Welding Tips and Tricks

I know this is a long shot but I have Lincoln 3200HD mig welder and I though about modding the circuit with better parts and was wonder if anyone has upgrade there welder or added better parts ????


Thanks
Jason Sr
Here is my circuit
I was thinking about upgrading the Diodes and adding more capacitance
http://i87.photobucket.com/albums/k133/ ... 1382472226

I think in the end one way or the other, you will be buying a new welder, so guess just skip the heartache and smoke inhalation and get a machine with the settings you need off the bat.

I'm not familiar with that model - but I have modded a few Mig sets over the years - in general the main capacitors will be adequate to smooth the output & I don't see any reason to change them unless they show signs of age ( usually bulging end caps ) - if you have reason to doubt them then disconnect & test / replace - the diodes are subject to heat damage over time & on some welders are marginal for the power being handled compounded by not often having a thermal trip as this is only on the main transformer - as they break down you get less welding current & often strange ripples when viewed on an oscilloscope - upgrading these or replacing them on older machines will often improve performance - as will increased fan / airflow & larger heat sinks - I would say though this is more an issue with machines run at or close to their duty cycle - in a larger shop the sets are generally bought to allow for 100% duty use at the intended current ( I have a 500amp set that runs up to 51 volts but have never had it flat out so never approach it's duty cycle - I also have a little 210amp set bought new in around 1985 that I added a case extension / larger heat sinks on the rectifier & transformer / bigger fan etc that was used very hard for years & is still going strong - the only failure was recently the contactor - but it's done very well )

Why this modification stuff?

How is the welder mis-behaving so that you want to nuke it?

Electronics is one of my interests. How would you know if the capacitors you brought new to the job were better quality than the capacitors installed by Lincoln? Are the old capacitors deteriorating? I am not saying you don't know, and I am quite happy to learn from you. (But I am cautious about this enthusiasm, given only the information you have published in this thread.)

AnvilJack wrote:Why this modification stuff?

How is the welder mis-behaving so that you want to nuke it?

Electronics is one of my interests. How would you know if the capacitors you brought new to the job were better quality than the capacitors installed by Lincoln? Are the old capacitors deteriorating? I am not saying you don't know, and I am quite happy to learn from you. (But I am cautious about this enthusiasm, given only the information you have published in this thread.)

Well I was just trying to see if I could improve the quality and efficiency of the machine ... The welder is acting fine but the wire speed pot is shot and needs to be replaced .. Also I want to add a connecter to the trigger wires so I don't have to fish the wires through a little hole ...
With electronics I have DMM and Scopes and function generators to see what is happening with the welder ..
The spec of each cap will give me better info and will determine which one is better... The cap can be check with a ESR meter and you can figure out how long the cap will last from there...

Also If you like electronics check
allaboutcircuits.com

Thanks. I'll check that site.

The function generator and the scope should let you know if anything is amiss with the components. One question leads to another. Ah well, let us know how you improved the efficiency of the welder, after your mods.

Give it a go.