Two DIY questions

[The Lone Rider]

Thanks for any help offered

1. I have some tiles to re-attach to my shower unit. I believe them to only be decorative, as they are attached to what looks like a plastic wall (enclosed unit I guess?). So what do I use to re-attach it to the plastic wall? And then just a white silicone filler around the tiles like the rest?

2. I have been given a welder - a gasless arc rod welder. It's in working order - and today first time I fired it up. Got a nice crackle, with the choke set to around 90. However.. blew a fuse after about 2 and half crackles. Checked my fuse box... the fuse blown is in a ceramic thing labeled 10a.

How are you suppose to use a single phase "home DIY" welder that goes to 100a, when house fuses seem to be 10 to 25?

I surely am missing something.

[Tank]

2. I have been given a welder - a gasless arc rod welder. It's in working order - and today first time I fired it up. Got a nice crackle, with the choke set to around 90. However.. blew a fuse after about 2 and half crackles. Checked my fuse box... the fuse blown is in a ceramic thing labeled 10a.

How are you suppose to use a single phase "home DIY" welder that goes to 100a, when house fuses seem to be 10 to 25?

I surely am missing something.

Replace fuse with a big bit of number 8 wire. All good*











* Note that this advise should not be followed at any cost. Death and burning down house likely, other side effects may include nausea and drowsiness, and huge amounts of pain.

[nallac]

most single phase welders only draw max of 10 amps the welder then converts that in to what ever amps selected.
my single phase compresser is 15amp,means i had to wire up to an 15amp
fuse with 15amp plus/socket .

[nodrog:Me]

Thanks for any help offered

1. I have some tiles to re-attach to my shower unit. I believe them to only be decorative, as they are attached to what looks like a plastic wall (enclosed unit I guess?). So what do I use to re-attach it to the plastic wall? And then just a white silicone filler around the tiles like the rest?

use some gorilla grip to stick the tile back on, to help adhesion (or however you spell it) rough the plastic wall up with some coarse sandpaper.

make sure you get a silicone with an antifungal agent in it, otherwise you might find you nice white silicone has gone all shitty in a couple of months

[JMemonic]

Ok simply check the output voltage of the welder it will be written on it somewhere, now remember high school physics/science current is inversely proportional to voltage, that welder is heavy as it a whacking great transformer, the heavier the better in this case, it lowers the voltage, but increases the current output.

If you blew the fuse then fuse wire is your friend, but only replace it with 10 amp wire, and if you keep blowing fuses there could be other issues, keep in mind if you have a welder drawing 10 amps and the radio on the same circuit drawing 1 amp that's 11 amps at which point the fuse should blow. If the welder blows that fuse consistently then options for the fault are the welder is drawing to much current which would indicate a short some where, or technique.

[CookMySock]

I have been given a welder - a gasless arc rod welder. It's in working order - and today first time I fired it up. Got a nice crackle, with the choke set to around 90. However.. blew a fuse after about 2 and half crackles. Checked my fuse box... the fuse blown is in a ceramic thing labeled 10a.

Replace fuse with a 15a one and try that. Never never be tempted to put a piece of copper wire in there - that is a particularly dangerous thing to do.

I trust you have broadband internet? Go to youtube.com and search for "arc welding" and watch and learn. You will have fun with that. Keep your welding rods in a warm dry place, or they get hard to use (they want to stick to the job all the time, ugh.)

How are you suppose to use a single phase "home DIY" welder that goes to 100a, when house fuses seem to be 10 to 25?

This particular welder (probably) has a transformer in it, which lowers the voltage, and at the same time increases the current. Welding needs plenty of current, but not much voltage. It's a bit like a mechanical lever which exchanges distance for force - but an electrical equivalent. More modern welders use a similar device called an inverter - it works sort of the same, but it has other advantages, such as DC current, and its much lighter.

Steve

[cowpoos]

Thanks for any help offered

1. I have some tiles to re-attach to my shower unit. I believe them to only be decorative, as they are attached to what looks like a plastic wall (enclosed unit I guess?). So what do I use to re-attach it to the plastic wall? And then just a white silicone filler around the tiles like the rest?

Go to bunnings and ask for a product called shower bond [you will need a caulking gun]...its used for sticking shower shells to walls..and it shrinks on drying..I think you will this will be the best product. Don't forget to buy the little plastic tile spacers to get the spaces correct...and leave them in. and some duct tape to hold the buggers [tiles] there

And yeah...unless you wanna piss around with grout and sealents...I'd just buy a tube of white silocone MS...check on the label that it is a anti mould/fungus.
Best way to get a pro finnish on the silicone...is a small amount of turps on a mutton cloth...rather than trying to use your fingers and make a mess.

[lb99]

plug your welder into the stove, the wiring is definately up to it

i do this with mine, and get the best arcs that way

(have had success on panel steel)

[JMemonic]

Replace fuse with a 15a one and try that. Never never be tempted to put a piece of copper wire in there - that is a particularly dangerous thing to do.

