Welding with Car Batteries

fabricator · 03-27-2008, 07:58 PM

This has saved us several times on the trail.
Finally found a good article on it
thought I would pass it on
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Just remove the two batteries from the vehicles, and hook the positive terminal on the first battery to the negative terminal on the second battery. This will hook up the two batteries in series, yielding 24 Volts of power.
Once you've got the juice flowing from one battery to the next, you need to harness all those cold cranking amps and put them to work for you as a welder. For this you'll need another set of jumper cables (or a first set if you've used a battery cable to hook the two batteries in series). Hook up the negative lead of the cables to the empty negative terminal, with the other end attached to the work piece. Hook the positive cable to the empty positive terminal, with the other end clamping the electrode. At this point (after protecting your eyes, of course) you can go ahead and stike the arc to begin welding.

Article is here..........
http://www.4x4wire.com/isuzu/minutemods/welder/

GPER · 03-27-2008, 11:19 PM

That is a very good write up.

94Dodge Truggy · 03-27-2008, 11:26 PM

How about 3 batteries?

Nuts · 03-27-2008, 11:48 PM

how long can you weld like that before the batteries die, on how thick of metal,and can you just use a normal welding rod?...why is the sky blue and how come its still cold out when the sun is shining,lol

itbrokeagain · 03-28-2008, 12:14 AM

It works very well. Can be done with as many batteries as you need. The more juice you have the thicker the steel. Repaired a shackle mount on atomic ridge at Windrock this way.

carwash · 03-28-2008, 01:01 AM

just dont forget the 3-4 pairs of sunglasses...

fabricator · 03-28-2008, 01:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 94Dodge Truggy

How about 3 batteries?

2 have been plenty hot enuf on either of my trail fixes

welds pretty good, was surprised....

JET455 · 03-28-2008, 01:54 AM

there are even some spool guns on the market that you can hook to the batteries. Makes it nice to be wire feed out on the trail....

GPER · 03-28-2008, 08:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 94Dodge Truggy

How about 3 batteries?

They say three is even better.

carwash · 03-28-2008, 10:00 AM

well, then i'm going to use four.

GPER · 03-28-2008, 01:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by carwash

well, then i'm going to use four.

I'm going to make more jumper cables so I can use five

wilson1010 · 03-28-2008, 02:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GPER

I'm going to make more jumper cables so I can use five

Need a couple of short cables with terminal clamps and one set of long jumpers. But, that 2 guage wire is spendy!

GPER · 03-28-2008, 02:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wilson1010

Need a couple of short cables with terminal clamps and one set of long jumpers. But, that 2 guage wire is spendy!

I still have a bunch of the hot wire off of the cranes from when I worked down at Armco or AK now.

I made my jumpers out of it years ago so I could pull in behind a car and still have enough cable to reach the batteries.

highlandercj-7 · 03-28-2008, 04:29 PM

I carry a welding kit consisting of a pair of cutting goggles with a shade 10 lens, a nomex hood to protect the face, welding gloves, an assortment of electrodes and a few 1' long wires with battery terminals at each end to connect 3 car batteries, then I use my HD jumper cables to weld with. 3 batteries making 36 volts works much better to get the arc to work. We welded a coil-over mount back onto my friends bronco and it worked great.

I recommend 1/8" rods because with them amps it turned the whole thing red using 1/16" rods. We burned through 6 rods and every battery still had enough juice to run there vehicles.

03-27-2008, 07:58 PM	#1
fabricator Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Cincy, Oh Posts: 947	Welding with Car Batteries This has saved us several times on the trail. Finally found a good article on it thought I would pass it on ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Just remove the two batteries from the vehicles, and hook the positive terminal on the first battery to the negative terminal on the second battery. This will hook up the two batteries in series, yielding 24 Volts of power. Once you've got the juice flowing from one battery to the next, you need to harness all those cold cranking amps and put them to work for you as a welder. For this you'll need another set of jumper cables (or a first set if you've used a battery cable to hook the two batteries in series). Hook up the negative lead of the cables to the empty negative terminal, with the other end attached to the work piece. Hook the positive cable to the empty positive terminal, with the other end clamping the electrode. At this point (after protecting your eyes, of course) you can go ahead and stike the arc to begin welding. Article is here.......... http://www.4x4wire.com/isuzu/minutemods/welder/ Attached Images __________________ For you guys who can't drive, I have owned a frame rack for several years. Prices are based on your skill and ability to wreck it....

03-27-2008, 11:48 PM	#4
Nuts Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: middletown,oh Posts: 508	how long can you weld like that before the batteries die, on how thick of metal,and can you just use a normal welding rod?...why is the sky blue and how come its still cold out when the sun is shining,lol Last edited by Nuts; 03-27-2008 at 11:57 PM.

03-28-2008, 12:14 AM	#5
itbrokeagain Just Empty Every Pocket - CORE Member - Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Amelia Posts: 1,435	It works very well. Can be done with as many batteries as you need. The more juice you have the thicker the steel. Repaired a shackle mount on atomic ridge at Windrock this way. __________________ 91 fj 80 on 37 Nitto Muds with a 10k winch. Cage and sliders coming soon.

03-28-2008, 01:01 AM	#6
carwash pimpin' IS easy Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Union, KY Posts: 3,344 Images: 605	just dont forget the 3-4 pairs of sunglasses... __________________

03-28-2008, 01:54 AM	#8
JET455 Your wifes pimp! Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Everywhere!!!!!! Posts: 548	there are even some spool guns on the market that you can hook to the batteries. Makes it nice to be wire feed out on the trail.... __________________ if i am not currently offending you, i will be shortly.

03-27-2008, 11:19 PM	#2
GPER Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Kettering, Ohio Posts: 811	That is a very good write up.

03-27-2008, 11:26 PM	#3
94Dodge Truggy EX-Vice President Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Fairfield, Ohio Posts: 3,048	How about 3 batteries?

03-28-2008, 10:00 AM	#10
carwash pimpin' IS easy Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Union, KY Posts: 3,344 Images: 605	well, then i'm going to use four. __________________

03-28-2008, 04:29 PM	#14
highlandercj-7 locked n' loaded Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Da Burgh' Posts: 22	I carry a welding kit consisting of a pair of cutting goggles with a shade 10 lens, a nomex hood to protect the face, welding gloves, an assortment of electrodes and a few 1' long wires with battery terminals at each end to connect 3 car batteries, then I use my HD jumper cables to weld with. 3 batteries making 36 volts works much better to get the arc to work. We welded a coil-over mount back onto my friends bronco and it worked great. I recommend 1/8" rods because with them amps it turned the whole thing red using 1/16" rods. We burned through 6 rods and every battery still had enough juice to run there vehicles.