Purchased a "cold welder"

Interested because I don't understand what I'm seeing. My understanding of cold welding is that its a high-pressure type of fusion at ambient, meaning the process doesn't use heat. However, the videos sure as heck look like there is still significant heat involved (i.e. the video ahazi posted: that looks like a short 200a tig blast). So I'm here to learn more; what am I missing?
 
keena-I think you are all over it. Short controlled high current burst. It is called "cold" because the total energy input is so low the work piece does not heat up (much.)
Robert
 
Thanks for the videos. I was also confused.

I watched a number of videos.... no one seems too concerned about:
  1. TIG contamination of the weld,
  2. weld porosity,
  3. all those craters, and
  4. lack of penetration
I guess maybe it has its place: jewelry and such, ornamental and no strength requirements.

I am NOT putting down your purchase @GunsOfNavarone , it would be fun to try..... and I bet you will find applications for it.
If I needed a TIG machine I might consider one with this feature.

-brino
 
ahazi said:
No, these are not spot/resistance welders.

Looks like some sort of a repetition single manual pulse TIG welding with Argon gas. See video.

Will be interesting to know how thick of a material can be welded like this and how strong is the weld.

Ariel
Click to expand...
I have plans to do some testing with some 1/4" stainless this weekend. This maybe a bit more than it can handle (not in tig mode, but cold mode) But why would you use cold welding with that thickness? Some of the videos of miscellaneous materials slapped together, but real world...I don't believe it would be common. Again, I'm hoping this picks up where tig kinda isn't so perfect. Sure could make thin exhaust tubing easier, though I have done that successfully with normal tig many times.
If anyone has any things they'd like to see welded together...I'm in, just leave ideas here and I'll roust up what I can.
 
brino said:
Thanks for the videos. I was also confused.

I watched a number of videos.... no one seems too concerned about:
  1. TIG contamination of the weld,
  2. weld porosity,
  3. all those craters, and
  4. lack of penetration
I guess maybe it has its place: jewelry and such, ornamental and no strength requirements.

I am NOT putting down your purchase @GunsOfNavarone , it would be fun to try..... and I bet you will find applications for it.
If I needed a TIG machine I might consider one with this feature.

-brino
Click to expand...
Its funny you bring up some of those points. I put something smart @ss on someone's youtube called "mrs weld" about lack of concern of contamination. Everyone seems to dip the tungsten, wrestle it out and keep going. I DO NOT do that) NO ONE cleans their metals prior, again, I don't do that. There is someone I have respect for;
Good Cold welding
I don't know if you must turn your captioning on or if it's automatic, but make sure it's on. He's a real welder and very good, good explanations of the bullet points for cold welding.
 
In cold weld I can drop to 10a (understandably) but also 250a (what for?…penetration on thicker material?) the duration of the arc really has A LOT to do with penetration. I actually did razors at 30a but very low duration (35ms)
987152C4-D7EA-400B-A7EE-EF464ACA878A.jpeg9FE740FC-82A4-400B-83F3-F4153A61B76A.jpeg
 
Some of the gripes…but consider cost so… I could change the push to connects on back of machine, I hate that pex. TINY dinse plug, I have nothing like it, and the worst, the torch plug. I love CK torches, they are going on this without major mods to the machine. It is what it is. It’s like riding a moped, fun but you’re not racing anyone.AF060129-7252-4237-A598-78581C8B1526.jpeg626CF3A9-A764-4173-910F-7E5E3450A2FA.jpeg93616BB1-7C73-456C-9572-3E8831BDD6F1.jpeg
 
brino said:
Thanks for the videos. I was also confused.

I watched a number of videos.... no one seems too concerned about:
  1. TIG contamination of the weld,
  2. weld porosity,
  3. all those craters, and
  4. lack of penetration
I guess maybe it has its place: jewelry and such, ornamental and no strength requirements.

I am NOT putting down your purchase @GunsOfNavarone , it would be fun to try..... and I bet you will find applications for it.
If I needed a TIG machine I might consider one with this feature.

-brino
Click to expand...

I didn't know anything about the process when the OP was made, but I've done some reading and it sounds like it was developed primarily for non-ferrous metals, and specifically wiring.
 
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