somebody please tell me if this is do-able,or if i'm just wasting server space here.i have an Astro 110 and it works pretty good for a $300 machine,all things considered.recently though,i have been welding in some subframe connectors on my nephew's mulletstang (5 years in the garage and $15,000 and it's still not running! ) and sometimes after a good long bead the thing starts sputtering,so i shut it off,let it cool for awhile,then everything is back to normal.i'm thinking it's getting warm and hating it,so maybe i could mount a muffin fan or two in the case to pull the hot air out.sound feasible? the other idea i had was maybe i could substitute a big old rheostat in place of the two switches that control the heat setting.i have a friend who's an electronics tech. who could do the work,or at least make sure i don't kill myself or blow anything up,so that's not a factor.howzabout it folks?
im not sure if i would drive a 4000 lb car with a 300 doller weld. u need different welder for different apps. sure u can cool the welder with a fun but theres a reason it shutting offf its telling u u are working it to hard to much weld not enof welder .a if u do plan on drivin the car make sure u are useing the right heat for the app. dont under cut it or your sub frame is gonna fall off at the first pot hole u hit if u live life by the law and u wont live life at all
I use the Astro 130 and love it; I also sell Astros. The 110 has a place on the back panel for a muffin fan since the sheet metal is the same between models. Easy enough to wire it in, get one that moves enough air; you want it to suck hot air OUT. However your problem may not be the Astro since it has a thermal cutout that disables the gun when the transformer is overheated. Just to be certain, open the side panel and make sure all connections are tight and/or well soldered. While you are inside note if the transformer is using copper or aluminum wire. There are a lot of "half breed" units out there that are sold stripped down to wholesalers who then install Chinese transformers and plastic rollers; those are troublesome. With extended use you may be having a problem with your AC line. Check the outlet and the breaker box. Connections MUST be tight and I hope you are not using an oversized breaker on #14 wire! Gotta run, going fishing. Be back this evening.
Youre operating it outside its duty cycle,adding a fan may help, but id say youre problem is your using a $300 welder. I just took a big gulp and bought a 250 amp unit for $1400, after using it for a day or two,the pain in my hip pocket is gone,its so smooth and easy to weld with.and unless im doing two foot long beads on 12mm plate,theres no way im going to overheat the thing. all that said,putting a fan in will help it get by.
speedy3s would probably be amazed at the things that can be welded with a couple of 12 volt car batteries and a pair of jumper cables! and not be dangerous.
[ QUOTE ] the other idea i had was maybe i could substitute a big old rheostat in place of the two switches that control the heat setting. [/ QUOTE ] . This sounds feasible, I too would like to get rid of the heat switch on my little Lincoln and replace it with a rheostat, seems like too often I need a heat range somewhere between two fixed settings. Paul
A big factor on a small"cheapo" welder is that you should not use a cord -plug it directly into outlet if at all possible.if not build a custom heavy wire cord as short as possible.its amazing how many people dont know that the long [small wire- economy] extension cord is most of the trouble with their small 110 welders.
If the machine has been around a while,it might be worthwhile to pull the covers off and blow all the dust out. A fan would be a good investment,remember the air has to go in AND out. No sense blowing air in if it can't get out. Having a fan will increase the amount of dust that collects inside, so it will need to be cleaned more often..
a lot of people talk a lot of smack about the $300 Astro... but they work pretty damn well... We did test welds with the Astros, and sent them off to be tested... nothing wrong with using it on 3/16. Ive got one that gets used a lot, mostly because it's so damn portable. I put a fan on the back, sucking hot air out... everything stays cool, and it runs forever.
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