ideas for Hobart g-213

I've gotten an old hobart g-213 and plan on re-storing it.I've got the wisconsin 2 cylinder engine running pretty good,had to put some points and condensor in the magneto and go thru the carb.I've moved on now to the welding side,it's got a burnt open in the fine adjustment rheostat.I soldier a wire across the bad spot,reduced my adjustment from 8.25 to around 4 ohms.Right now I've got the ballast resistor removed as it had only 3 of the 9 insulators still inside,the rest are just pieces. I know these insulators are none existing anymore,so I'm trying to come up with a solutlion.I was thinking of maybe suspending the coil from maybe an insulator and letting the whole unit just hang without any internal insulators.But I'm concerned that under a welding load the heat might make the coil winding sag into each other and short out!Anybody out there who might have some solutions or ideas about this problem? I've even thought of buying some kind of porcelain strips t put between each coil link.
randy

Can you post a photo or two of the ballast resistor and its remaining insulators so we can see what you're dealing with?

You may know this already but member Slob is our resident older Hobart guru if you can reach him via Private Message (PM) if he doesn't jump in here.

I will send some pictures,but they're on another computer and the wife is using that one now.....I don't dare to kick her off the computer lol

Ok here are some picturesAttachment 1698425Attachment 1698427
the first picture is the insulators. 2nd one is the ballast resistor with all the broken,whole insulators glued and put back inside.Attachment 1698428

I wonder how JB WELD would hold up to the heat?
Mike

JB WELD is what I used to glue the insulator broken pieces together.I don't really expect them to hold up in the heat. JB does make a very High temp glue but I couldn't find any local

I had to fix one of these years ago, I was lucky and a guy out in Plymouth MA had a few got me bye. I wondered if someone who was into pottery could have made them and fired them in a kiln. Maybe a local community college with arts and crafts type classes?

He has learned to make his own molds, ordered some refractory type mix and is using his range oven to bake them. I think once he has the molding process down pat he may take them to a ceramic shop for firing. I admire his persistence!! He lives in a humid climate and has theorized that rust forming on the iron strips the insulators attach to expands, as rust will do, and breaks them. Makes sense to me. I've suggested maybe some stainless strips would alleviate this problem.
Mike

In my case I bought the machine used, it was obvious it had been dropped which I think would wreck them in short order. So how did we ever make out with this project?

Last I heard he had it running and welding good so I guess the homemade insulators worked out well.
Mike

I have own one in past it does great for welding.

I some trying to helpful but do not use JB weld it will fail then you have remove the JB weld.
The resistor gets to hot for simple fixes.
Find potter that makes pottery. The equipment and supplies and make new dup's.

The last time I had to make a set my mother did for me.

Note the clay had shink so need bigger and may take more one time to get the shink right.

Dave

Quote:

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Originally Posted by cool air

Ok here are some picturesAttachment 1698425Attachment 1698427
the first picture is the insulators. 2nd one is the ballast resistor with all the broken,whole insulators glued and put back inside.Attachment 1698428

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I agree with Smithdoor.Find someone who is into pottery making and has a kilm to make these insulators.The ones I made are doing ok,but I don't expect them to last as they are a bit soft.I didn't have the means to fire them and make them more harder and able to stand up to higher temperature. I don't use my Holbart welder very much and so far it's been welding very well for me.Thanks again for mla2ofus for all his help and advice!
Randy