JP spot welder

[riba2233]

UPDATE 25 september 2019:

All the welders have been sold, big thanks to all of you who have supported me in this last few years!

I have a few footswitches left if anyone is interested.

I am of course available for technical support for people who bought welder from me.

Also, I have open sourced the welder design:

viewtopic.php?f=14&t=102681

So you can check it if you'd like






Link to DIY version assembly manual, also includes pictures of welder rev2.0:

https://app.box.com/s/vko7vtxh5ya5vyql72unfhfo4hgy70tr

This can also help you if you are thinking whether you should buy DIY or assembled version.

This picture shows what exactly you get when you order full assembled kit (standard kit).

---------------------------------------------------------------

Hi, I'm finally offering my spot welders. After few prototypes had been made and tested, I finally have a final version which I can offer to folks on this forum.

Welders are based on mosfets that switch power from lead starter battery, a concept which has already been tested by some of users. This eliminates limits of your power outlet, and there's no problem if you only have 110 V plug. It doesn't matter because power for welding is being drawn from battery only. However, you need additional power source for logic, that can be small wall adapter or small 12 V battery.

I'm offering a kit that consists of:


Spot welder unit (preassembled or DIY kit for soldering)

Footswitch

Two electrodes that consist of - wire, handles, and tips for welding
(one electrode is 55 cm long, other is 65 cm)




Not included in kit, but needed for welding :

Lead starter battery, 40 Ah - 110 Ah, or 350 amps to 900 amps CCA

Standard 12 V wall DC adapter with barrel plug


I'm sure that most of you have this at home, and if not, they are not expensive. I've done most of my welding with one 45 Ah 380 A starter battery, which costs around 45$ in my country.

Welder uses battery power for welding, which is switched via six IRF1324 mosfets.

Pulse is controlled by PIC microprocessor, and it's double pulse, in a way that first pulse is one eight of the duration of the second pulse.

Second pulse is adjustable from 0 - 20 ms.

First pulse is just cleaning or surface preparation, and the second pulse is main pulse that does all the welding.

Welding power depends on battery used and pulse duration, and material type and thickness. There are many variables, but for example, with one 45 Ah battery, I can weld up to 0.15 mm nickel with around 6-8 ms pulse time, and 0.05 mm copper on ~15 ms pulse time. With two 45 Ah batteries, I can weld 0.15 mm nickel on 4-5 ms setting, 0.05 mm copper on 10 ms setting, and 0.1 mm copper on 15 ms. I can also weld 0.3 mm nickel on ~17 ms setting, however I would prefer welding it with bigger battery (at least 110 Ah) and shorter pulse time. For more experiences from other members who used similar setup, you can take a look at this thread:

https://endless-sphere.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=14&t=59383



Pricing:

Standard kit, like before - includes assembled welder, electrodes, and footswitch - 140 USD - out of stock
DIY kit - includes welder in parts, for hand soldering; assembled electrodes, and a footswitch - 110 USD out of stock


If someone want's to buy separate parts:

Assembled welder only - 100 USD - out of stock
Electrodes only - 50 USD - out of stock
Footswitch only - 10 USD - in stock
DIY welder only - 70 USD out of stock
PCB only (includes programmed microcontroller and buss-bars) - 30 USD out of stock
Copper tip (one pair) - 3 USD - out of stock

plus shipping cost, $25 for whole kit, $10 for one part, and $3 for tips.

There's no warranty for the DIY kit, and for assembled welder it's 6 months. Warranty does not apply if you use too powerful battery.

You can pay using paypal (as a friend) or bitcoin.

I'm located in Croatia, EU, and I can ship more or less worldwide.
Shipping cost (air priority registered letter with tracking, for every location in the world) for one kit is 25$.

Also, shipping cost is lower for separate parts.

If you have any more questions, and I'm sure that there will be more questions, please ask here, so everyone can see the answer. I will add information to this post if I see that something is being asked frequently.

Thank you for reading, and please let me know what do you think (even if you are not planning on buying), I'm always open for suggestions!

