Broken microwave oven beyond repair? Do not rush to send equipment to a landfill, its components will be useful to you for a home-made device. If you like repairing cars, straightening the body, we will tell you how to make a spotter from a microwave. Why spend money on expensive equipment, because you can use improvised materials.
Features of a homemade spotter
The word spotter means spotter. The device for impulse welding is used. Moreover, the signal is created in a short period of time, the metal does not have time to heat up. Many do-it-yourselfers use such a device to smooth out dents on cars.
How is a spotter set up? The base is a transformer. It is difficult to purchase a separately assembled transformer, so you can use the one that is in the microwave. In order for the contact welding machine to produce the required current strength, it is important to correctly calculate the parameters. The pulse time should be 0,5 seconds. Therefore, two transformers are needed for manufacturing.
The homemade electrical circuit looks like this:
What the scheme includes:
- transformer;
- diode bridges;
- thyristor;
- variable resistor.
You have studied the electrical part. Let’s get down to practical work.
How to make a welding machine
The spotter is made of two main parts – control and transformer. A new winding is wound in place of the old winding.
The winding must be removed from the core.
- For the primary winding, 200 turns of 2,5 mm² wire are required.
- For the secondary – 7 turns of 55 mm².
- Don’t 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 work with a point unit, 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 the casing from an old microwave oven.
Sequence of work:
- First of all fix the assembled parts of the spotter on the dielectric panel.
- For convenient transportation of the product, distribute the parts evenly over the sheet.
- To make it easier for you to move the device, attach the handles and wheels.
After completing the work, fix the elements without which the device will not work. This:
- Cable connections of the transformer and electrodes.
- Gun with welding machine electrode.
- Inopuller (reverse hammer) for pulling out 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 cross-section of cables, average indicators are taken: 1 mm² of cable falls on a current of 10 A.
Have you finished assembling the spotter? Build your own holder for it.
Gun and electrodes
The gun holder is recommended to be made from getinaks. This material consists of several layers. It has insulating properties, thanks to the paper included in the composition. The paper base is impregnated with epoxy resin.
For the holder, prepare two identical parts. When assembling, put 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 for installing the washer. If a tube was used instead of a rod, then flatten its ends.
You will find out the details of production in the video:
Professionals note that before embarking on the manufacture of a spotter, it is necessary to determine its characteristics. And also think through all the stages to the smallest detail.
A properly installed device provides:
- Good performance. Help you quickly weld parts.
- Convenience. Compared with industrial units, homemade products are compact.
- Quality work. After such welding, there are no slags and scales left.
If you wish, you can make a homemade spotter at no extra cost. Do not rush to dispose of broken equipment, it will still be useful to you.