Microwave Oven Arc Welder


Today I’m jonsing for my mig welder that was lost during a move. Remember the microwave oven foundry? If you’ve got a few old ovens around, you can gut em and build an arc welder. The transformers generate the voltage, and an SCR circuit makes the arc adjustable. Of course if arc isn’t your style, you can build your own TIG welder. Since you can score an arc for $150-300, but a TIG costs more – I’d go TIG.

20 thoughts on “Microwave Oven Arc Welder

  1. thats so cool awsome trick have 2 welders myself but shop bought mig and ark even though not many pepole use ark now its such a good idea would love to see more of this kind of stuff on hackaday its so usefull .steve

  2. I am almost sure that this was already listed, if not just a link to his site (the homemade foundry comes to mind), but fun none the less ;)

    I am also trying to figure out where Elliot went… Seems like it has been too long for him to just have been attending Fabienne…

  3. just built it the other day. works ok, but another one a friend tried that uses an alternator and a large electric or gas motor seems to work better, at least in terms of amperage, although this tends to maintain a given amperage more consistantly. I’ll be honest, I’m no welding god, but if you have the parts around and feel like risking your own death, either one of these is a possiblity, as is the trucker welder.

  4. (Who’s more foolish, the fool, or the fool that follows him?)

    This does look scary, but it’s still awesome if it’s getting results. I wish I had the space to build what I would build with stuff like this…

  5. Aldi sells an new arc welder with 5 electrodes welding mask and apron and a “how to weld” guide at my local shop . Priced £34.99 or about $66.50 for all you americans out there which would probably be a lot cheaper than buliding this unless you had almost all of the parts already.

  6. Thanks for your comments, all of you. I would like to point out to the panicky scared folks that the microwave transformers are MODIFIED (er, hacked) to provide LOW voltage at high amps. They are no longer the HIGH voltage hazard as in their original use.

    I’d like to say this to the fine citizen that wondered what happens if you touch the arc: same thing that happens if you touch the arc on any welder, homebuilt or not. All electric welders are electrocution hazards, duh!

  7. Seriously. Tig welding on a grounded bench, I made the mistake of lifting my piece off the bench when my electrode stuck to it. That’ll wake you up in the morning….probably shoulda been wearing gloves.

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