Here are some videos that show what do you get in the kit and on how to use the welder:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dqrIO_Bvsak

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G_JC4YGrvwA

I'm sorry for my pronunciation, I know it's awful, and it turns out that I can't pronounce potentiometer for shit :lol: Please don't laugh

 

[ohzee]

Looks sweet. Im sold take my money please. pm sent

 

[riba2233]

Thank you, PM replied!

 

[ebikedelight]

For those of us that arent knowledgable on these, could you explain a bit more about it ?

Like , what type of 12 volt wall adpator is needed { how many mahs must it have...and why is it needed, how does it hook up, etc}

also, will this spot weld thin pieces of aluminum , steel, copper, etc ?

Can a deep cycle gel battery be used..that is 110 a/h rated ? will any 12 volt battery work as long as it has more then 350 a/h ratings...or certain cold cranking amps ?

Will this come with detailed instructions for those of us who have never used one or hooked 1 up ?

Thanks....im very interested

also, what type of longevity can we expect out of this unit ? Will it generally last a lifetime under normal use...and if something does break on it, what component is likely to be the weakest link ?

Also, what about saftey issues...does one need to wear welding googles when using this machine..or rubber gloves, etc ?

It may be very beneficial if you could make a utube video that shows you using this unit , and doing some spot welds on different material/ thicknesses, and the settings you use .....that may be the best way to answer peoples questions and you would get alot more potential buyers off of utube also.

 

[okashira]

Sweet!

I use a prototype version of this welder for Model S Cell e-bike packs I'm making.

 

[okashira]

For those of us that arent knowledgable on these, could you explain a bit more about it ?

Like , what type of 12 volt wall adpator is needed { how many mahs must it have...and why is it needed, how does it hook up, etc}

also, will this spot weld thin pieces of aluminum , steel, copper, etc ?

Can a deep cycle gel battery be used..that is 110 a/h rated ? will any 12 volt battery work as long as it has more then 350 a/h ratings...or certain cold cranking amps ?

Will this come with detailed instructions for those of us who have never used one or hooked 1 up ?

Thanks....im very interested

also, what type of longevity can we expect out of this unit ? Will it generally last a lifetime under normal use...and if something does break on it, what component is likely to be the weakest link ?

Also, what about saftey issues...does one need to wear welding googles when using this machine..or rubber gloves, etc ?

It may be very beneficial if you could make a utube video that shows you using this unit , and doing some spot welds on different material/ thicknesses, and the settings you use .....that may be the best way to answer peoples questions and you would get alot more potential buyers off of utube also.

You can use any battery. I use a Tesla Model S module in 2s (8.1 volts) and I get plenty of power. if you use one way too powerful, it's possible to blow mosfets.
Just head over to Autozone and grab a big ass lead acid starter battery and you're good to go. $100 for a good one.

deep cycle 110ah battery would work just fine.

Lifetime? Eventually a mosfet might give way with extended use. Very easy to replace and cheap.

Gloves are not needed, but safety glasses are.

I plan to make a video sometime soon


Just any cheap 12v power supply is fine. it needs very little power.

 

[mistercrash]

For those of us that arent knowledgable on these, could you explain a bit more about it ?

Like , what type of 12 volt wall adpator is needed { how many mahs must it have...and why is it needed, how does it hook up, etc}

also, will this spot weld thin pieces of aluminum , steel, copper, etc ?

Can a deep cycle gel battery be used..that is 110 a/h rated ? will any 12 volt battery work as long as it has more then 350 a/h ratings...or certain cold cranking amps ?

Will this come with detailed instructions for those of us who have never used one or hooked 1 up ?

Thanks....im very interested

also, what type of longevity can we expect out of this unit ? Will it generally last a lifetime under normal use...and if something does break on it, what component is likely to be the weakest link ?

Also, what about saftey issues...does one need to wear welding googles when using this machine..or rubber gloves, etc ?

It may be very beneficial if you could make a utube video that shows you using this unit , and doing some spot welds on different material/ thicknesses, and the settings you use .....that may be the best way to answer peoples questions and you would get alot more potential buyers off of utube also.

+1 and looks very cool but need more info before buying.

 

[ebikedelight]

For those of us that arent knowledgable on these, could you explain a bit more about it ?

Like , what type of 12 volt wall adpator is needed { how many mahs must it have...and why is it needed, how does it hook up, etc}

also, will this spot weld thin pieces of aluminum , steel, copper, etc ?

