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Welding using the deuce as a power supply

sewerzuk

Member
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Location
Seaside, OR
I've used the deuce a few times now to do some impromptu welding outside of my shop...works pretty good. Threw together a short video of me stick welding some scrap together using the deuce and a set of jumper cables:

[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b3vs7WCtRWE[/media]
 

Chief_919

Well-known member
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Western NC
It is a good field expediant method, but even better is the Ready Welder.

Readywelder.com | There's nothing like it!


Put a slave cable adapter on the end of the cable, plug it in, and you ahve a vehicle powered MIG welder.

Every convoy we ran in Afghanistan had one, and they proved to be very, very valuable.

I use mine all the time powered by my M1028.
 

jamesfrom180

Active member
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Gainesville/Florida
Two big name flavors for this are
Millermatic Passport
and Hobart Trek

Direct shorting batteries will adversely effect their performance. Keep a pair of deep cycle laying around for this. :driver:

edit: I also wanted to say thanks I forgot all about negative rod polarity for that method. Its been awile usually have a welder when I need it.
 
Last edited:

12Bravo

Member
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8
Location
Wellsville, Mo
Welding using a vehicle was/is in the Battle Damage/Assessment and Repair manual using a slave cable and clamps or heavy duty jumper cables. We would use a M88 for this (usually used the APU) since it has more batteries. Jamesfrom180 is correct, it will ruin a set of batteries if used too much. The Ready Welder looks like a nice little welder for emergency use. We didn't have to use the jumper cable method much because I had a welder on my machine shop truck plus we had 3 CUCV contact trucks in our Bn.
 

Awesome Possum

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Central Texas
Two big name flavors for this are
Millermatic Passport
and Hobart Trek

Direct shorting batteries will adversely effect their performance. Keep a pair of deep cycle laying around for this. :driver:
It will even toast deep cycles. Learned this 15 years ago when I replaced this guy's AGM batteries several times that he bought from me. Come to figure out he was welding with them. You just can't put this kind of short into batteries without toasting them in very short order.
 

jamesfrom180

Active member
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Awesome Possum, I keep a pair of deeps around for alot of things winches power and more. I only use this form of welding when absolutely necessary. I've maybe done it twice in the last 6 yrs. Once just to make $100, and a point when someone said it couldn't be done.

The OP I think doesn't expect this to be used very often.:cool:
 

Chief_919

Well-known member
2,050
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Location
Western NC
Welding using a vehicle was/is in the Battle Damage/Assessment and Repair manual using a slave cable and clamps or heavy duty jumper cables. We would use a M88 for this (usually used the APU) since it has more batteries. Jamesfrom180 is correct, it will ruin a set of batteries if used too much. The Ready Welder looks like a nice little welder for emergency use. We didn't have to use the jumper cable method much because I had a welder on my machine shop truck plus we had 3 CUCV contact trucks in our Bn.

The SC for the HMMWV contact trucks has actually been updated to authorize the Ready Welder since the original onboard welder is such a POS>
 

Awesome Possum

New member
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Central Texas
Awesome Possum, I keep a pair of deeps around for alot of things winches power and more. I only use this form of welding when absolutely necessary. I've maybe done it twice in the last 6 yrs. Once just to make $100, and a point when someone said it couldn't be done.

The OP I think doesn't expect this to be used very often.:cool:
I was just at the wrong end of that deal, having guaranteed the batteries. After that it became a discretionary thing as to replacing the battery. No telling what they do to those things sometimes! Now they pretty much go to solar projects where this kind of thing isn't a problem, but I do run a couple of AGM's in my deuce.
 

sewerzuk

Member
524
9
18
Location
Seaside, OR
It is a good field expediant method, but even better is the Ready Welder.

Readywelder.com | There's nothing like it!


Put a slave cable adapter on the end of the cable, plug it in, and you ahve a vehicle powered MIG welder.

Every convoy we ran in Afghanistan had one, and they proved to be very, very valuable.

I use mine all the time powered by my M1028.
The ready welder is a great tool...I've owned one for about 8 years. I find that I use it more as a spoolgun for welding aluminum with my MIG welder than on the trail. Unless you're carrying a bottle of shielding gas, you're just using it as a flux core wire feeder. While it is a little better than the stick method, I personally choose to leave it at the shop when I hit the trail. A few welding rods take up less space and save on weight...
 

1 Patriot-of-many

Well-known member
Steel Soldiers Supporter
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Zimmerman MN
Thanks. I know nothing about welding or the principle other than it melts two metals together Good to know I can do emergency welding. Thanks for the vid!
 

1 Patriot-of-many

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Are the welding gloves a precaution to the sparks and molten metal flying or something to do with the current flowing? I have a welding hood from years back in my preparation for welding, but never got around to buying a welder.
 

sewerzuk

Member
524
9
18
Location
Seaside, OR
Are the welding gloves a precaution to the sparks and molten metal flying or something to do with the current flowing? I have a welding hood from years back in my preparation for welding, but never got around to buying a welder.
Hot metal and sparks...leather gloves have almost no electrical insulating properties. Welding occurs at relatively low voltage (24 in this case) and that voltage doesn't pose an electrocution risk
 

jamesfrom180

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Gainesville/Florida
Best advice for any novice welder is start with gas welding. I've used coat hangers as fill rod alot when I had the torches out. Almost any big box home improvement store is going to have a basic welders manual. Very good place to start. Start collecting scrap steel now so you will be ready to make and repair all the stuff when you learn to weld.
 

Recovry4x4

LLM/Member 785
Super Moderator
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On a somewhat related term, how many folks have old 18-24V cordless tools that it just costs too much to replace batteries? I gutted a battery from a ridgid drill and wired it to a slave plug. Now I have a deuce powered drill and reciprocating saw.
 

sewerzuk

Member
524
9
18
Location
Seaside, OR
Thanks sewerzuk You are my new goto guy on learning to weld, which I'm sure will be soon. Do you have a lot of experience welding?
I have no certifications related to welding...but I have been welding for a little over 25 years (since I was 10). I currently have 2 MIG welders, 1 TIG, my ready welder, and Oxy-fuel. I do weld at least once a week; I have scratch built several trailers, bumpers, rollcages, etc. I built the bed on my deuce (i have lots of pics of it on SS). So, I do have some self taught experience. But, I keep finding pro welders who teach me tricks and techniques fairly often...I'm sure there are quite a few guys here who have more experience than I do.
Feel free to pm me with any questions; I would be glad to help.
 
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