Ian
Notorious member
The Empire here needs a mobile stuck welder for fencing and so forth, and being money poor and salvaged truck parts rich, I decided to try to make a welder out of a Delco 22SI truck alternator (we have barrels full of dead ones at work). This particular model isn't as easy to convert as some, but I may have it worked out.
Basically, the rectifier and diodes are bypassed, the field circuit separated and brought outside the case along with each leg of the three-phase windings. The field will be controlled manually with a rheostat to tune the amperage output of the generator. The three phase will be connected to a high-voltage external bridge rectifier, and the welding leads directly connected to the rectifier output. I'll probably have to add a reactor in line with the positive output and some sort of capacitor or MOV across the rectifier output terminals to stabilize the arc and squelch voltage spikes.
The innards un-modified:
After isolating the regulator and internal rectifier leads as well as all other case connections. One leg of the field has been grounded to the case and the other (blue wire) connected directly to an i sulated through post. All six diode ring terminals were clipped off and only the insulated studs used to mechanically connect the extension leads.
Here's the whole thing put back together. Plan is to mount it in place of the ac compressor on the ranch truck.
Basically, the rectifier and diodes are bypassed, the field circuit separated and brought outside the case along with each leg of the three-phase windings. The field will be controlled manually with a rheostat to tune the amperage output of the generator. The three phase will be connected to a high-voltage external bridge rectifier, and the welding leads directly connected to the rectifier output. I'll probably have to add a reactor in line with the positive output and some sort of capacitor or MOV across the rectifier output terminals to stabilize the arc and squelch voltage spikes.
The innards un-modified:
After isolating the regulator and internal rectifier leads as well as all other case connections. One leg of the field has been grounded to the case and the other (blue wire) connected directly to an i sulated through post. All six diode ring terminals were clipped off and only the insulated studs used to mechanically connect the extension leads.
Here's the whole thing put back together. Plan is to mount it in place of the ac compressor on the ranch truck.