Welding with Two AGM Batteries

Its probably bad for any battery given the large and intermittent currents being drawn, but unless you were planning to build the queen mary I dont see that its a huge issue for the odd repair.

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A battery is a battery and in most cases when you have to weld this way it's in an emergency situation.

AGM's are fine for very high current discharge as long as you don't do it all the time.

2 x 100 amp hour batteries will give you about 3 hours of constant weld time on 3mm material using 2.5mm rods...... that's a hell of a lot of welding.

If your going to use batteries with a threaded post all you do is make up a bridging lead with two battery lugs on it and do the same for the negative and positive.

If welding under 3mm material use the positive for the earth clamp and negative for the electrode holder...... 3mm and over use the negative for the earth and positive for the electrode holder.

Don't worry about trying to make it variable.

The other option is to use the welder another member (Mick O) has..... a hand held mig welder.

I carry (and use) a ''Ready Welder 2'' which is a 24V or 36V DC MIG.
It is spectacularly good and can also weld aluminium (with gas). Over 200A of welding power if required.

Cheers,
Peter
OKA196 Motorhome

I found that 3 batteries in series I was able to get a better strike and contiuous weld.

Also I make the positive the earth and the stick the negative.

That's just me though.

We managed to weld a two piece trailer into a one piece trailer with a couple OF agm's (screw in terminal type as mentioned above). The greatest difficulty is actually regulating the current. We've used jumper leads for this adding length or number 8 fencing wire for resitance ( it turns to plasma pretty quickly). Three batteries will often run things too hot. What ever the results, they don't have to be pretty, just effective. AGM"s will be fine unless your trying to weld peace in the middle east....that'll probably take a fourth battery!!



The back half of this video has some interesting snippets of the Ready Welder 2 and that trailer I mentioned above (sorry Scotty!).




Ah bush welding....may you never need to use it!

A day of bush welding


Cheers Mick

Thanks guys,

Will go ahead and make one up.

Cheers