amperage ranges.
It's also used to set the voltage, which is very important to the characteristic of the weld.
Example:
175 amps can be achieved on 2 of the 5 ranges. (240-160) and (190-120).
Use the fine amperage control to set your 175 amps (and voltage).
Remember, as the voltage goes down, the amperage goes up.
Voltage controls the height and width of the weld bead, while amperage controls penetration.
If you want a hard (arc force/dig) type of weld used on vertical or overhead
select 240-160 and set the fine amperage control setting for a lower voltage.
Increasing amperage while lowering voltage creates a narrower weld bead,
deeper penetration and a more fluid (hotter) weld puddle.
If you want a soft (buttery) type of weld used for normal horizontal position
select 190-120 and set the fine amperage control setting for a higher voltage.
Increasing voltage while lowering amperage creates a flat, wide bead with shallow penetration.
Long arcing also causes the weld puddle to freeze faster because it lowers the total amount of energy available.
Reference: http://www.millerwelds.com/resources/ar ... -training/
Bill Beauregard wrote:Several days ago I was welding vertical, and overhead lap joints on 3/8 plate. I was outside, it was snowing/raining. I was using some very old Certanium mild steel welding rod. I was on a 12' ladder. My helmet was fogged inside, drizzling outside. Conditions were less than optimal. The resulting welds were not as ugly as I would have expected! That got me on the track of wondering if there was more I could do to improve.
Travis Field has a video on U tube showing how to adjust a 1959 Lincoln SA 200 for vertical up welding. He makes the point that a low voltage/high amperage setting will work much better for "stacking metal" The low volt/high amp setting allows the welder to push the rod deeply into the base metal at the left, making a deep, small diameter puddle. Then move across to the right, repeating the process there. By the time one moves back to the left it has frozen, as the depth leaves the molten puddle surrounded by steel, it cools quickly. The high volume of rod deposit melting serves further to cool the surrounding.
I don't have an old Lincoln Pipeliner's welder. Of several stick welders I own, only the two 1970s vintage Twentieth Century clunkers have voltage choices. Weather is too cold to go try them. Is there a way to influence voltage on say a Bobcat 250, or a Dynasty 280. I've thought of coiling lead cable around a steel object, I think that limits both voltage and current. Arc length won't work as higher voltage will stop the arc and stick without a long enough arc.
Is this what makes these old Lincolns so revered?