Before you make a welding machine for wires at home, it is worth understanding the main components and principles of operation. Particular importance is given to the power of the transformer, which depends on the type of work ahead. To connect metal thin products, a low current strength is required, while welding of massive reinforcement is impossible at such an intensity.
Transformer
The device provides an arc from the mains voltage. This element consists of two main parts:
- magnetic circuit;
- winding.
Creating a transformer does not cause much difficulty. The primary winding of the device is connected to a 220 W power supply, while the secondary is required for the welding operations themselves. The magnetic circuit can be assembled not only from plates of a special transformer metal, but also from other materials. As an addition to 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 current strength, 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 dipping properties. They simplify the welding process and provide minimal arc oscillations.
Required Items
You can independently make a welding machine for wires of any type, whether it is 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 to achieve a high-quality weld. It is optimally suitable for welding wires at home. Before proceeding with the manufacture, it is necessary to prepare the following:
- material for a transformer core with a high level of magnetic permeability;
- enough copper wire.
The core should have a U-shaped standard configuration and a rod structure. In some cases, it is necessary 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 core cross-sectional area must be within 50 cm². The use of a large cross section is irrational, since it does not provide additional characteristics and increases the total mass of the device.
Winding
For the primary winding, copper wiring is used, characterized by a high level of resistance to thermal effects. It should be complemented by fiberglass or cotton insulation. It is possible to use cables with an insulating sheath made of rubber and other materials, with the exception of polyvinyl chloride.
If necessary, insulation can be made with your own hands using small pieces of suitable material. They are wound on a copper wire and covered with a layer of electrical varnish.
The coil frame is made in accordance with the geometric characteristics of the magnetic circuit. They should have suitable dimensions so as not to impede the free donning of the magnetic core to the core. For the manufacture of the latter, as a rule, ordinary cardboard or textolite is used.
What you need to know
When carrying out winding coils, some features must be taken into account. In particular, the primary winding is made only halfway, a part of the secondary is superimposed on top of it. The second side of the coil is wrapped in the same way. Using thick paper, fiberglass and cardboard, you can increase the insulation characteristics, for this it is necessary to lay sections 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 voltage data on the secondary winding. The indicators should be within 60 V. If necessary, you can add part of the winding or remove excess. Measurements and changes in the winding are made until the required data are obtained.
The welding machine for wires is connected to the network using a two-wire cable or an inner 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 are connected to the workpieces.
Work with copper wires
In electrical work, copper wires are indispensable. There are three basic joining techniques: welding, compression, and crimping. The optimal combination of speed and quality of work has the first option.
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 carried out by direct and alternating current. If necessary, an arc welding method and additional devices, such as a transformer, a beam device and an inverter, can be used.
Work stages
The welding machine for welding wires can have a different design and can be manufactured according to a certain technology, despite this, the welding process consists of identical steps. First, the sheath is removed from the cables using scissors or a regular clerical knife. It is necessary to retreat from the edge by 2-3 cm, trim the upper shell and gently pull it off. Cable twisting should be about 3 cm long and complemented by several standard sized cores. The clamp is fixed only on the finished connection. Next, you need to connect a welding machine for welding copper wires with installed power and current strength.
What you need to pay attention to
The welding process itself is carried out within a few seconds and provides a small copper ball. It is worth noting that the welding time is of particular importance, since if you remove the apparatus too early, the quality of the connection will be poor due to the porous structure. At the same time, if you hold 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
Considering that the welding machine is connected to the network with copper wires, their choice is no less important. They must provide work under different voltage levels and in different conditions. The following characteristics are equally important:
- resistance to bending and other mechanical influences;
- preservation of characteristics when exposed to ultraviolet radiation;
- the ability to use when working in a wide temperature range;
- resistance to mold and corrosion.
Microwave Oven
A fairly simple welding machine for copper wires with your own hands can be made from a transformer from a microwave oven, which has high power and compact dimensions. Such a device is placed in the case from the PC power supply and is optimally suited for welding copper cables.
To create a device, a transformer from any microwave 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 in the housing from the power supply along with two automatic machines.
The resulting welding machine for wires 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 is notable for a rather significant weight, the device itself has small dimensions.
To simplify the use and improve the quality of the connection, you can use 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 in the required position.
DIY welding machine for wires: features
Softer welding is obtained by using a choke. It should be noted that while working with copper twists, a sharp smell of burning and smoke appears, so it is recommended to open the window first. Also, cases of ignition of a graphite electrode are not uncommon.
Twist wires must be the same length. It will also be useful to cover the twist with brown before welding and observe the minimum heating time.
A good terminal can be obtained from improvised items or parts purchased for a nominal price. A brush from a trolleybus or a powerful motor is perfect for this role. Several holes of suitable size are drilled in graphite. They are necessary for laying twists and getting a smooth alloy.
The arc during operation must be continuous and have sufficient heat to ensure a good connection. As noted earlier, heating to a temperature below the required level leads to the formation of a porous core inside the frozen drop.