Improving your welder without a microcontroller

tig

We're always impressed when a piece of hardware is torn apart, rebuilt and ends up exceeding the capabilities of the original device. [Dave] and [Will]'s home-built TIG welder is no exception to that rule. When [Dave] and [Will] started working on converting a simple AC stick welder to a welder with every function imaginable, they decided to keep it simple. After looking at some high-price … [Read more...]

High frequency start box

start_box

When welding with an AC arc welder, it is often necessary to "scratch start" them to get the arc going. For those unfamiliar, it is just like it sounds. You drag the head across something just like a giant match. There are some that come with an arc stabilizer or "high frequency starter". This is preferred, but they can be hard to find. [Bill] shows us how to make one of our own. Though you may … [Read more...]