Use of a MIG welder for other purposes?

[PeteVS]

I want to heat the rivets strictly by resistance. When I get the time, I'm going to see if I can heat a rivet using a 12 V battery with jumper cables and a couple of copper pieces that will fit the ends of a rivet. I have an old Sears starter current meter to measure the amps. I don't think that the HF unit has the oomph to do what I'm thinking of.

[Smitty]

So the front crossmember in my coupe had been replaced with a 29 unit, bolted in with 3/8 bolts. Scribed the correct location on the frame then put a copper plate behind the 3/8 holes and welded them up with a mig. Next we re-drilled the holes with proper size rivet holes and replaced with Big Flats Rivets. A friend held a buck and we heated the rivet with ox-actelene torch. Once cherry red shot the rivet down with 4-x rivet gun, took 2 heating's to get it set tight. That was 12 years ago, has not loosened a bit and cant tell the cross-member had ever been replaced. Not difficult, just take your time and do it right.

[Automotive Stud]

Originally Posted by PeteVS

I want to heat the rivets strictly by resistance. When I get the time, I'm going to see if I can heat a rivet using a 12 V battery with jumper cables and a couple of copper pieces that will fit the ends of a rivet. I have an old Sears starter current meter to measure the amps. I don't think that the HF unit has the oomph to do what I'm thinking of.

This all sounds like a bad idea. There are multiple posts here already detailing how to do it properly. I'd cut the bull and stick with what works.

[JSeery]

Keep in mind that is possible to blow up a battery with a direct short like this. I would at least isolate it in some way.

[Tim Ayers]

The more I think about this, for the small amount of rivets we are talking about, get a tote tank set up and use Oxy-Acetylene and do it right. Those "B" tanks should last long enough to do this job.

Why risk injuring yourself with some sort of gypsy rig set up?

[Smitty]

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Call Rivet Flats, they will tell you how to do it.

[JSeery]

Not sure how many have first hand experience shorting out batteries. When I was in the military I got the brilliant idea of touching a large wrench across a 24 volt battery. It blow a hole about the size of a nickel out of it! I learn a lot of things the hard way (as in the stupid way). On a race car in the early 60s only the ignition was connected to a 12 volt battery (push start car). We were hooking up a single tail light late one evening at the track. I got under the car and was just going to twist two wires together with my hand. Well it ending up being a short to ground and instantly melted the wires into my finger! Learned a number of lessons on that one and a respect for batteries. As a side note, the stories about how you can't change your finger print are dead wrong, mine was parentally changed that night!! So anytime I need remained about batteries all I have to do is look at my right index finger. I tend to be a slow learner on some things, but at least I end up to good reminders.

[RKS.PA]

Originally Posted by JSeery

Not sure how many have first hand experience shorting out batteries. When I was in the military I got the brilliant idea of touching a large wrench across a 24 volt battery. It blow a hole about the size of a nickel out of it! I learn a lot of things the hard way (as in the stupid way). On a race car in the early 60s only the ignition was connected to a 12 volt battery (push start car). We were hooking up a single tail light late one evening at the track. I got under the car and was just going to twist two wires together with my hand. Well it ending up being a short to ground and instantly melted the wires into my finger! Learned a number of lessons on that one and a respect for batteries. As a side note, the stories about how you can't change your finger print are dead wrong, mine was parentally changed that night!! So anytime I need remained about batteries all I have to do is look at my right index finger. I tend to be a slow learner on some things, but at least I end up to good reminders.

In the "I tend to be a slow learner" department, I have a galvanized metal sheet on my workbench top. Turned a 6 volt Optima upside down on the bench.....YIKES!!! No bodily injury, melted the posts, and $180 absolutely wasted!!

[JWL]

I have a similar faulty precaution story. Went to start my 8N and had no power. Remembered the cutoff switch and when I engaged it the ignition was on producing a small arc at the top of the battery. It sounded just about the same as .38 Special when the top of one cell exploded. What a mess!

[flatford8]

I was changing smoke detector batteries in my house, I put one of the batts in my pocket and my leg started to burn. My keys were in the same pocket and shorted across the posts...... Mark

[va t]

My Solar brand mig has a carbon tip adapter for heat shrinking along with directions for use. It works well. On a 47 Merc convertible I was able to free quarter window adjusters without damaging the paint in door jamb.

[JSeery]

Originally Posted by va t

My Solar brand mig has a carbon tip adapter for heat shrinking along with directions for use. It works well. On a 47 Merc convertible I was able to free quarter window adjusters without damaging the paint in door jamb.

Interesting, never seen that.

[PeteVS]

Originally Posted by va t

My Solar brand mig has a carbon tip adapter for heat shrinking along with directions for use. It works well. On a 47 Merc convertible I was able to free quarter window adjusters without damaging the paint in door jamb.

Do you have a picture of the adaptor? Instructions?

When I was a kid, I spent a couple of summers working in my neighbor's ignition shop. The guys there had a big old screwdriver with a nut welded to the tip and a length of heavy wire with a big old alligator clip. The electrode from a spent "D" cell battery was inserted into the nut and held with a set screw. They used it to heat stubborn hardware or resolder starter armatures by grounding the piece to be heated to a six volt battery. The tool was connected to the battery and pressed against the piece. Worked nicely but it got too hot using a 12 V battery.

[JSeery]

Originally Posted by va t

My Solar brand mig has a carbon tip adapter for heat shrinking along with directions for use. It works well. On a 47 Merc convertible I was able to free quarter window adjusters without damaging the paint in door jamb.

I'd be interested in see this setup as well, seems I have some things to learn about MIG welders! I have no idea how this could work short of using a completely different line from the machine.

My guess is it first gets setup like a stick welder and the adapter is to the stick welder part?