Miller Spot Welder help needed

Atlas Knife Company

Atlas Knife Company

Joined
Feb 16, 2010
Messages
3,668
Does anyone have any experience with the LMSW-52T resistance welder from Miller? I recently acquired one at a garage sale and can't get it working. I rebuilt the plug and cord and the timer lights up. When I activate it it makes the right noises except it doesn't even heat the metal, much less weld it. I checked the tips and sanded them a little, but still nothing.

Any thoughts? I'd really like to add this welder to my shop. It's got the 18" tongs if that matters.
 
I had a similar problem when I got my spot welder. It wouldn't weld. After several tries I realized the metal I was trying to weld had paint on it. I sanded the paint off to bare metal and the spot welder worked great.
I don't know if that's your problem or not, but the spot welder tongs need to be on bare metal in order to work.
 
Did you clean the washers? Chromium oxide forms on stainless and will inhibit welds so you need to sand the washers first then they should weld.
 
I think the problem is bad tips. I pulled them out and they were heavily oxidized inside. Going to re-tap the tongs and clean the threads of the tips real well.
 
Make the points on the tips quite small about 1/8" diameter, clean the metal on both sides, make sure you have enough pressure holding the plates together before you give the last welding squeeze .

Richard
 
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