New Shop Teacher Help

[BulldogFFA]

I took over for a shop this year. IN a corner of my shop there are 4 mills, 4 metal lathes, and 6 Miller EconoTwin welders. The short version of the story I got was that the older school in the district shut down their metal/mechanics class and equipment that was there, was moved out to my school 11 year ago when it was built. The mechanic teacher retired and the Agriculture Department took it over. 7 years later I was hired and found all of these machine plus other stuff stacked in a corner.The Question. I can't find a serial number on the welders, but I am sure they were new in the 90's. Right now these Welders are sitting in a corner, missing there cables and may not work. Is it worth my time and school funds to get these machines back to working order? If not, are they worth anything not working? Should I try to sell them and get money coming back into the shop?

[cruizer]

All will have serial numbers either on a black data plate or etched into the front top. As for repair, Its a low stress school, so the all probably work fine

[M J Mauer]

Welcome to the forum.

[Portable Welder]

I Agree with Cruizer, They probably work fine and only need a chord, you will get peanuts for them used and new ones are very expensive, Put them to work and teach the kids how to weld, If you dont know how to tig try inviting a local shop owner to help out.

Good Luck.

[fjk]

Better yet ... have the kids learn how to fix the machines :-)

[Portable Welder]

Bad idea FJK, I'm going to go out on a limb and say you should have a licences electrician.

Hooking the welder up to the wrong voltage or running power to the machine ground could kill the machine.

If your the machine shop teacher that doesnt really know how to weld, I would suggest calling a welding shop owner and see if him or one of his top men would come in and give you some pointers to get you and the kids pointed in the right direction.

I've owned my welding shop now for 27 and still love working most everyday, If it wasn't for a good high school shop teacher I dont know where I would be today.

[fjk]

Bad idea FJK, I'm going to go out on a limb and say you should have a licences electrician.

Hooking the welder up to the wrong voltage or running power to the machine ground could kill the machine.

I got the impression that the problem was with the welding cables, not the power ones ...

If it's power, you're absolutely right ... but even so, having the kids do the work (removing old/broken/... cables, installing new ones, cleaning, whatever) under the watchful eyes of a licensed electrician or whatever is appropriate is not a problem. And have the L/E do the hookup to the mains, if that's the way the machines work. The kids learn how to fix stuff (a vanishing skill/mindset!), and that one should know one's limits with regard to, and be respectful of, electricity ... but not be scared sh..less of it.

Frank

[cruizer]

Bad idea FJK, I'm going to go out on a limb and say you should have a licences electrician.

Hooking the welder up to the wrong voltage or running power to the machine ground could kill the machine.

If your the machine shop teacher that doesnt really know how to weld, I would suggest calling a welding shop owner and see if him or one of his top men would come in and give you some pointers to get you and the kids pointed in the right direction.

I've owned my welding shop now for 27 and still love working most everyday, If it wasn't for a good high school shop teacher I dont know where I would be today.

I would not ever have a electrician repairing welders, Id have a welder tech, there are enough of us around. WE know the machines inside and out.

[Portable Welder]

Fjk, I will go along with teaching the kids how to wire up a machine under the supervision of a licensed electrician.

Cruizer, I was referring to having a licensed electrician hook up the power, when working in a school they would typically require a licence Master Electrician to pull a permit to run wiring and plugs, the said electrician would also need the specs on the machines, I would agree that a weld tech like yourself would be the best person to take it from there since many electricians dont have a clue when you start talking Auto Link and delete the red wire if your using it on single phase or are they going to know that there is a jumper for running the welder on 208/ 230/460.