Show your stick welders

[poncho62]

Thought it might be interesting to show what we use to weld with. I bought my old stick welder over 35 years ago at a garage sale for $75. It is a Wilson brand and has a Winchester (Canada) tag on it. Not sure if there was ever a Winchester gun factory here, but it looks like similar script I think. It is heavy as heck and have never had an issue with it........

 

[zigeuner]

Here's one of my stick welders .It's an AC-DC Lincoln "Tomstone". I paid $200 for it from a CL ad and it works great. My Miller Syncrowave 200 also has a stick function.

 

[kevinj]

My current stick welders.

 

[California]

Dang there are real pros here!

In contrast to that, my welding is just occasional farm fabrication and repairs. I bought this AC-230a stick welder at an estate sale in about 2005. It works fine same as it did when new, about 1966. The family told me it was used for a couple of small projects then it just sat in the garage ever since.

The first two photos over in this thread show a couple of my early projects. Later, repairs done with this welder included welding broken feet back on to cast iron lawn furniture with preheat and nickel rod.
Subsequently I got a couple of 110v mig (flux) welders, and then the modern welders listed in my sig below, but I've kept this one.

 

[Lis2323]

Thought it might be interesting to show what we use to weld with. I bought my old stick welder over 35 years ago at a garage sale for $75. It is a Wilson brand and has a Winchester (Canada) tag on it. Not sure if there was ever a Winchester gun factory here, but it looks like similar script I think. It is heavy as heck and have never had an issue with it........
View attachment 37 View attachment 38
View attachment 39

That is too cool. It would appear that Wilson and GE were one and the same. I found this pic on a google search. I can’t figure out the Winchester tag though. Hopefully someone here can help.

 

[poncho62]

Cool...they do look like twins, don't they.

 

[Thirdroc17]

Technically my brother's, but it's resided in my garage for over 10 years since he moved to another state.

I have another small DC welder which I don't have a picture of. Man oh man, wish I could afford a big DC welder, what a difference!

 

[Lis2323]

This is what I learned on 55 years ago. My dad bought it new off the Snap-on truck. I used it on the farm for most of those years.

 

[g_man]

Learned on the used AC tombstone then upgraded to an EverLast PowerArc 200ST. Use them around my equipment,

 

[propane1]

Here’s my stick welder. And when we bought we also got this grinder. Payed $60.00 for the welder. I forget what we payed for the grinder. It was about ten years ago. Poor fella we bought it off was dying from cancer. We payed the wife and took the stuff out. Old fella was lookin out the window. Was very sad. The fella had made the grinding bench stand.
Both units work great.

Noel

 

[propane1]

I see. Pictures are sideways. Can someone fix that. ?
Thanks

Noel

 

[dshaver72]

Got this from my father in law. Got it this past December from him and finally, at 47, learning to do something I wanted to learn years ago. Not looking to be s professional by any means. Just able to fix things that break on the little farm and small projects.

 

[Flatfoot 2282]

I see. Pictures are sideways. Can someone fix that. ?
Thanks

Noel

When you open the picture file, it is straight up and down. At least that worked for me

 

[g_man]

Got this from my father in law. Got it this past December from him and finally, at 47, learning to do something I wanted to learn years ago. Not looking to be s professional by any means. Just able to fix things that break on the little farm and small projects.

Your a head of me - I waited until I was 70. Learned stick on that very same TombStone. Only welded with O/A before that. Good luck and have fun

gg

 

[Hey Sharona]

Made by a company called "Air Reduction Canada Limited". I bought it second hand 35 years ago. I don't do a lot of welding, just repairs or small fabricating modifications to equipment. Still works just has had a hard life.

 

[bergie]

Here are my two welder.Both of them are 110 or 220.The miller i used on the job for tig welding ss.

 

[Wes T]

Dang there are real pros here!

In contrast to that, my welding is just occasional farm fabrication and repairs. I bought this AC-230a stick welder at an estate sale in about 2005. It works fine same as it did when new, about 1966. The family told me it was used for a couple of small projects then it just sat in the garage ever since.

The first two photos over in this thread show a couple of my early projects. Later, repairs done with this welder included welding broken feet back on to cast iron lawn furniture with preheat and nickel rod.
Subsequently I got a couple of 110v mig (flux) welders, and then the modern welders listed in my sig below, but I've kept this one.



View attachment 61

I have the big brother to this welder. 295 Amps. And it welds like a dream. Copper wound transformer and very heavy. Bought from a friend that cleaned and painted it and even put a new cooling fan in it.

 

[California]

I have the big brother to this welder. 295 Amps. And it welds like a dream. Copper wound transformer and very heavy. Bought from a friend that cleaned and painted it and even put a new cooling fan in it.

I bought this [Wards Powr-Kraft] AC-230a stick welder at an estate sale in about 2005. It works fine same as it did when new, about 1966. The family told me it was used for a couple of small projects then it just sat in the garage ever since.

295 amps? Your Powr-Kraft must be a monster! I'm running from a 30 amp breaker in the barn and haven't tripped it yet. The hitch I'm welding on to an implement of similar thickness - shown in my atavar photo (and a larger photo here) - is the heaviest material I've welded and that got plenty of penetration.

I wish mine looked prettier. It was covered in a mat of old leaves below a broken garage roof when I found it at an estate sale. Paid $50. It needed penetrating oil to free up the fan and I polished the cable sockets and pins. After that minor renovation it welds same as new.

What are you welding, to use that much current?

 

[Wes T]

295 amps? Your Powr-Kraft must be a monster! I'm running from a 30 amp breaker in the barn and haven't tripped it yet. The hitch I'm welding on to an implement of similar thickness - shown in my atavar photo (and a larger photo here) - is the heaviest material I've welded and that got plenty of penetration.

I wish mine looked prettier. It was covered in a mat of old leaves below a broken garage roof when I found it at an estate sale. Paid $50. It needed penetrating oil to free up the fan and I polished the cable sockets and pins. After that minor renovation it welds same as new.

What are you welding, to use that much current?

I have not yet used full power. This welder is big! In fact my friend put wheels on it. I was just amazed with it after he had gotten it cleaned up and wanted me to try it out. He ran into some money troubles and I bought it from him. One day I'll find a couple pieces of heavy steel and see how it welds when cranked way up. It's amazing to weld with though. Very very smooth and the arc strikes with zero effort. I just thought it interesting that someone else has one of these old welders and it's still functional.

 

[FrighteningRod]

Here's my welder, I'm told it's a generic version of what was sold in Australia years ago as a GMC, very much one of the cheapest and nastiest brands.

Original owner was a toolmaker and had access to top of the line stuff at his workplace. This was bought for his occasional use at home. His son-in-law inherited it but never used it and gave it to me.

It works OK for the various small jobs I do with 3 to 10 mm mild steel and 6013 rods.

As it is my only welder it is also my best

https://imgur.com/a/itvB5sM