RE: Ballasting a Pole Pig (Revisited)

["Tesla list" <tesla@xxxxxxxxxx>]

Original poster: "Rich & DJ  Schmuke" <rdjmgmt@xxxxxxxxxx>

My Lincoln 225 welder requires a 50amp circuit.
	Rich , from Missouri

-----Original Message-----
From: Tesla list [mailto:tesla@xxxxxxxxxx]
Sent: Monday, January 09, 2006 1:57 PM
To: tesla@xxxxxxxxxx
Subject: Re: Ballasting a Pole Pig (Revisited)

Original poster: "C. Sibley" <a37chevy@xxxxxxxxx>

David,

I only have a 15A 220V circuit to play with, and am in
the process of getting the electrical upgraded.  I can
run the setup for longer periods with the welder set
to a lower current.  But at the lower currents the
voltage to the pig is essentially zero.  I have
verified and cleaned all of the hookups.

I'll try one of the other ballast methods and let the
list know what I find.

Curt.


--- Tesla list <tesla@xxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

 > Original poster: "David Rieben"
 > <drieben@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
 >
 > Curt,
 >
 > It sounds almost like you have a short circuit
 > somewhere,
 > as the welder should not be tripping breakers that
 > quickly
 > under any circumstances. What size is the circuit
 > breaker
 > that you're on and how big is your welder? I have
 > person-
 > ally never used an AC/DC welder for ballasting a
 > pig, but it seems to
 > me that it shouldn't be much different than using a
 > straight AC one.
 >
 > Are you sure that you have the welder in SERIES with
 > the in-
 > put to the pig's LV inputs? Only 25 volts reaching
 > the pig is
 > certainly not right. I would definitely suspect
 > either the hookup
 > connections or the welder itself as the culprit in
 > this situtation.
 > Try using the 120 volt input winding of an
 > MOT with its secondary shorted as a temporary
 > ballast and simply feed
 > your pig 120 volts and see if you get any
 > output at all from the pig in this fashion. You
 > could also use
 > a 500 ft spool of #12 AWG THNN building wire from
 > Home Depot or
 > Lowe's as a ballast with 120 volts input to try this
 > out. If you do
 > get some output with your pig wired up in this
 > fashion, then the
 > problem is most likely that your welder is bad.
 >
 > David Rieben
 >
 > ----- Original Message ----- From: "Tesla list"
 > <tesla@xxxxxxxxxx>
 > To: <tesla@xxxxxxxxxx>
 > Sent: Sunday, January 08, 2006 10:45 PM
 > Subject: Re: Ballasting a Pole Pig (Revisited)
 >
 >
 > >Original poster: "C. Sibley" <a37chevy@xxxxxxxxx>
 > >This weekend I did as suggested below and had
 > >unsucessful results.  With the pig set up as a
 > Jacobs
 > >Ladder, and the welder set on the highest power
 > >setting, I was unable to get any spark from the pig
 > at
 > >all.
 > >The problem appears to be the welder taking all of
 > the
 > >power, input voltage to the pig is only 25V with
 > the
 > >welder on and running.  I do not have an AC
 > Ampmeter
 > >so am uncertain of the current, but was tripping my
 > >bbreakers after only 1-2 seconds.  Setting the
 > welder
 > >at a lower rating would allow the breakers to
 > remain
 > >on, but with essentially no voltage to the pig.
 > >One posibility, is that my welder is an AC/DC unit,
 > >and must have additional circuitry over a basic AC
 > >unit.  Perhaps there is some PFC or something
 > >interfering?
 > >Interested in any advice.
 > >Thanks,
 > >Curt.
 > >
 > >--- Tesla list <tesla@xxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
 > > > Original poster: "David Rieben"
 > > > <drieben@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
 > > >
 > > > Curt,
 > > >
 > > > You've pretty much got the right idea ;^) I
 > assume
 > > > that
 > > > you have a 240 volt input stick welder, like one
 > of
 > > > those red Lincoln
 > > > 225 amp arc welders? You simply series the input
 > > > leads to the low
 > > > voltage bushings of the pig with the po-
 > > > wer input plug of the welder. For maximum output
 > > > current,
 > > > you short the welding leads together and turn
 > the
 > > > amperage
 > > > selector switch all the way up to the maximum
 > > > amperage setting. Be
 > > > sure to the connect the 240 volt input leads
 > > > to the two outermost low voltage busings on the
 > side
 > > > of the
 > > > pole pig tank. Leave the center low voltage
 > bushing
 > > > uncon-
 > > > nected as this will be the tank case ground
 > > > (assuming your pig is a
 > > > single phase, 120/240 volt output unit). This
 > setup
 > > > will allow you to
 > > > draw 50 to 70 amps from the 240 volt ser-
 > > > vice with the HV output bushings of the pig
 > shorted.
 > > >
 > > > Good luck,
 > > > David
 > > >
 > > >
 > > > ----- Original Message ----- From: "Tesla list"
 > > > <tesla@xxxxxxxxxx>
 > > > To: <tesla@xxxxxxxxxx>
 > > > Sent: Monday, December 19, 2005 3:45 PM
 > > > Subject: Ballasting a Pole Pig
 > > >
 > > >
 > > > >Original poster: "C. Sibley"
 > <a37chevy@xxxxxxxxx>
 > > > >I'm considering making the move to a Pole Pig
 > since
 > > > >I'm having a hard time finding anything larger
 > than
 > > > a
 > > > >60 mA NST.  I have a old stick welder that I'm
 > > > >considering using as a ballast, but am not 100%
 > > > sure
 > > > >how I should go about hooking it up.  Do I just
 > use
 > > > >the power inputs and run it in series with the
 > pig?
 > > > >Do I need to terminate the "welding" output?
 > Does
 > > > it
 > > > >matter what setting the welding output power is
 > set
 > > > >to?
 > > > >Thanks,
 > > > >Curt.
 > > >
 > > >
 >
 >
 >
 >