Umm bad advise, it is possible your cable is not rated to 15amps, my garage certainly wasn't, had I done this and used the welder on the circuit it was possible that the insulation could melt, from there the potential to go down hill fast is obvious

plug your welder into the stove, the wiring is definately up to it

i do this with mine, and get the best arcs that way

(have had success on panel steel)

The stove is a great place if it has sockets then there is a good chance they might even be 15 amp rated.

[Brett]

Go to bunnings and ask for a product called shower bond [you will need a caulking gun]...its used for sticking shower shells to walls..and it shrinks on drying..I think you will this will be the best product. Don't forget to buy the little plastic tile spacers to get the spaces correct...and leave them in. and some duct tape to hold the buggers [tiles] there

And yeah...unless you wanna piss around with grout and sealents...I'd just buy a tube of white silocone MS...check on the label that it is a anti mould/fungus.
Best way to get a pro finnish on the silicone...is a small amount of turps on a mutton cloth...rather than trying to use your fingers and make a mess.

+1 except by the tilers silicon 'blades' as opposed to fingers or mutton cloth. Put silicon in joint, using a spray bottle such are your spray'n'wipe type filled with water and damped (not soak) the silicon and use the blade to trim off the excess...will look absolutely bro is an easy, no mess method.

[CookMySock]

Umm bad advise, it is possible your cable is not rated to 15amps, my garage certainly wasn't, had I done this and used the welder on the circuit it was possible that the insulation could melt, from there the potential to go down hill fast is obvious

It's not bad advice at all. If you pull 15A through a 10A cable it's not going to do any harm to any part of the system, and your casual observation of flames, melting, and "going down hill fast" is alarmist bs. The worst that can happen there is the cable runs a little warm or you pop another fuse. He isn't running 15A continuous - considering his welding expertise, I would say he is unlikely to hit a duty-cycle of more than 5%.

It's perfectly normal to have a 15A fuse serving a bunch of 10A hotpoints.

The stove is a great place if it has sockets then there is a good chance they might even be 15 amp rated.

It sure is. Don't blow a fuse on the stove though, because you wont be fixing that yourself.

As is the normal when doing things that slightly above "normal", you should make sure conditions are optimal. Use a short extension lead or none at all. Make sure the pins are a tight fit, and don't draw full power continuously.

Steve

[JMemonic]

It's not bad advice at all. If you pull 15A through a 10A cable it's not going to do any harm to any part of the system, and your casual observation of flames, melting, and "going down hill fast" is alarmist bs. The worst that can happen there is the cable runs a little warm or you pop another fuse. He isn't running 15A continuous - considering his welding expertise, I would say he is unlikely to hit a duty-cycle of more than 5%.

Duty cycle aside which is a valid point I am figuring you know more than the electrician who looked at the wiring in my garage and load I was drawing and nearly fainted, he explained garages in certain eras were often underrated in the cable used, in fact what was in mine was barely adequate for a 10 amp circuit yet was wired to 2 10 amp sockets in daisy chain so draw 10 off the first then 10 off the second and the first section of cable was over loaded, oh I know this was overloaded as the aforementioned "casual observation" happened, my fault I knew better but was in too much of a rush.

Whats your hourly rate as you could be the person I need to do some wiring here, but then hmmm.

It's perfectly normal to have a 15A fuse serving a bunch of 10A hotpoints.

Assuming the cable is rated for such see above, it is not normal to have a 10 amp cable serving a 15 amp circuit, nor advisable, there is a reason cable have ratings, or is this just a conspiracy by cable makers.

[nallac]

Assuming the cable is rated for such see above, it is not normal to have a 10 amp cable serving a 15 amp circuit, nor advisable, there is a reason cable have ratings, or is this just a conspiracy by cable makers.

yip thats true,the same with the wiring in cars and bikes, different rated cable/wire
for different loads.

[The Lone Rider]

Haven't filled with tiles yet, but fiddled with welder.

Replaced the fuse wire, gave another go with all else I could find turned off from that circuit at the wall (washing machine, dehumidifier, toothbrush, digital photo album).

Still got a few nice cracks. But still kept blowing fuses. Tried with various bits of metal, different rods, and different amp settings. Still no go.

[peasea]

Haven't filled with tiles yet, but fiddled with welder.

Replaced the fuse wire, gave another go with all else I could find turned off from that circuit at the wall (washing machine, dehumidifier, toothbrush, digital photo album).

Still got a few nice cracks. But still kept blowing fuses. Tried with various bits of metal, different rods, and different amp settings. Still no go.

I'd be talking to a sparkie before you blow something (or yourself) up. If there's a fault in the welder causing the blown fuses it could zap you and not just a fuse. Be careful man, some of those old arc welders can pack a punch, especially if they're damp.