(11-19-2019, 01:44 PM)Dr Stan Wrote: Well even if I hooked it up and it wouldn't work or blew up and caught fire I'd probably be able to recoup my money in scrap copper.
You got that right! Not really a lot in there to go wrong, but parts availability is the big question.
I had an uncle that gave the old huge Lincoln Dialarc to my younger brother. It had been sitting unused for years and was in somewhat rough shape. I think my brother tried using it a couple of times and gave up on it, so it sat in his garage for a few more years. He then ended up giving it to me. It was filthy inside and out so I gave it a good cleaning and replaced the missing bolts and screws, straightened the bent linkages and lubed them and the cast iron wheels and axles. Cleaned up the contacts and the rusted up amperage control. I tried doing some welding with it but even though it started out fine, it would quickly get to the point where it lost power and would not maintain an arc. I would crank up the amperage and it would be fine for awhile but it would go right back down again. The welding leads weren't very long and they were badly cracked / dry rotted. I went to the welding supply to buy a 25 ft. length of new lead for it.
While I was there I asked if I could talk to one of the techs in the repair area. I asked if he might be able to give me a clue as to where I should start looking with regard to my losing power problem. He said "You need a piece of wood". "Shove it under the transformer, and wedge it in there."
After noticing my deer in the headlights expression he explained that the transformer was vibrating and causing the machine to lose amperage.
Ooooooo....Kayyyyyyy.... I sez.
I went home and installed the new leads on the machine. I set up a piece of scrap steel off to my side, set the welder at 125 amps and blindly started to run a bead with a 7018 rod that I could drag across the steel without looking at it. I was looking at the front of the welder instead and sure enough - I watched the amperage pointer slowly drop on the scale while the welder buzzed along until it dropped to 60 amps. I never noticed that the hand crank on the front of the machine was turning by itself!
Sure enough, I hammered a wooden wedge under the transformer and the problem was solved. I used it for a few years and got tired of it being in my way all the time and having to shuffle it around because of my lack of space. I called my brother and asked him if he wanted it back, and he said he would get back to me. He didn't want it back but he said his boss would like to have it. So we gave it to him instead 1) to get it out of my way and 2) to get my brother some brownie points with the boss.
My Miller Syncrowave now sits in it's place, but it's half the size of the Lincoln and it's a lot easier to roll around so I live with it.
I did just win a couple of concert tickets from a local radio station.