Re Re Re Re: Arc Welders as Rheostats?? Variac Mods...PLEASE!

["Tesla list" <tesla-at-pupman-dot-com>]

Original poster: "torlin by way of Terry Fritz <twftesla-at-qwest-dot-net>" <torlin-at-ghostmail-dot-net>

I'm almost sorry I posted this question!!! Here's the 
situation.  After many, many years of fruitless searching 
and legitimate efforts to buy a polepig of the size I 
need, I finally found a load of them roadside for some 
work happening.  

It is now two weeks later, my back is still bugging me 
from my acquisition, and I still can't use the bloody 
thing, because it pulls too much power for my box.  My dad 
has an arc welder, and I remembered someone once saying 
they were using a welder as a variac.  

My question, which I thought to be rather simple, was how 
to do this with my dad's welder.  I'm sure he would have a 
thing to say as it is about this 380 pound piece of 
equipment in his barn, let alone me cutting up his welder! 
 

Is there someone out there that can either tell me how to 
limit this beast so I can run it off the power I have 
available, or come out and answer my question on how to 
hook up the welder WITHOUT CUTTING THE THING APART?  

Thanks
Chris
Torlin-at-ghostmail-dot-net

On Sat, 30 Mar 2002 12:05:13 -0700
  "Tesla list" <tesla-at-pupman-dot-com> wrote:
>Original poster: "david baehr by way of Terry Fritz 
><twftesla-at-qwest-dot-net>" <dfb25-at-hotmail-dot-com>
>
>
>Yes, I remember pulling on that bombing choke back in my 
>neon days......it took
>quite a bit of effort at 600 ma. +.......
>
>>From: "Tesla list" 
>>To: tesla-at-pupman-dot-com 
>>Subject: Re: Arc Welders as Rheostats?? Variac Mod 
>>Question 
>>Date: Fri, 29 Mar 2002 21:09:07 -0700 
>> 
>>Original poster: "Jack King by way of Terry Fritz " 
>> 
>>I have been vasillating over that myself, but, having 
>>said that, what's the harm in modifying something that 
>>"doesn't work" (for the application) in it's present 
>>form, and turning it into something that does? 
>> 
>>I can make an old iron core slider a-la bombarder type 
>>stuff, but I like the idea of turning the wheel 
>>instead of tugging on the core. 
>> 
>> 
>>--- Tesla list wrote: 
>> > Original poster: "david baehr by way of Terry Fritz 
>> > " 
>> > 
>> > 
>> > Is there any way of you getting a welder or making 
>> > your own inductor?? It 
>> > would be a shame to cut a good variac! > > > > > > > > 
>>> > > > >