Battery welding????
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Senior User
Joined: Nov 2001
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From: Warner Robins, GA
Battery welding????
Not sure which thread I should be on, but maybe this question is general enough. I was just reading my favorite 4X4 magazine when it makes mention of "battery welding" as a possible rememdy for those trail emergencies when things break. I've seen this mentioned many times before, but have no clue about it. Is it as simple as jumper cables and a welding rod? Wow..better have some good cables and battery. Just looking for alittle insight. Maybe I should have written the mag, but you knowledgable folks usually answer a lot quicker. Thanks in advance.
RWT
RWT
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Joined: Dec 2000
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From: Racine WI
Battery welding????
There is a guy in my town that does that, He builds like sheetmetal cabinets to your specs and he welds it together right at the jobsite with a 12v battery, nes only welding sheetmetal tho and I would think you couldnt weld anything more than that with a battery
Postmaster
Joined: Mar 2001
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From: So Cal
Battery welding????
This might work, but I would be very sure to follow the usual rules of safety around batteries. Don't let the battery itself get near any sparks. Could lead to an explosive experience.
Does sound like an interesting thing to try when you have no alternative.
Good Luck,
Jim Henderson
Does sound like an interesting thing to try when you have no alternative.
Good Luck,
Jim Henderson
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Joined: Aug 2001
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From: Drummonds, TN USA
Battery welding????
I don't think I would want to go there, unless I had a dedicated set of them hooked together in parallel. The current drain on the battery would be like a dead short - and the cells won't take it for very long.
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Senior User
Joined: Nov 2001
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From: Warner Robins, GA
Battery welding????
Oh, I have not intention of trying this at home...I've been around when a battery blew up...not fun. I was just curious about it. The mags speak so matter-of-factly about it I thought I was missing out on something. I know they make welding units that bolt on under the hood, but don't think that's what they're talking about when they mention battery welding. Still, if there is a "SAFE" way of doing it, it might come in handy during a real emergency. Guess I'll write to the magazine as well and see what they say. Thanks all.
Posting Guru
Joined: May 2001
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From: Florida
Battery welding????
could you do it with the truck running and not drain the battery? I dunno much about welding or electronics, but it doesnt seem as if it would be any "MORE" dangerous with it running, you still risk igniting some fumes either way.
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From: Drummonds, TN USA
Battery welding????
A battery by itself delivers somewhere upwards of 500 cranking ampers at 12 volts. A good alternator delivers 100 amps.
Where that falls in the normal range of welder settings I'm not sure at this point - I think most arc welders top out around 240 amps, but at what voltage?
The alternator is intended to gradually restore the batteries charge, not be a source of hi-current. If I decide to tinker with this idea, one thing I definitely won't do is have the engine running at the time. If the alternator were online, as soon as the voltage dipped it would theoretically go into WARP charge mode...
And that could burn it out.
Where that falls in the normal range of welder settings I'm not sure at this point - I think most arc welders top out around 240 amps, but at what voltage?
The alternator is intended to gradually restore the batteries charge, not be a source of hi-current. If I decide to tinker with this idea, one thing I definitely won't do is have the engine running at the time. If the alternator were online, as soon as the voltage dipped it would theoretically go into WARP charge mode...
And that could burn it out.
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