TMW
Select Nomad
Posts: 10659
Registered: 9-1-2003
Location: Bakersfield, CA
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Welding with Batteries
In the latest issue of Peterson"s 4Wheel and Off-Road, April 2019, there is an article about welding with batteries while on the trail. I've used two
batteries to do some test welds but I haven't welded anything while off-road on a trail. A few years ago Nomad John M and I were in Death Valley with
some Jeeps and one of them broke a drag link on the front steering and we pondered whether to try a battery weld. We didn't have some of the things
necessary to do it so we decided not to and besides we were near a highway and AAA saved the day. I now carry eye protection, gloves, rods etc. and
would try it. I'm not very good at welding but something may be better than nothing. Anyway here is a summary of what the article said.
The last two pages.
The Summary, print this and carry it with you, it might come in handy.
I sent an email to makers of the Antigravity XP-10 micro-start jump starters to see if using it to weld would work. Here is there reply.
Hello Tom and thank you for reaching out to us. To be straight and honest we would never advise on using the Microstarts outside of their intended
purpose and design. We've seen plenty of people use them in other applications such as what you are suggesting but again we can not advise nor suggest
such use.
Thank you and please feel free to let us know if you have any additional questions at all.
Best regards,
ANTIGRAVITY
Phone: (310) 527-2330
The Micro-Start
The Re-start Battery *NEW*
- Built-In Jump-Starting!
On Thu, Jan 31, 2019 at 11:26 AM Thomas Wimberly wrote:
For a trail fix I have welded with two batteries in series three is better but two will work. I used regular truck batteries. I have two XP-10
micro-start jump starters. Can I connect them in series to weld in an emergency? Can I connect a regular battery in series with them to weld?
Thanks
Tom Wimberly
Bakersfield, CA
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advrider
Super Nomad
Posts: 1863
Registered: 10-2-2015
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I've welded on several broken rigs on the Rubicon with batteries over (3 work best) the years. I now run a moby welder on my scrambler and it does the
job even better. There are a couple of spool welders that you can hook to batteries that work good too. I love the feeling of knowing that I can weld
on the trail, some reason I always get invited to go! LOL...
[Edited on 2-1-2019 by advrider]
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rich t
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Registered: 4-18-2016
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I have welded with batteries many times, 2 batteries are marginal, the rod gets hot to quick, the higher you can bump up the voltage the better it
will weld, at present we have 3 rockcrawlers, 2 have premier power welders which work great and 1 has a welder that I built from scratch which also
works great, they are great to have when you break something in the middle of Baja, you can not see metal fatique.
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4x4abc
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 4289
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Location: La Paz, BCS
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Mood: happy - always
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when I still had Jeep trail rigs on the Rubicon I had a Premier onboard welder.
That things was so good that I preferred it over the big welder in the garage.
I have seen guys use batteries to weld. Works. But you need solid welding experience. And you need to have all the chit that you need for welding.
Hood, gloves, hammer, brush and most importantly the proper sticks.
I found 2 solid ways to not weld. Don't use a Jeep in rough country. Be as kind as possible to your rig (mechanical sympathy) - no matter what make.
Harald Pietschmann
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John Harper
Super Nomad
Posts: 2289
Registered: 3-9-2017
Location: SoCal
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My auto shop/metal shop teacher in high school demonstrated battery welding one time. I never tried it, but nice to know it can be done. He was an
expert welder, of course.
John
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55steve
Senior Nomad
Posts: 857
Registered: 4-24-2006
Location: Warner Springs, CA
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Premier Power Welder is what several of the guys in our group used. I was usually the designated welder and can attest that it worked very well, many
times so well that the trail fix became permanent.
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