Can a deep cycle gel battery be used..that is 110 a/h rated ? will any 12 volt battery work as long as it has more then 350 a/h ratings...or certain cold cranking amps ?

Will this come with detailed instructions for those of us who have never used one or hooked 1 up ?

Thanks....im very interested

also, what type of longevity can we expect out of this unit ? Will it generally last a lifetime under normal use...and if something does break on it, what component is likely to be the weakest link ?

Also, what about saftey issues...does one need to wear welding googles when using this machine..or rubber gloves, etc ?

It may be very beneficial if you could make a utube video that shows you using this unit , and doing some spot welds on different material/ thicknesses, and the settings you use .....that may be the best way to answer peoples questions and you would get alot more potential buyers off of utube also.

You can use any battery. I use a Tesla Model S module in 2s (8.1 volts) and I get plenty of power. if you use one way too powerful, it's possible to blow mosfets.
Just head over to Autozone and grab a big ass lead acid starter battery and you're good to go. $100 for a good one.

deep cycle 110ah battery would work just fine.

Lifetime? Eventually a mosfet might give way with extended use. Very easy to replace and cheap.

Gloves are not needed, but safety glasses are.

I plan to make a video sometime soon


Just any cheap 12v power supply is fine. it needs very little power.

Sounds great.....so a 12 volt wall dc power supply that has 200 Mahs or 900 mahs, will both work fine ?

How about the 12 volt wall dc power supplys plug end ? is the inside of the plug that goes into your unit, supposed to be negative or postive { they make different 12 volt wall dc power supply setups, and if a person uses one with wrong polarity, it will cause damage.

A video on utube would be great....take your time and specifically out line everything needed, how it works, and more specifically , what you should not do ....and let people know if this can be used for aluminum, copper, steel, etc...

Some of us are completely stupid about these, but want to own one :wink:

Safety glasses are needed, but not welding glasses ? So theres no threat of damage to our eyes, thru welding flashes, etc ?

 

[okashira]

Yes you need to wire up the power supply and observe polarity. Use a multimeter.
Perhaps Riba will have to start supplying the wall wart. :-D

200mA is probably fine (not mAh)

 

[ebikedelight]

Yes you need to wire up the power supply and observe polarity. Use a multimeter.
Perhaps Riba will have to start supplying the wall wart. :-D

200mA is probably fine (not mAh)

well, no need for him to supply the wall wart 12 volt dc power supply...but you must understand, he lives in a different country...and their standard wall warts may have different polarity plugs , then other countries.. so its important that he clarify if the inside of the female plug at the end of the 12 volt wall wart, needs to be positive or negative.
....and what Mahs he suggests .

If users just " guess" at this info, they may end up with a $150 broken spot welder, that coulda easily been avoided with proper info beforehand.

 

[cal3thousand]

First off, Thanks for offering such a cool device to the board!

Question: Is there any way that I can use my power dense LiPos instead of the car battery? What kind of current is it pulling?

 

[Allex]

Cool gadget. I might order it from you.
Sam question , could I use lipos, can it take 5s?
Can you show us the welds on .1-.3 nickel?

 

[okashira]

Cool gadget. I might order it from you.
Sam question , could I use lipos, can it take 5s?
Can you show us the welds on .1-.3 nickel?

I do about 1,200 amps with a very powerful 8.1V battery.
I'd stick with 2s-4s, but you could try 5s. easy to replace mosfets if they don't like it

 

[cycborg]

can it take 5s?

AUIRF1324 is rated for 24 V so 5s would be pushing it. IRFB7437 is 40 V.

 

[ebikedelight]

I am confident that if you make a informative 20 minute youtube video of this unit , you will get tons of sales . As soon as you post a video, put the link in this thread...and you will get me as a buyer. I just want some questions answered before purchase { like many other buyers} and need to see it working in a video.

 

[silentflight]

Looks great!

I may not have read closely enough- is it correct to say this is a single pulse welder with the ability to set the duration of the pulse?

Would like to see photos and video of welding 0.15mm nickel onto 18650s and showing how adjustable the welding power is.

