We used to call them submarines- for obvious reasons. The one we had at a shipyard years ago had about 4-500 available amps and ran a smooth sweet arc. It was a Lincoln. Don't see them much anymore.
As others have pointed out, "torpedo" was the nickname given the machine. My mental transposition was showing.
Well Dark_Angel, Looks to be either a Lincoln SAE 400 or 600 Motor/Generator. Do you do much SMAW or CAG?, if so that "little" beast will handle the issues for you. Seriously though, those machines have some of the finest arcs around. In my area they were used extensively in the shipyards WWII era and post. The control that has the Large Electrode, Special Application, Overhead & Vertical, and Normal Welding, allows for a really nice tayloring of the arc and it's characteristics. Is it a runner? Only real downside is probably power consumption and the whining noise that these machines often make. Details man! Tell us more about it. Best regards, Allan
UUMMM...I thought we called them torpedoes. Whichever, they sound like a jet engine warming up when you turn them on, take forever to shut down, but weld some of the smoothest welds you could ever want.
Same basic machine as a lot of the engine drives the guys use for pipeline work but off electric drive instead of the gas or diesel. If you can't pass a 3G plate test with one of those...you just plain can't weld.
Have a Great Day, Brent
I used something similar from Lincoln to build SAW weldments in my first job as a welder. I am not sure if this is the same machine. Isn't this a motor generator that will do SAW? (AKA "Squirt" welding?)
Obewan, I posted the only manual connection thought I had on file for one like this it shows stick welding. Found one more I'll post below with other one that is mostly a parts manual showing other DC source generator welders. Lincoln made lots of belt driven welders back then too. There were others and I've heard some of these called aircraft welders too but Lincoln also made some called aircraft welders with the smaller diameter motor driven generator standing vertical.
I've seen one of those before, where was it.....
Oh, check in the bible, I think they mention Jesus using one of these things and then telling Noah about it to build the stalls for the animals on the ark!! LOL!!
Pretty sweet find right there though, that's a piece of history!
I thought the ark was wood ? If they had welded the Titanic with one these maybe it wouldn't have broke ? lol
What...You have not had the pleasure of using the 'wood' electrodes??
I think they fall into the D2.3 Codes-Carpentry, right close to the farm code. It's for those guys who cut twice and it's still too short.
Have a Great Day, Brent
wood rods smell pretty good depending on what tree you got them from
Ahhh, you didn't read carefully FixaLinc, noah used it to build the animal stalls, hahaha!!
I started welding in 1974. My first SMAW AWS test was done with one of those. They actually run pretty sweet. As another poster pointed out, it will run big carbon arc with ease. Noisy as hell, but great old machines.
Oh it dimmed the lights alright! It actually blew the breaker trying to start that machine.
But I talked to the owner of the company and am looking to buy it and possibly restore it. My question is how much is something like this worth in its current condition?
It currently doesn't start, seems like it wants to though. Sounds like its knocking a bit and I haven't opened it to check the brushes etc. So what would be a fair offer where I'm not low balling him?
