[markmitch]

I will have to have a state safety inspection on my van to get it on the road. I need to know if I can use a brazing torch and rods to fill in my mig welds to seal it up for state inspection. Will this work? I have a 140 HD mig welder but I can't fill in to good with it due to the circuit breaker keeps kicking off in the old barn. I know this need to be fixed but right now I am just trying to get the van on the road. I figure I can grind the welds down and then hit them with the torch and brazing rods.
Will this work? Thanks, Mark

 

[Bikley]

This stuff works great. Just push it into the gaps between welds with your finger and then make a nice bead on top and smooth it out. Once it dries its as durable as the weld. Its what I used to seal the welds on my JTR oil pan and I guarantee it will never leak.

 

[markmitch]

OK I will try it thanks

 

[tungtide]

Mark I can second the JB weld. I have used it in the past to pretty up some of my welds. If need be you could use a little heat resistant paint to make it puurrfect.

 

[Bikley]

OK I will try it thanks

Its cheap, easy and it works exceptionally well.

 

[Rod's Trucks]

Mark,
If you gave assess to a brazing torch and know how to use it, it is a small step to using that torch and gas welding the pipes, like most exhaust shops do. It is easier than arc welding, because you can contol the heat easier. It is much like brazing.
Rod J
Issaquah, WA

 

[markmitch]

Yeah I don't think the JB weld stuff would pass a state inspection anyway but since its been over ten years since I went though one I really don't know. I need to get it on the road asap then I will save some cash and have it done professionally next spring.

 

[AstroWill]

I have a 140 HD mig welder but I can't fill in to good with it due to the circuit breaker keeps kicking off in the old barn

Take the exhaust somewhere else where the welder doesn't trip?

 

[markmitch]

I can't move my van till I get the exhaust done and it's parked in front of the barn, besides the whole house and barn are on the same electrical system which is still 100 amp. Its needs to be updated to 200 amp before I can install a circuit for the welder.

 

[AstroWill]

I can't move my van till I get the exhaust done and it's parked in front of the barn,

Why not? If you have it tacked in place, move the van, or remove the exhaust and take it to the house.

besides the whole house and barn are on the same electrical system which is still 100 amp. Its needs to be updated to 200 amp before I can install a circuit for the welder.

You don't need to upgrade to 200amp service for a freaking welder outlet.

Is it one of those portable 120v welders? What is the make/model?

 

[markmitch]

Why not? If you have it tacked in place, move the van, or remove the exhaust and take it to the house.


You don't need to upgrade to 200amp service for a freaking welder outlet.

Is it one of those portable 120v welders? What is the make/model?

Its a Lincoln 140HD It requires a 20 amp outlet and this old house is all 15 amp, The panel is full which is what I meant when I said it needs to be upgraded. Sorry I didn't explain better. I can weld but it kicks the breaker off after a few minutes and its not welding very good-lots of pin holes. When I welded with the same welder in CA it was a newer home and welded 100 times better. But it was on a dedicated circuit and 20 amp.

 

[AstroWill]

DISCLAIMER: Don't do stupid shit, consult with a professional.

Ok, so I'm not going to tell you what to do because there are a lot of variables, speak with a licensed electrician. You don't have to upgrade to a 200amp service for something so simple, there are other options. Not saying that you shouldn't upgrade, depends on your circumstances, but there is no way I would spend $1000-2000 to have a service upgrade done for that.

I will say that here are some things that have been done in the past that might work for you Remember, distance is your enemy(esp with undersized wires), and your garage wiring adds x feet to the wiring, increasing resistance.
1. put a damn 20amp circuit in there, there are breakers that have TWO circuits in the space of one, leaving you with an extra slot to install another circuit, or remove one other circuit that isn't being used, or pigtail off of one circuit breaker for two of your light circuits(speak to an electrician about which ones can be combined), or, or, or... plenty of options. Yes splicing/pigtails are allowed inside your loadcenter.
2. do you have an electric dryer circuit that can be used? Oven circuit? You can use an adapter like this example: https://amzn.to/2YgIS0Y
3. use a large generator.

I'm sure there are more that I'm not thinking of at the moment, but you definitely don't need to upgrade your service for a damn welder. ESP if you add a 'welder only' circuit.

 

[markmitch]

I was in the cellar this morning and the previous owner of this home had a 20 amp outlet installed right next to the break for a sump pump. The sump pump is still there but not in use at this time so If I can move my van 40 feet using the big ford I can weld my exhaust using that outlet. Since the Y pipe is close to being done I should be able to start my engine , set the timing and drive it to the area I need it in. Thanks for the advice Will.

 

[AstroWill]

NP man, glad you found a 20amp. If you need to use an extension cord, please use one of the proper size

 

[GasTungstenArc]

I know I'm late to this party, but I'm bored so here we go...

Welding on a 15A circuit always sucks. On new, clean wiring and fresh breakers, you can get away with it as long as you don't try to use too much of the machine's power. But the startup current alone is often enough to pop a breaker. Welding machines typically take a higher current at the start of the arc than they do once the arc is established. I had to do a mobile job in a basement once on a 15A circuit. I popped the breaker so many times and was getting nowhere fast, so I called a friend with a generator to come in.

OFW (oxy fuel welding) is an excellent process and an enjoyable one to boot. It's definitely not what most muffler shops use, at least not these days. MIG welding is faster and cheaper and requires little skill, so that's what they use. But OFW is an excellent process for a case like this!

The Lincoln PowerMIG 140 is a 110V only machine, so a dryer circuit wouldn't help.

 

[AstroWill]

The Lincoln PowerMIG 140 is a 110V only machine, so a dryer circuit wouldn't help.

Having both phases available at the outlet doesn't mean that you have to use both of them. You only connect to one phase which will give you ~120vac, 240vac is if you connect to both of them.

 

[GasTungstenArc]

Having both phases available at the outlet doesn't mean that you have to use both of them. You only connect to one phase which will give you ~120vac, 240vac is if you connect to both of them.

That's true, but only new style dryer outlets have a neutral present, and his wiring doesn't sound very new. So he would have only hot and ground available in that circuit.

 

[AstroWill]

That's true, but only new style dryer outlets have a neutral present, and his wiring doesn't sound very new. So he would have only hot and ground available in that circuit.

It's a dedicated circuit and 3 wire dryers combine the neutral/ground anyway. In fact the motor and timer runs on 120vac, while the heating elements are running on 240vac, so it's really being used as a neutral anyway.
Neutral and ground are the same once you hit the service panel

If you really really wanted to you could swap a leg to neutral.

 

[markmitch]

The circuit breaker box and the drier plug are recent as in last 5 years. I did order one of them plugs so I can park in front of the house and use my welder instead of on the side of the house. Less chance of a fire as the front of the house is gravel and the side is grass. I also have a large extension cord made for my welder.
I took the dryer plug out of the outlet to check before I bought the adapter from Amazon. its 4 prong.

 

[AstroWill]

Proper power and a safer location, sounds like a win win.