Build a Microwave Transformer Homemade Stick/Arc Welder

Step 3 Get some 24 foot chunks of ten-guage wire

We scavenged some heavy wire from an old powerboat the owner was scuttling.
We stripped the outer jacket off and separated the inner conductors to wind new secondaries
on our transformers.

Comments

[pyrogreasemonkey]

alturnative to using thick wire: just wind two wires ! yo can just take many small wires and solder them at the ends to make one big wire.

[arkfusion]

I used 12 gauge. is this going to make a difference?

[applegeek]

I suppose it would just make the duty cycle shorter. I've been thinking about using 12 AWG myself because I know I can find lots of unused Romex cable with 12 gauge wire in it.

[ferball]

I used 12 wire 10 was two thick to get enough windings. Idid melt one coil when my rod stuck rewound and it added a fan to my enclosure and pay a little more attention and no problems. 12 wire makes for less of a "duty cycle".

[maxpush99]

It would help if you try to have the 2 windings in resonance. after you remove the secondary windings you should weight it. you then use the same amount of copper by weight in your new winding,\ Just calculate lenght by thickness or weight the new windings good luck

[taoybb-TH]

What size of your wire (In mm)

[autophile]

Google is your friend. Ask it the size of 10-gauge wire. You'll probably find a site that gives the measurements of all sorts of wire. Bookmark that!

[taoybb-TH]

(removed by author or community request)

[desertcat]

Aluminum is not as conductive as copper. If you are using the same size aluminum conductor as is suggested here for copper, this may be the source of the excess heating you are experiencing. Try rewinding the transformer with larger diameter aluminum wire, or switch to using copper wire. Or add more turns of wire to increase the voltage and decrease the amperage output. You're running 170 amps through approximately 9 gauge wire. I'm not surprised it is heating up.

[taoybb-TH]

It isn't very hot now.That temp I check at my school now I know why it hot.Because my school have a power transformer It give a heavy power to my transformer .now I use in my home(No Power transformer) my transformer are not hot but warm about 30-36'C (Now weather in thailand are hot!! about 33.5°C) I think Copper wire and Aluminium wire conductive are not different so much It work good not bad or very bad and why I don't use copper wire because it hard to winding and a expensive now I studying I don't have very much money.

[taoybb-TH]

tell me please.