Clarke Mig inter'ds

[SlagKing]

Took the skins off my Clarke. I don't have a digital camera but took some pic's anyway. You'll have to wait until I get them back, but not much inside anyway. A couple of transformers, one bigger then the other, a little motor that drives the wire, a few electrical parts. Nothing inside said anything about where it was made. So I take it, it was made in Italy. I was a little surprized on how well it is made.

[cutter]

Good. Be sure to tell us what model it is.

[Franz]

Slag is there room in there to install a 5" computer cooling fan?
If there is, you'll get an improved duty cycle and a lot longer life from the machine.

[SlagKing]

It's a Clarke 95 and yes Franz, it don't have a cooling fan, and yes there is room for one. I will install one, made for a computer and I will get a 5" one.
I know it's not a top of the line welder, but I only use it to install handrailings, and for that I use fluxcore and for that it works great. Would be nice if it had a cold gun, but with the auto darking helmet, it's not too bad now that I'm use to it.

[cutter]

Originally posted by SlagKing
It's a Clarke 95 and yes Franz, it don't have a cooling fan, and yes there is room for one. I will install one, made for a computer and I will get a 5" one.
I know it's not a top of the line welder, but I only use it to install handrailings, and for that I use fluxcore and for that it works great. Would be nice if it had a cold gun, but with the auto darking helmet, it's not too bad now that I'm use to it.

Looks to me like somebody would be doing a lot of guys a favor if he'd figure out how to hook a relay into the trigger circuit for the wire feed so it would also turn the arc on & off. I wonder if comparing the wiring diagram/schematic of an HH135 to the Clarke would provide enough clues to do that? Or maybe use the fancier Clarke's diagram to figure out where to install it in a 95.

[Franz]

Couple things~ All of the small 135 class machines are pretty much designed to self destruct due to lack of cooling. Wether it's done purposely to sell more welders, or just as another cost cutter, is a whole seperate issue.
The reality is most folks routinely run the machine till it thermal shuts down, and wait till it resets, and this is definitely destructive to windings and insulation over time.

The second thing, when installing a cooling fan, make sure you get one that is 115 volts, a lot of fans in computers are 5 or 12 volts.

Installing a relay to provide a cold gun shouldn't be difficult since it only requires a 20 amp relay and possibly a small transformer to provide control voltage to the relay.

[SlagKing]

Thanks guys. I'll get to work on it, and let ya'll know.

[Bolt]

drive roll:

[Bolt]

spool side

[Bolt]

electrical side:

[Bolt]

top view:

[Bolt]

and now the whole machine:

sorry for the time it took to get them up here, its been almost a week already

[Bolt]

Well now some info:

I'm running .035 flux cored wire, and it does 3/16 decently.

It has a cold gun, trigger activated wire feed and power.

It needs a 20 A 115 V breaker to run on the hottest setting for any length of time.

I've had it for over 4 years now, and it has served me well for the minimal amount of money I have invested in it.

I spoke to yall about modding it some last week, but my plans may have changed, I'm now looking at getting a MM251 :D

[SlagKing]

Bolt. Mine looks almost like yours. What model is yours? The difference's are.
1) I have no cooling fan
2) My transformers are "laying down" as to me, yours are on edge.
3) My wire drive is the same, but to me, and maybe it's just me because I don't know any better, and it hasn't yet caused any problems, the motor seems dinky.
4) My gun is hot.
5) I can't use a bigger spool like you have, only the smaller size.
6) I have a wire speed control, and my output control is only hi or low, not stepped like I have seen on a Hobert for example.
I think thats the only difference's Most of the parts would fit into mine, example the square silver thingy just to the left of your fan, the transformers are the same, but placed differently.
I have a question. Why are there two transformers? One is bigger then the other, I have never looked at the inter'ed's of a welder before, and would like to know why there are two transformers.
Also I posted a few days ago about Carbon arc welding. Franz was correct in his statements, I think this Carbon Arc Welder will be back in the lower part of the junk shelf. I played with it for a few hours, really giving it a fair workout. It didn't really do squat except keep my hands a little bit warmer. I did notice it also had two transformers. So if you could, anyone, tell me why these welders have two transformers. I think my Hobert Stickmate has only one transformer. Is this true?

[Franz]

Slag, one is a transformer, the second one is a choke. The choke acts together with capacitors to smooth out the raw DC from the rectifier. In welding machines the choke is called a reactor, been called that forever, and I have no idea why.

Don't loose that carbon arc torch, some day you'll love it for takin off rusty nuts.

[Bolt]

Well I'll be darned.

I coulda sworn I typed in the model somewhere.

It's a 100EN

[SlagKing]

Franz
Thanks for telling me about the (two) transformers.
The Carbon Arc torch is now back out of the lower junk shelf and returned to the front of the used often homemade but odd tool shelf. I'll have one of my girls use it on a rusted nut for me, since they like to help or at least ask to help or learn. They are pretty young but I think one of them could do this.

[Franz]

Slag, just make sure the little girl operating the switch isn't mad at you that day.

[SlagKing]

Franz.
I'll keep one eye on my youngest, sounds like she would try something like that