This solves some of the problems with the Chinese mail order welders-

1- small and light for fast and cheap shipping
2- works from a battery, so no need for a 220/230 volt outlet

might be nice to include spare mosfets as an option

also interested in whether my 26650 A123 packs will work instead of a car battery

how difficult would it be to add a "two pulse" mode?

 

[mvly]

My question is if the FETs goes out, do you need to replace all the FETs or just the one that goes out. If just one, how do you determine which one it is? I think it would be more economical like someone here pointed out to provide extra FETs or extra discharge boards with or without FETs populated. Therefore, if it does go out, one would simply use the backup.

 

[striker54]

Looks great!

I may not have read closely enough- is it correct to say this is a single pulse welder with the ability to set the duration of the pulse?

Would like to see photos and video of welding 0.15mm nickel onto 18650s and showing how adjustable the welding power is.

This solves some of the problems with the Chinese mail order welders-

1- small and light for fast and cheap shipping
2- works from a battery, so no need for a 220/230 volt outlet

might be nice to include spare mosfets as an option

also interested in whether my 26650 A123 packs will work instead of a car battery

how difficult would it be to add a "two pulse" mode?

It says in the description that it's a 2 pulse welder where the first pulse have half the duration of the second and you can select the time of the, second.

 

[silentflight]

It says in the description that it's a 2 pulse welder where the first pulse have half the duration of the second and you can select the time of the, second.

Thanks, striker54! This looks like a very good solution- can't wait to see close up photos of welds and an instructional video.

 

[riba2233]

For those of us that arent knowledgable on these, could you explain a bit more about it ?

Like , what type of 12 volt wall adpator is needed { how many mahs must it have...and why is it needed, how does it hook up, etc}

also, will this spot weld thin pieces of aluminum , steel, copper, etc ?

Can a deep cycle gel battery be used..that is 110 a/h rated ? will any 12 volt battery work as long as it has more then 350 a/h ratings...or certain cold cranking amps ?

Will this come with detailed instructions for those of us who have never used one or hooked 1 up ?

Thanks....im very interested

also, what type of longevity can we expect out of this unit ? Will it generally last a lifetime under normal use...and if something does break on it, what component is likely to be the weakest link ?

Also, what about saftey issues...does one need to wear welding googles when using this machine..or rubber gloves, etc ?

It may be very beneficial if you could make a utube video that shows you using this unit , and doing some spot welds on different material/ thicknesses, and the settings you use .....that may be the best way to answer peoples questions and you would get alot more potential buyers off of utube also.

Hi, thank you for the interest! Okashira has already made some good points.

So, to answer your questions, which are all very good an on spot! :

1. You can use standard 12V ac/dc adapter with 5.5/2.1 mm barrel connector (most common one), 500 mA is fine, maybe even less, but I haven' tried. It's polarity will be marked, it's standard negative outer, and inner pin is positive. There is a diode on the input so nothing will happen if you accidentally reverse polarity.

2. yes, it will weld various metal sheets, but it only depends how thick they are. some metals can be welded easier than other. Copper, steel, nickel, aluminum works.

3. as far as battery choice is considered, internal resistance is most important stuff. Too high, you wont be able to weld well, too low, and you will blow mosfets. This is a simple circuit, and only thing limiting current is resistance in battery and connections. So, in particular, I recommend 45 Ah to 90 Ah battery for standard version (380 to 760 cranking amps) and up to 130 Ah battery for stronger version. I haven't tested other types of batteries, such as gel, AGM, or various li-ion batteries, so I can't tell anything from experience, but you can calculate their internal resistance and match it to starter batteries. And you can experiment of course. I have named what works well, so that's a good starting point, and honestly I don't see a need for using anything else because starter batteries are great for this purpose, and they are cheap any widely available.

4. I expect very good reliability, if it doesn't smoke immediately, it will probably last very very long. Of course, if you use batteries I've recommended, you don't have to worry. Having said that, weakest link are the mosfets, so if something has to blow it will be them. But that will only happen if you don't use device as recommended

5. yes, you have to use goggles because there will be sparks flying. But other than that it's actually pretty safe. There is no extreme light like with regular welding, so your eyes are safe.

