I've seen some pretty simple spot welders, one uses 4 2200uf 35v caps in parallel hooked to a 30vdc transformer and it is being used to weld battery tabs. I think it is under powered as it is only about 4j of energy.
I was wondering if it would be possible to build one using 120ac hooked to a full wave bridge rectifier, mine gives 110vdc output. I have a lot of larger (300-800uf 450v caps as well as many caps that are 250v and higher at much higher capacitance).
If I run the caps in parallel and use a momentary switch, would I be able to charge the caps with the 110vdc then discharge them with the switch? I know that this is a pretty simple explination and I'd add a diode between the rectifier and the caps (any where else?) but would this concept work and if not, can it be made to work by adding something else?
I need a way to weld onto batteries so it need not be very powerful (though I would like to build one that is capable of sheet metal at some point.
I also have some 250w metal halide transformers that step up 120 to 277vac which may be more useful in this situation as I could use this before the rectifier to get much more energy storage in them.
I was also considering putting in a dimmer switch which would allow me to control the voltage, which I could then better control the power of the welder. Any thoughts on this?
I was wondering if it would be possible to build one using 120ac hooked to a full wave bridge rectifier, mine gives 110vdc output. I have a lot of larger (300-800uf 450v caps as well as many caps that are 250v and higher at much higher capacitance).
If I run the caps in parallel and use a momentary switch, would I be able to charge the caps with the 110vdc then discharge them with the switch? I know that this is a pretty simple explination and I'd add a diode between the rectifier and the caps (any where else?) but would this concept work and if not, can it be made to work by adding something else?
I need a way to weld onto batteries so it need not be very powerful (though I would like to build one that is capable of sheet metal at some point.
I also have some 250w metal halide transformers that step up 120 to 277vac which may be more useful in this situation as I could use this before the rectifier to get much more energy storage in them.
I was also considering putting in a dimmer switch which would allow me to control the voltage, which I could then better control the power of the welder. Any thoughts on this?