I keep a 3' length of stainless steel resistor for that purpose, it was part of an industrial heating element. I wired a slave cable plug for power. Works great!
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Ready Welder
- Thread starter Csm Davis
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Csm Davis
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I don't know why you need the resistor, are you doing really thin metal or what?
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Are you guys disconnecting the batteries from the truck or plug and play? Anyone ran the welder with the truck running ?
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No Rusty, I bought it from someone else that had purchased a lot from GL. I don't remember ever seeing any listed on GL myself.
Same reason you have a dial to adjust amperage on other welders. These batteries are rated for 1000 amps at 24V. That's a *lot* of juice! Of course, the wire in the welder limits the actual current flow to far less, but it's still too hot for many tasks. Keep in mind that novice welders like me are less able to handle very hot settings. I do better when I can go more slowly without blowing holes through my work.
I welded 1/4" thick angle iron successfully, but the weld was ugly, even by my standards. So I went and dug out my resistor. Sheet metal would certainly be easier with a resistor, or just run at 12V.
I realize that a highly skilled welder can handle far more amps than I can. Even that welder would need a resistor once the metal gets thin enough.
Both. I wouldn't do much without the alternators running.
Csm Davis
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Unless you have weak batteries don't weld with the truck running, most alternators can't handle the loads and definitely don't weld on the truck directly with it running. Most good batteries will weld for longer than you will want and still start the truck
I've not tried welding on the truck. I've removed the parts I needed to weld. If I did have to weld on the truck, I'd completely disconnect the batteries from all but the slave port. You definitely don't want welding current passing through your ground path. Whatever in that path doesn't get fried could get welded together. You want the current passing from the battery to the weld and directly back to the battery via the welding wires only.
When welding off the truck, I'm curious as to why not have the truck running? IIUC, the 24V alternator will provide up to 100 amps trying to keep the voltage at 28.8V. When it hits 100 amps, voltage will start to drop as both the alt and the batteries provide current. How is this load different than jump-starting a 5 ton truck via the slave port? Don't you want the engine running when you do things like that?
This is definitely not my area of expertise, but I was taught to jump-start from a running vehicle.
When welding off the truck, I'm curious as to why not have the truck running? IIUC, the 24V alternator will provide up to 100 amps trying to keep the voltage at 28.8V. When it hits 100 amps, voltage will start to drop as both the alt and the batteries provide current. How is this load different than jump-starting a 5 ton truck via the slave port? Don't you want the engine running when you do things like that?
This is definitely not my area of expertise, but I was taught to jump-start from a running vehicle.
Csm Davis
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Yes if you are jump starting a lot of people will do it with the truck running, but I will recommend to charge the dead vehicle fo 5 minutes minimum and then shutdown the jump truck before firing up the dead truck, I have seen to many alternators killed by jumping dead 5 tons with the truck running, just my experience, but the stock military alternator is only 60 amps and not known for being reliable.
I have an M1010 with the Plan B Mod, with a 100A 24V alternator and a 160A 12V alternator, both Leece Neville. I'm not sure how they rate for reliability, but I've been lucky so far. I was thinking that the running engine minimized stress on all parts when jumping, welding, etc. The batteries respond instantly to demand for current, the alternators lag a bit, but they kick in quickly enough to minimize stress on the batteries. Maybe the smaller alternators are more fragile?
Csm Davis
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I knew you were going to go there. The 60 amp alternator on the majority of tactical vehicles is almost twice the size of your Leece Neville alternators. You have about 180 amps worth of alternators and there's the rub that's not enough to feed the welder completely so they are maxed out every time you lay a bead and that's not good. You do realize that the welder is basically a direct short as far as your alternator is concerned. The only alternator I might try welding off of would be the massive 400 amp you find on some trucks, because it is big enough that it might can see the welder as just a load not a short.
I appreciate your taking the time to educate me on this. It's not my area of expertise.
Yes, I know the welder is a short. Is it really a significantly different load than the starter on a 5 ton truck?
Csm Davis
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Yes and no but as I said earlier that's why I don't recommend jump starting with a running vehicle. But if you are referring to the 5 ton starting itself it is pulling just from the batteries and the alternator just has to recharge the difference between where the batteries go down to and full charge and not at full amperage hopefully unless you run the batteries way down. This is also why you can burn up an alternator when you lose a battery. The best idea is to limit the amount of continuous draw (amperage) to less than the rated amperage of the alternator, same as figuring load on generator for house or RV. The batteries are helping to supply for a surge but only to a point and only briefly with the alternator running but if you disconnect the batteries and weld off of them then reconnect them the alternator only sees slightly discharged batteries simular to what it sees after starting the truck.
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Thanks guys. This helps a bunch.
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I have never used a ready welder, but i do have an old discontinued solar cordless 24volt wire feed welder that has 2 hatteries inclosed in the moble unit. This is handy to just grab and go weld something up to 1/4" thick and hp to 60" long on one charge. If you need more i added a set of jumper terminals to the front and can hook it to a slave cables with an adapter i use to jump start 24volt equiment with 2 clamps like regular jumper cables.