6. sure, there will be instructions and also a youtube video

Yes you need to wire up the power supply and observe polarity. Use a multimeter.
Perhaps Riba will have to start supplying the wall wart. :-D

200mA is probably fine (not mAh)

Yeah, I think I wont supply wall adapter unless someone really wants it, because there are differences in plug types, and also it would add on price and shipping unnecessarily, and everyone has one at home.

First off, Thanks for offering such a cool device to the board!

Question: Is there any way that I can use my power dense LiPos instead of the car battery? What kind of current is it pulling?

You're welcome

You could, current is in 500 - 1500 A range (but only for milliseconds). But you would have to try it, because I haven't had an opportunity.

Cool gadget. I might order it from you.
Sam question , could I use lipos, can it take 5s?
Can you show us the welds on .1-.3 nickel?

Thanks!

I personally wouldn't go above 12 or 13 V nominal, because mosfets loose their ability to soak up energy surges very fast with higher voltage, and 12 V is more than enough. Okashira is welding very successfully with 8 V, and we are using 12 V because it's most convenient, because car batteries are good for that purpose.

I'm currently on a trip, so I will post some weld pictures when I get home. They look really nice, for now I have some 0.15 mm nickel pictures:

Looks great!

I may not have read closely enough- is it correct to say this is a single pulse welder with the ability to set the duration of the pulse?

Would like to see photos and video of welding 0.15mm nickel onto 18650s and showing how adjustable the welding power is.

This solves some of the problems with the Chinese mail order welders-

1- small and light for fast and cheap shipping
2- works from a battery, so no need for a 220/230 volt outlet

might be nice to include spare mosfets as an option

also interested in whether my 26650 A123 packs will work instead of a car battery

how difficult would it be to add a "two pulse" mode?

Yes, you havent :lol: But don't worry.

No, it's really a dual pulse welder, it can only do dual pulse.

You will get a video when I get home from a trip

No need for spare mosfets, unless you are going to experiment with some really big batteries. But if you ask for them, I can provide you with extra mosfets or power board.

And you are right, that's was my goal, it's small and independent of your power outlet.

You could try with a123 batteries, but I wouldn't bother, you will loose time with experimenting, potentially blow fets, loose money and time, and starter battery is cheap and you probably already have one

My question is if the FETs goes out, do you need to replace all the FETs or just the one that goes out. If just one, how do you determine which one it is? I think it would be more economical like someone here pointed out to provide extra FETs or extra discharge boards with or without FETs populated. Therefore, if it does go out, one would simply use the backup.

Good question, it depend on how strongly they blew. I usually replace them all to be sure. I can provide spare parts and boards, but I think there's no need for that.



Thank you all for interest, I'm on a trip until May first, and when I come back you will get instructional video and pictures of welds

 

[cwah]

Wow looks interesting for a small portable spot welder

Do you also supply the handle and nickel strip? In short, do you provide everything to start?

How strong are the weld? And do you have burn? I suppose it needs some practice?

 

[okashira]

usually when a fet goes out you should replace them all. they are pretty cheap

but as long as you dont use a massive insane battery, you should get 1000's of welds. i've never blown one using the larger fets.

 

[litespeed]

What are you using for electrodes? On mine i keep blowing the ends off the electodes I made which are 3/8" solid copper no matter what shape I make the tips. I just bought Glidcop tips from Sunstone at the recommendation of them to use on nickel with the 18650 cells. Just wondering what others are having luck with. I'm using .2 mil nickel myself.

Where were you 3 months back?

Tom

 

[chucho]

What are you using for electrodes?


Tom

Same question.

antippa told me to contact you after i was late to buy his spotwelder. But i had read you several times before and after that you were nearly finish with the welder and here i see it.

It seems to be very nice and portable
What do you think are the real diferences between this spot welder and the expensive ones sold? and with dn-10?

I thought that is was better to use less voltage for spot welding... is that true?

 

[dnmun]

voltage should be irrelevant for spot welding since the two metals are in physical contact with the probes. he selected 12V because that is the standard 12V lead acid battery.

there are thousands of spot welding videos on utube i suspect if you need to be trained by utube.

you can use the standard auto battery charger to restore charge to the battery. you could even make use of a used battery if it will hold some voltage and can be kept charged. maybe take the battery out of your neighbors truck some night and use it then put it back later.