Homemade Welder Info

I have done quite a bit of research and experimentation about homemade welders. I am most interested in arc welders, also known as stick welders as these are the simplest to build.

It seems that there are two basic ways to construct an arc welder. The first is to use large transformers to bulid one that runs off of the mains power. The second is to use multiple car batteries wired in series to get enough voltage. Either way, they can be built entirely from salvaged junk which is the kind of project I like.



Transformer based welders require fairly large transformers wired together to get enough voltage and current to start an arc and maintain it. The most common place to get these is from old microwave ovens. I have saved quite a few of these. The process involves removing the coils from one side of the transformer and replacing them with heavier wire.

How to rewind a microwave oven transformer

A simpler way to build a homemade arc welder is by using old car batteries. These can often be found for free and can be reconditioned and fixed. I have recently found a great resource for building battery welders as well as other interesting projects.

It is called Poor Man's Guide to Welding with Batteries. Everything that is needed to build a homemade welder is included in this book. It explains how to get the batteries for free, how to fix them, and how to build a 15,000 watt welder with them.

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