Ash.Witty Posted April 2, 2013 Share Posted April 2, 2013 Hi all, Recently I have acquired a Clarke 160Turbo welding set, I have been trying to weld some 1/4" plate and don't seem to be having much luck. My question is will my 13A supply be strangling my welder and should I fit a 16A socket? My welds seem to look like turds and no matter what I try I can't seem to get it right. On Thin metal up to 1/8" works a treat and get some decent welds but Im hoping a beefier supply will get me going again. Ash Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bowie69 Posted April 2, 2013 Share Posted April 2, 2013 It possibly is.... do you v-cut the pieces you are welding? On 6mm, it's not uncommon to take two or three welds to fill a joint. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ejparrott Posted April 2, 2013 Share Posted April 2, 2013 There's a lot of things you can do to improve the hobby range of clarke welders, primarly replacing weedy earth cables and fitting better power supply cables. They make a big difference alone. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ash.Witty Posted April 2, 2013 Author Share Posted April 2, 2013 Yes, I always prep the piece to be welded but the welder doesn't seem to Have much grunt on the higher settings. I did toy with getting a 3 phase job but have run out of pennies as my Cummins engine conversion has swallowed the lot maybe in the future but I would like to make the best of what I have got to play with. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bowie69 Posted April 2, 2013 Share Posted April 2, 2013 As above, earth lead and clamp also makes a huge difference, I have a Clarke 151TE, and I weld 6mm with little issues. I stuck mine on a 16A plug, powered by a 6 metre caravan hook-up cable, makes it easy to move about outside the workshop According to the instructions, you MUSt have it from a 16A supply, not sure if yours is the same. Replaced my earth lead with chunky stuff when it got too short/badly burnt(!), and fitted a very strong clamp to it from Mole Valley, a hundred times better than the horrible old thing on there which just melted and fell off in about a year! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ash.Witty Posted April 2, 2013 Author Share Posted April 2, 2013 Well I'll give that a go, beef up the supply, add a thicker earth and a decent clamp Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JeffR Posted April 2, 2013 Share Posted April 2, 2013 I weld up to 8mm from a standard domestic supply with no problems. My opinion is that the supplied earth clamps from Clarke, Sip, Sealey etc are a total waste of copper wire. The clamps are made of tin, buy a decent earth clamp, they're cheap enough. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
qwakers Posted April 2, 2013 Share Posted April 2, 2013 my clarke 160 welds 6mm just fine... as long as i have it on the 16a supply. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ash.Witty Posted April 2, 2013 Author Share Posted April 2, 2013 All taken into account chaps, I will proceed with getting a 16A supply rigged up soon, and set about ordering a decent clamp with some beefier earth cable. Thanks for the help Ash Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve b Posted April 2, 2013 Share Posted April 2, 2013 Its not just the earth lead that can suck the amps up , the torch lead can get worn out with all the twists and tight turns you always end up with working a welder I changed my Snap-on 180a welder eurotorch lead for a Binzel 4m unit and was amazed at how much I had been losing through the old lead , and it's running off a 13a plug . The old torch lead was probably more than 15yrs old and the Binzel is off my 3 phase Butters cheers Steveb Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ash.Witty Posted April 2, 2013 Author Share Posted April 2, 2013 Never thought about the torch, it's got the std. Built in one fitted, but I've just had a look on eBay at a euro torch conversion kit with a 4m lead for £75 so might go for an upgrade. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
muddy Posted April 2, 2013 Share Posted April 2, 2013 Binzel torches are lovely. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darren Roberts Posted April 2, 2013 Share Posted April 2, 2013 Everything that you ever wanted to know about welding - www.migweldingforum.co.uk - they're a great bunch of guys just like the forum members here - I'm sure many of us are members of both! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve b Posted April 2, 2013 Share Posted April 2, 2013 I reckon thats worth a punt , the built in ones are pretty low budget and a euro adapter does give you a shot at a Binzel , there are occasional offers on Binzel so its worth keeping an eye open cheers Steveb Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikec Posted April 2, 2013 Share Posted April 2, 2013 What wire are you running? I've got a similar Clarke welder, and run it from a 13a plug, but upgraded to .8mm wire instead of the .6 it came with Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ash.Witty Posted April 2, 2013 Author Share Posted April 2, 2013 It's .8 at the mo and currently on a 13A supply. I just want a half decent setup for making brackets and the odd chassis repair. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
simonr Posted April 3, 2013 Share Posted April 3, 2013 I used to have the same welder (which I gifted to someone on here when I bought a bigger one). I put down some lovely multi-pass welds on up to 12mmplate without any problem. All the tooling for my Fly Press was welded together with it - and it's all still stuck 10 years on. Some of it was even welding 25mm round bar to 30mm square section. Get it hot enough with high power, low wire feed, low gas - and it takes OK. My suspicion is that there is something not right with the welder! Maybe the rectifier is over heating - or just not working properly? Take it to a grown-up welding shop and see what they make of it. Si Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bowie69 Posted April 3, 2013 Share Posted April 3, 2013 My problem with taking a Clarke welder to a grown-up welding shop is you tend to get laughed at :/ Not literally, but you know what I mean. Consider though, for ~£100 for the eurotorch, new earth clamp, new earth wire, plus messing about, you could probably sell it as is for £150 or so, and put the extra together to get a decent more industrial machine with greater life and more standardised components from the off, plus bigger, more economical wire reels. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ejparrott Posted April 3, 2013 Share Posted April 3, 2013 Never thought about the torch, it's got the std. Built in one fitted, but I've just had a look on eBay at a euro torch conversion kit with a 4m lead for £75 so might go for an upgrade. Buy one with the gas valve included if yours is like mine. The 150TE has a manual gas valve in the torch, a Euro torch does not. With a Euro setup the gas is switched via solenoid valve at the bottom end, and I've had a devil of a job sorting it all out. I'm using a 24vac relay operated by the Euro trigger, to switch a 230vac coil solenoid gas valve, because I wasn't certain that the 24vac would have enough spare capacity to hold a valve open, and the last thing I wanted to do was fry the circuit board! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FridgeFreezer Posted April 3, 2013 Share Posted April 3, 2013 I use this flavour earth clamp, chunky chunky: I do agree with the idea of selling it & getting a used industrial unit though, seems less faffing about. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pete3000 Posted April 3, 2013 Share Posted April 3, 2013 Have you got gas? I run a clarke 151te off a 13A supply with no-issue. The biggest improvement by far is getting a decent co2/argon gas bottle and regulator. The disposables are only good for emergency use as the compatible regs from machine mart are on or off. I found the disposables wouldn't last more than 3 mins total welding time. The 151 shares an instruction manual with the 160 and has a similar spec. The other advice is to make sure the metal is clean as possible, and as someone has said to v the weld on thick material to help the weld penetration. Pete Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ash.Witty Posted April 3, 2013 Author Share Posted April 3, 2013 Right, I've come to the conclusion that I could make a decent welding set by upgrading my unit but I could have a very good used 3 phase unit instead by selling mine and saving a few pennies up. Those were the type of clamps I was looking at, strong and would give a very good connection. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bowie69 Posted April 3, 2013 Share Posted April 3, 2013 Doesn't have to be three phase, 240 industrial machines are common as well... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dirtyninety Posted April 3, 2013 Share Posted April 3, 2013 my 2p, If you have a 3phase supply... USE 3PHASE!! Ive got a SIP 249 which is 250amps on a single phase 16amp spur, I wish to god id bought a 3phase instead! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bowie69 Posted April 4, 2013 Share Posted April 4, 2013 3 phase are often cheaper, granted, if you have, use it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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