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Steve Conner

Thu Jan 06 2011, 09:53AM

Registered Member #30 Joined: Fri Feb 03 2006, 10:52AM
Location: Glasgow, Scotland
Posts: 6706

Yes, but the intent of this thread seems more like, "I have these parts and would like to make arcs and burn stuff up with them!"

Seems kind of obvious to me what to do. Find the biggest, heaviest winding on the transformer, connect it to the carbon electrodes with some thick wires, start arcing and burning stuff. If the transformer starts to smell or smoke, quit and let it cool down. Repeat until you get bored or the transformer is destroyed.

The only thing is that smoothing capacitors might make the arc unstable. I would leave them out.

Also, that's not an ordinary transformer, it's a constant voltage transformer. That may complicate things. The two orange wires that connect to the grey cap can are a high voltage resonant winding that you may be able to pull some fun arcs from.

Just be careful not to shock yourself on it.

pauleddy

Thu Jan 06 2011, 11:19AM

Registered Member #2909 Joined: Wed Jun 09 2010, 12:31AM
Location: fort belvoir, Va USA ( south of DC)
Posts: 145

Thank you Steve, I was wondering about that little gray cap and it's what it is for. As for the project my intent is not really to draw arcs, I'm shooting for about 5v-10v and as many amps as I can pull I have huge diodes to rectify it if I choose for a later project, like electroplating or a real big zvs I have plug this spare transformer in and have gotten about 30v and 50v out which is too high for my plans, so I'm still debateing if I should rewind it like a lot of perple do to MOTs

Ash Small

Thu Jan 06 2011, 01:35PM

Registered Member #3414 Joined: Sun Nov 14 2010, 05:05PM
Location: UK
Posts: 4245

I was under the impression that some welding transformers run at around 25V, while others run at around 48V.(I think some run at around 80V as well)

Why not try the carbons on the 30V coil and see what happens?

You'll need a welding mask, though.

pauleddy

Fri Jan 07 2011, 03:34AM

Registered Member #2909 Joined: Wed Jun 09 2010, 12:31AM
Location: fort belvoir, Va USA ( south of DC)
Posts: 145

I hmmm I thought it was lower then that I think i need to do more reshearch, but I put out this idea here first more if I should try rewinding it, I think I will try the 30v idea. And I have a mask that I made

pauleddy

Sun Aug 07 2011, 10:13PM

Registered Member #2909 Joined: Wed Jun 09 2010, 12:31AM
Location: fort belvoir, Va USA ( south of DC)
Posts: 145

well i took it and rewinded it, 5 turns of two bundles of CAT 15 wire, i get about 5V, and a lot of current.
i just need to find a way to measure what the amperge is. I it ran though a small graphite bar and made a video of it.
any idea how much current this is or know a way to calc it?

Ash Small

Mon Aug 08 2011, 12:26AM

Registered Member #3414 Joined: Sun Nov 14 2010, 05:05PM
Location: UK
Posts: 4245

pauleddy wrote ...

well i took it and rewinded it, 5 turns of two bundles of CAT 15 wire, i get about 5V, and a lot of current.
i just need to find a way to measure what the amperge is. I it ran though a small graphite bar and made a video of it.
any idea how much current this is or know a way to calc it?

Looks like quite a bit. You should be able to get a rough idea by measuring input current and converting to watts (VI=W), if you have an AC ammeter.

pauleddy

Mon Aug 08 2011, 12:42AM

Registered Member #2909 Joined: Wed Jun 09 2010, 12:31AM
Location: fort belvoir, Va USA ( south of DC)
Posts: 145

unfortnly i dont, but its less then 20A or the breaker would trip, which hasn't happen yet.
so lets say it was drawing 15A at 120V thats 1800W so at 5V that would be 350A, asumeming no losses and such... it seems to be pushing <100A now the next step is to find a way to rectify it, i do have a few diodes that are rated for 250A, at 1200V, that will bee a fun build.

Ash Small

Mon Aug 08 2011, 01:43AM

Registered Member #3414 Joined: Sun Nov 14 2010, 05:05PM
Location: UK
Posts: 4245

pauleddy wrote ...

. i do have a few diodes that are rated for 250A, at 1200V, that will bee a fun build.

I'm building a similar rectifier, using 300A, 1200V, TO-9 schottky stud diodes. I'll be posting about progress soon.

pauleddy

Mon Aug 08 2011, 02:53AM

Registered Member #2909 Joined: Wed Jun 09 2010, 12:31AM
Location: fort belvoir, Va USA ( south of DC)
Posts: 145

well i have 2 ds250, and two simularly rated SCRs that i will try to make a full bridge rectifier, im currently debating weather or not to re wind the secondary to a higher votage, mabe 10v, so i have a theoritical max of 240A befor the breaker trips, if there's no loses

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