Should I upgrade or fix this welder?

[seneca_hawk45]

I found an old 110V Chicago Electric welder in my uncle's shed. He said it used to work fine, but it's been sitting for a long time. I got it running, but the welds look rough and messy.

I saw some people talk about changing it to DCEN to make the welds cleaner. Has anyone tried that? Is it worth doing for small projects, or should I just get a better welder? Thanks!

 

[gasolineholder]

Hmm.. probably the switch to DCEN will help your welds to be smoother, but the conversion isn't always worth the effort, perhaps you should just get a better welder

 

[wildcats_ap0ll0]

Nice find! I used the same welder from my dad's garage. Welds were messy too. Switching to DCEN helped make cleaner welds on thin metal. What kind of stuff are you fixing? For small jobs, it might be good enough without buying a new one.

 

[Cov3ll.WG]

I found an old 110V Chicago Electric welder in my uncle's shed. He said it used to work fine, but it's been sitting for a long time. I got it running, but the welds look rough and messy.

I saw some people talk about changing it to DCEN to make the welds cleaner. Has anyone tried that? Is it worth doing for small projects, or should I just get a better welder? Thanks!

Good on you for getting that old box running! Unfortunately, you can't easily switch that old AC-only Chicago Electric to DCEN because it lacks the rectifier needed to convert the current.. Adding one is almost never worth the cost or hassle on such a basic machine. I think it's better to try getting fresh 6013 or 7014 rods, focus on your technique and keep practicing with it for small projects. But if you want genuinely clean, consistent welds, your money is far better saved for a modern DC inverter stick welder or a basic MIG machine. It'll be a massive upgrade in arc quality!