You'll probably never save a pack of hungry orphans from a burning building or singlehandedly capture Osama Bin Laden. But chances are you can still be a big hero to some dude all busted down on the trail if you whip out your on-board welder and get his junk rolling down the path again.
No matter how fancy your gear,...
No matter how fancy your gear, it pays to practice at home until you're proficient. We suggest the "Learning To Weld" DVD from Premier Power Welder and Sidekick Off Road as a good learning tool for beginners. It covers a lot of the basics of stick welding, such as starting your arc, holding the rod at a 5-15-degree angle, and so on. Just remember some basic fire safety rules-check your ground cover, make sure there's no oil or gasoline near your workspace, and wear proper eye and face protection. Then buzz away.
Here at Jp we've welded on the trail with everything from multi-thousand dollar battery-powered wire-feed welders to a couple of batteries, some jumper cables, and three or four scrounged pairs of sunglasses. But no matter what the case, at the end of the day the guy who can trail weld is usually the dude wearing the big "S" on his shirt as he wipes the free beer bought for him with the tails of his red cape.
Even if you don't have an...
Even if you don't have an on-board welder, it's good practice to carry some welding rod. There are many sizes and types, but our two favorites are 6011 or 7018 in a 3/32-inch size. Welding rod classification is standardized as follows:
First two or three digits: Tensile strength of electrode (60,000psi, 70,000psi, etc.);Third digit: Position of welding (1=all positions; 2=horizontal and flat; 3=flat only);Fourth digit: Welding Current (1=AC/DC Reverse or Straight; 2=AC/DC Straight; 3=AC/DC Straight or Reversed; 4=AC/DC Reversed; 5=DC Reversed; 6=AC/DC Reversed; 7=AC/DC Reversed; 8=AC or Reversed.
You can make very nice welds...
You can make very nice welds with two batteries (24 volts) and two pairs of jumper cables. Three batteries (36 volts) is typically overkill and you can't really get a good arc or any penetration with one battery (12 volts). Run the leads in series as follows: Negative battery 1 to ground of welding work; Positive of battery 1 to Negative battery 2; Positive battery 2 to welding electrode. This is our own battery welding kit that we built for around $100, but you can weld just as well with jumper cables.
It's important to keep your...
It's important to keep your electrodes dry. Surplus military mortar shell canisters are cool, but are a bit bulky to pack-same with the blue rod holders from your welding supply shop. Although not waterproof, larger packs of electrodes come in a convenient plastic rectangular case that's easy to pack and carry. You'll also want a good pair of arc-welding gloves, a slag hammer, a wire brush, and a welding mask. We've replaced the 4-shade gas welding lens of the small red goggles with a 10-shade lens, but it's ultimately better to run a fully-hooded mask that protects your head and face from welding sparks and ultraviolet rays.