Broken microwave is not repairable? Do not rush to send equipment to a landfill, its components will be useful to you for a home-made device. If you like to repair cars, do body straightening, we will tell you how to make a spotter out of a microwave. Why spend money on expensive equipment, because you can use improvised materials.
Features of a homemade spotter
The word spotter means spotter. A pulsed welding tool is used. Moreover, the signal is created in a short period of time, the metal does not have time to heat up. Many homemade workers use such a device to even out dents on cars.
How is spotter arranged? It is based on a transformer. It is difficult to purchase a separately assembled transformer, so you can use the one that is available in the microwave. In order for the contact welding machine to produce the necessary current strength, it is important to correctly calculate the parameters. The pulse time should be 0.5 seconds. Therefore, for the manufacture of two transformers are needed.
The electrical circuit of a homemade product looks like this:
What the circuit includes:
- transformer;
- diode bridges;
- thyristor;
- variable resistor.
You have learned the electrical part. Let's get down to practical work.
How to make a welding machine
Spotter is made of two main parts - control and transformer. A new one is wound in place of the old one.
The winding must be removed from the core.
- For the primary winding, you need 200 turns of 2.5 mm² wire.
- For the secondary - 7 turns of 55 mm².
- Do not forget the insulating material. For this, technical cardboard is useful.
- The voltage on the secondary circuit must be at least 12 V.
- The control assembly is carried out according to the diagram above.
For safe operation with the point aggregate, it is necessary to assemble the housing. It will also protect electronic parts from debris and damage. How to make a case with your own hands? You can use a casing from an old microwave.
Work sequence:
- First of all, fix the assembled parts of the spotter on the dielectric panel.
- For convenient transportation of the product, distribute the parts on the sheet evenly.
- To make it easier for you to move the device, attach the handles and wheels.
After finishing work, fix the elements without which the device will not work. It:
- Cable connections of the transformer and electrodes.
- The gun with an electrode of the welding machine.
- Inopuller (reverse hammer) for pulling dents on the body.
To correctly calculate the cost of materials, prepare drawings in advance. They will allow you not to overpay when buying the necessary components.
To calculate the cable cross-section, average indicators are taken: 1 mm² of cable falls on a current of 10 A.
Finished spotter assembly? Assemble the holder for it yourself.
Gun and electrodes
The gun holder is recommended to be made from getinax. This material consists of several layers. It has insulating properties due to the included paper. The paper base is impregnated with epoxy resin.
Prepare two identical parts for the holder. When assembling, put on the start button and electrode. A copper or bronze rod is suitable for the electrode. After assembling the parts on the electrode side, make a hole to install the washer. If a tube was used instead of a rod, then flatten its ends.
Professionals note that before embarking on the manufacture of a spotter, it is necessary to determine its characteristics. And also think through all the steps to the smallest detail.
A correctly mounted device provides:
- Good performance. Helps you quickly weld parts.
- Convenience. Compared with industrial units, homemade is compact.
- Quality work. After such welding, no slag or scale remains.
If you wish, you can make a homemade spotter without any extra cost. Do not rush to dispose of the broken equipment, it will still be useful to you.