BOSS LEVEL CUSTOM SPOT WELDER

Nice. Yes I just saw you vid on Youtube:
[youtube]hrvplvwQM7s[/youtube]

Wonder how much the 0.1 copper thickness can carry...

I just read the entire thread. Awsome little device !

Copper is such a challenge for any welder though... Seems like nothing on earth can defeat copper (asides from the 10 000 dollar and up Orion pulse welder).
I wish we could spotweld 0.3 mm copper ! All the superconductivity while still being robust enough... Thin copper layers would tend to tear easily.

I have a roll of copper foil in my thinkering arsenal. This specific copper foil to be precise:

K&S Precision Metal 0.005" (0.127mm) roll of 110, aka C11000 copper (IACS 101%) 99.9% min purity , 12 feet by 12 inch.
16.99$ from K&S Precision Metal (Item stock number : #6020).
View attachment 1View attachment 2

Here's how this copper foil looks on video... Note that this one is very very high purity copper... C11000 copper to be exact. So might be even harder to weld than what's been tried previously. Although I don't know that... I don't know what kind of copper was used previously (yes, there are many different possible kinds of copper... see here: https://www.copper.org/resources/properties/db/datasheets/all-alloys.pdf for composition and here for proprieties https://www.copper.org/resources/properties/db/basic-search.php and if you are really intense, here : https://alloys.copper.org/). I thinks it's important to specify the type of copper, as
99.5% copper will probably have significantly more resistance than 99.9%. Copper is intense...
[youtube]bVgeKBC5q2k[/youtube]

Not as thick as I'd like... But I wonder.... This is more than 0.1mm, but still considerably less than 0.2 mm.
It's 0.127 mm (0.005")... Do you think the boss welder could handle that in practical life ????

In theory, a 10 mm wide copper strip that's 0.127 mm thick (aka 1.27 mm2 section area) could conduct 18 Amps of current, while nickel of the same 0.127 thickness and 10 mm wideness would be good only for 5.1 Amps of current.

The 10 mm wide, 0.127 mm thick copper strip would compare to a 0100 mm wide, 0.5 mm thick nickel strip to have the same conductivity/ampacity.... But try spotwelding 0.5 mm thick nickel !!?!


Thickness guide to copper foils (1 mil to 16 mil!) : https://basiccopper.com/thicknessguide.html

Matador

Nice video ty. Yes i think it could handle 0.12 because i did 0.2 after all but i do not recommend going beyond 0.1
This machine was not designed to weld copper but nickel. Pushing beyond the limits will kill the fets in no time. The Heat and difficulty at 0.1 is considerable. I didn't test It myself as i could source only 0.1 and 0.2 but i think is doable.

rojitor said:

I guess you didn't visit this thread for a long time. Yes i welded many copper batteries. That one is 0.1
I succeded welding 0.2 but it's too dangerous for both the machine and user.
0.1 is perfectly doable with the Boss welder.

Click to expand...

Greetings, I have some questions about the copper welding you have done.

So you weld 0.1 copper with the v1 (the version that came out before Mar 25), using 3S Turnigy Nanotech batteries? Just a single battery, or in parallel with a 2nd, and what are the other settings? Like timing, multiple pulses, etc... ? I couldn't find if you mentioned it previously in this thread, maybe I accidentally jumped past it.

Also, I noticed in an image of yours that you use large patches of copper, instead of strips. Is there a reason for that? I imagine it would be more difficult to make contact with the battery faces in the middle of the pack. Also in that same image, you have these black plastic spacers, I have been looking for a source for those spacers, but couldn't find them, could you share it with us?

Image here > https://endless-sphere.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=1334770#p1334770

Copper needs 4s. 3s has no effect at all on It.
I use Two 4s nanotech in parallel. The reason for wide strips is that copper on copper makes poor welds, also i like the wide tabs method, series and parallel at the same time,less work and much better conductivity and heat dissipation. Win win.
Those spacers can be found at Aliexpress.
http://s.aliexpress.com/eYry6j6z
The same seller has good pure nickel too.
About the settings that depends on the battery.
I recommend nanotech or graphene with very high C burst and at least 5000 mah
The lipo must be fully loaded or the welds will be poor. I start using 8ms X2 and after a bunch of welds i rise to 9ms. As soon as i see the quality drops i stop, refuel and start again.
Welding copper is quite difficult and dangerous, the machine is capable to do so but has been designed for copper so do It at your own responsibility.
The heat while welding copper is extreme so i use 3 welding pens and i swap every few welds to let them cool down. I did a video about how to make more pens a few days ago.

