Before you make a welding machine for wires at home, you should understand the main components and principles of operation. Particular importance is given to the power of the transformer, which depends on the type of work to be done. To join thin metal products, a low current strength is required, while welding massive fittings is impossible at such an intensity.
Transformer
The device provides an arc from the mains voltage. This element consists of two main parts:
- magnetic core;
- winding.
Creating a transformer is not difficult. The primary winding of the device is connected to a 220 W power supply, while the secondary is required for the welding work itself. The magnetic circuit can be assembled not only from plates of special transformer metal, but also from other materials. As an addition toTo improve the characteristics of the arc, special devices are used that provide a smooth voltage setting. Such additions are most often found in professional devices.
Depending on the strength of the current, the power of the transformer is selected. It is worth noting that the voltage at the output terminals determines the course of the welding process, which can be hard or softer. This also needs to be considered before making a welding machine for welding wires.
When choosing a voltage source, it is necessary to build on the desired current characteristics. The best option would be sources with steeply dipping and gently dipping properties. They simplify the welding process and ensure minimal arc fluctuations.
Required Items
You can independently make a welding machine for wires of any type, whether it be automatic, inverter, operating on direct or alternating current. In the absence of experience in carrying out such work, it is worth stopping at a simple transformer apparatus. Such a device operates on alternating current and allows you to achieve a high-quality weld. It is ideal for welding wires at home. Before you start making, you need to prepare the following:
- high permeability transformer core material;
- enough copper wire.
The core must be U-shaped standard configuration and rod structure. In some casesyou have to use cores of a different shape (for example, round), this does not change the characteristics of the device, but complicates the winding of the wiring. For a household appliance, the cross-sectional area of the core must be within 50 cm². The use of a large section is irrational, as it does not provide additional characteristics and increases the total mass of the device.
Wrapping
The primary winding uses copper wiring, which has a high level of thermal resistance. It should be supplemented with fiberglass or cotton insulation. Cables with an insulating sheath made of rubber and other materials can be used, with the exception of PVC.
If necessary, insulation can be made by hand using small pieces of suitable material. They are wound on a copper wire and covered with a layer of electrical varnish.
The frame of the coils is made in accordance with the geometric characteristics of the magnetic core. They must have suitable dimensions so as not to interfere with the free putting of the magnetic circuit on the core. For the manufacture of the latter, as a rule, ordinary cardboard or textolite is used.
What you need to know
When winding coils, some features must be taken into account. In particular, the primary winding is made only halfway, part of the secondary is superimposed on top of it. The other side of the coil is wrapped in the same way. With the help of thick paper, fiberglass and cardboard, it is possible to increase the insulating characteristics,to do this, it is necessary to lay segments of the selected material between the layers of the winding.
The welding machine for copper wires also requires adjustment, which consists in connecting the device to the network and measuring the voltage data on the secondary winding. The indicators should be within 60 V. If necessary, you can add part of the winding or remove the excess. Measurements and winding changes are made until the required data is obtained.
The wire welding machine is connected to the mains with a two-core cable or an internal laying wire, which is connected to the primary winding. The last step is to connect the PRG wires to the terminals of the secondary winding. It is worth noting that these wires fix the base of the welding rods and connect to the workpieces.
Working with copper wires
In electrical work, copper wires are indispensable. There are three main connection methods: welding, squeezing and crimping. The first option has the best combination of speed and quality of work.
When working with copper, you should be careful and take into account the characteristics of this material. It is prone to breakage even with slight heating, despite the fact that its melting point exceeds 1000 degrees. Welding work can be performed with direct and alternating current. If necessary, the arc welding method and additional devices such as a transformer, a beam device and an inverter can be used.
Stages of work
The wire welding machine may havedifferent design and manufactured according to a certain technology, despite this, the welding process consists of identical stages. To begin with, the sheath is removed from the cables with scissors or a regular clerical knife. It is necessary to step back from the edge by 2-3 cm, cut the upper shell and carefully pull it off. The cable strand should be about 3 cm long and be supplemented by several standard size cores. The clamp is fixed only on the finished connection. Next, you need to connect a welding machine for welding copper wires with a set power and current.
What to look out for
The welding process itself takes a few seconds and produces a small copper ball. It is worth noting that welding time is of particular importance, since if the machine is removed too early, the quality of the connection will be poor due to the porous structure. Moreover, if you overdo it for a few seconds, you will have to start all over again, since the ends of the cables will completely melt. After connecting and cooling the elements, it remains to make insulation and connect the voltage.
Cable Selection
Given the fact that the welding machine is connected to the network with copper wires, their choice is no less important. They must ensure operation under different voltage levels and under different conditions. Equally important are the following characteristics:
- resistance to bending and other mechanical stress;
- retaining characteristics when exposed to ultraviolet radiation;
- applicabilitywhen operating over a wide temperature range;
- resistant to mold and corrosion.
A device made from microwave oven parts
A fairly simple do-it-yourself welding machine for copper wires can be made from a microwave oven transformer, which has high power and compact dimensions. Such a device is placed in a case from a PC power supply and is optimally suited for welding copper cables.
To create a device, a transformer from any microwave oven is suitable. It must first be disassembled, this can be done by cutting the sides with a grinder. It should be noted that the connection of the transformer to the network is possible only after removing the secondary winding.
It is necessary to wind the secondary winding instead of the old one and seal the core with epoxy. Then it remains to mount the transformer into the case from the power supply along with two machines.
The resulting wire welding machine provides fast arc ignition and high-quality cable processing. The transformer does not heat up during operation, but when using a large device, it is recommended to use wiring with a cross section of 10 mm² for winding. Despite the fact that the transformer has a rather noticeable weight, the device itself has small dimensions.
Simplify use and improve the quality of the connection by using the switch located on the handle of the graphite terminal. So it will be possible to turn on the device after the twist is installed indesired position.
DIY wire welding machine: features
Softer welding is obtained by using a choke. At the same time, it should be noted that while working with copper twists, a pungent smell of burning and smoke appears, so it is recommended to open the window first. It is also not uncommon for the graphite electrode to catch fire.
The strand wires must be the same length. It will also be useful to cover the strand with borax before welding and observe the minimum heating time.
A good terminal can be obtained from improvised items or parts purchased for a symbolic cost. For this role, a brush from a trolleybus or a powerful motor is perfect. Several well-sized holes are drilled into the graphite. They are necessary for laying twists and obtaining an even alloy.
The arc during operation must be continuous and have sufficient heat to ensure a quality connection. As noted earlier, heating to a temperature below the required level leads to the formation of a porous core inside the frozen drop.
