When I had my choice of new skills to learn, I chose welding. It seemed an odd choice for me, especially since I was not known for having any particular interest in that type of skill. But that was precisely the reason why I chose it over other kinds of skills that I could have learned. This came about during the time when I had a lot of spare time in my hands. Instead of using it for leisure or having a good time, I decided to learn something new. And it was a decision that I have never regretted, for how can I have any misgivings when I added something to my set of skills that were already in place? Studying and then actually applying the different processes and techniques in welding was both challenging and fun.
The welding process that had the most impact on me was spot welding. Right from the start, it was the process that I wanted to learn and actually specialize in. Spot welding is actually a welding process where the metal surfaces that are going to get into contact are joined by heat that comes from the resistance to electric current flow. It makes use of two shaped copper alloy electrodes to concentrate welding current into a small spot and also clamp the sheets together at the same time. The weld will form by forcing current through the spot. Its use is usually for welding particularly pieces of sheet metal, and is ideal for small projects only. The most extensive use of spot welding is in the automotive industry, in creating sheet metal. A spot welder for battery packs is also quite common because spot welding is used to welding straps to nickel-cadmium cells for making batteries.
My Own Spot Welder
My interest in spot welding and spot welders became quite intense that I actually wanted to be able to build one myself. So I really scoured the Internet to search for tips on how to make my own spot welder at home. Here’s what I found:
• For the transformer, I used an MOT (Microwave Oven Transformer). I proceeded to cut the secondary off the transformer core with the use of a pipe cutting blade. I took care not to damage the primary coil. After cutting away the secondary coil, I used a hammer and a short metal bar to pound the portion from the core.
• Use a short piece of grounding wire, bending it into a U shape and feeding the free ends to the transformer core. Maneuver the free ends back through the opposite sides, aiming to have three to four windings on the new secondary transformer, producing between three to six volts.
• The next step was to build and assemble the jaws. I got a couple of pieces of wood, with a long narrow piece as the base. The sides were sealed using a thin piece of plywood on one side, and a thicker piece at the other, being screwed in from the bottom. Another piece of thin plywood would be needed to accommodate the electrical components that would make up the spot welder.