I did a second part of the pen video. Now with interchangeable tips.
[youtube]AchVGnmf68Y[/youtube]

I did a flat pack for electric skateboard. 10s3p samsung 30q waterproof 60amps shared port bms


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[youtube]dKD0CIumcZw[/youtube]

I got mine yesterday. I have not tried it yet as I am waiting for my 4S pack to arrive from HobbyKing. The welder looks like it's fairly good quality (not so sure about the soldering iron handle, mine is broken), looking forward to testing it!

Welcome to the club. So you have gone straight for 4s... Go slowly. Some testing is recommended as 4s has different flux times.

What settings do you recommend to start with? I have 0.1mm 12mm copper and the nickel that the seller sent (I'm not sure what the spec of that is). Also how do I change from automatic to manual welding?

The courtesy strips sent by lee are 0.1 plated.
You will destroy them on 4s. Test them with very low settings.
For any question about how to use the welder you can watch this video
[youtube]75XBlGjcBVQ[/youtube]

For 0.1 copper i use 7-8ms X2 at full battery, as soon as the voltage drops i rise one ms and make a few more welds and refuel. For copper the voltage is very important. Performance depends on It.
Test slowly the copper. It requires quite some trimming and testing before you go for It. I use blades for testing before i engage the pack

anyone got some recent source for pure nickel strips? preferably from aliexpress (bec of free shipping).
i don't need big quantities.

My source is good but they sell kilos.

http://s.aliexpress.com/qUFJVjii

rojitor said:

The courtesy strips sent by lee are 0.1 plated.
You will destroy them on 4s. Test them with very low settings.
For any question about how to use the welder you can watch this video
[youtube]75XBlGjcBVQ[/youtube]

For 0.1 copper i use 7-8ms X2 at full battery, as soon as the voltage drops i rise one ms and make a few more welds and refuel. For copper the voltage is very important. Performance depends on It.
Test slowly the copper. It requires quite some trimming and testing before you go for It. I use blades for testing before i engage the pack

Click to expand...

Ok great I'll give that a try. Do you know if it can weld .1 to .1 copper or would I need to use larger pieces like you did? I'm still eagerly waiting for this 4S pack to arrive so I can try it for myself.

No. Copper on copper makes poor welds.
Wide tabs is the way to go.

rojitor said:

No. Copper on copper makes poor welds.
Wide tabs is the way yo go.

Click to expand...

I already have a large roll of .1 12mm copper though that I really don't want to waste. Maybe I could use nickel over the top for my parallel connections?

Yes. You can weld nickel for parallel and copper on It for series. That can be done.

I was just looking at getting a new T12 handle to replace the broken one and noticed that the iron is only actually using 2 wires, I don't understand why the interface uses temperature and not watt's?

For pure nickel I use Annpower store on Aliexp.
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/18650-battery-pure-nickel-strip-LiFePo4-LiMn2O4-LiCoO2-cell-connect-the-nickel-belt-Cylindrical-batteries-nickel/32721800824.html?spm=a2g0s.9042311.0.0.19164c4doeaVes

Are these welders in stock and shipping? Anyone know?

Are there any other arduino welders to consider?

Yes they are in stock. Lee always has some units ready to ship.Check the first post under "disclaimer". Instructions there.
There are other welders at the sale section if you wanna take a look.

I am inquiring so long term user of this spot welder, how do you feel about it, is it still a great unit yo use or have you purchased another since of another brand

Still a great welder. Working fine both solder and welder and my one and only reliable device.
That's my experience so far.

I don't use mine as much regular as Rojitor, though is useful when required. It is so small it sits on a cupboard in my garage, for it's size and cost I have no issues with it. Modifying with a fan or two is essential to keep it running cool if welding a lot.

Although totally happy with this brilliant little welder, if it did go wrong I would probably try out a Malectric next time.

Oh dear, my Boss welder has gone puff early evening and something has blown. Now not working, the brief magic smoke appeared to come from behind the lcd screen. I was spotting 0.15mm pure nickel

Had a look at the back of the lcd and a small resistor ? on the rear looks to be different to the others in position marked D1. Some have a lttle number on them and others are a cream/beige in colour, D1 is neither and looks like something is missing /blown between the the end contacts.