Homemade Anvil - Small Inverter Welder - Welding Art

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Every welder needs an anvil. How else are you going to beat the crap out of metal to bend it and shape it?

This video shows an anvil built from broken forklift parts...from a junkyard.

Using a broken fork from an old forklift...Now thats being creative and resourceful.

I am not too sure about the other stuff in the video but the anvil idea is a good one. Broken forks from a forklift are not that hard to find. And I bet they are cheap too...and definitely strong. The radius on the end would be great for shaping a gentle curve in sheet metal.

Make sure and watch the other video below as well. This guy apparently does metal sculpture using this anvil and other homemade metal shaping tools he has made. The Centaur he is working on shows he knows a little something about what it takes to work metal into shape.

Small Inverter Welders

Inverter welders

What is an inverter welder anyway?

Here is the short version... The power coming out of a receptacle is A/C power (alternating current.) The frequency the A/C power alternates is either 50 or 60 Hz depending on the country you live in.

Conventional welding machines have large transformers that convert the high voltage A/C incoming current to usable welding current and the heavy duty transformer and other components are what make up most of the weight of a conventional welding machine.

An inverter steps of the frequency of the incoming power to a really high frequency before it ever converts it to DC welding current and therefore is able to use a transformer the size of your fist instead of as big as a toaster oven.

This also lets the inverter make usable welding current from 115v power ...

Thats an oversimplified explanation but the main thing is that a small inverter stick welder can really surprise you.

One tip though,

make sure to plug it into a strong 20 amp breaker circuit and dont use an extension cord if you can help it.

plugging into a 15 amp 115v circuit with a light duty extension cord is like castrating the welding machine....No balls.
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