Tool gloat, new project

[nickel-city-fab]

Pics later, so that I can sit back and watch everyone get all wound up.

Last weekend I got an engine-driven welder on craiglist. Late 1940's or early 1950's would be my best guess.
Hobart G250 with the Willys L-head 4-cylinder engine.
Yep, the original ww2 jeep engine.
Engine is missing a few parts such as the air cleaner, and some other things are in poor condition or were obviously shop-made and not at all original.
All these minor things will be fixed/corrected. oil pressure is a steady 20 PSI and even the original radiator has no holes!

A bunch of the original Data plates are missing or illegible, I'll have to create new ones.

Advert said it starts, runs and welds. And indeed it did.
Paid 50 cents a pound, drove 400 miles to the other side of NY state for it.
The truck is severely overloaded, my rear springs look like rainbows.
I have no hoist at home, but no matter - we have a dozen 50-ton cranes at work.
And a forklift.

Welder is rated 250 Amps DC only, max of 350 amps according to the manual that came with it. Has 120 volts DC Aux power (will be upgraded to 5kW of 115/230 AC Aux power shortly)
I won't be home this AM but I'll put some pics later today.

Sellers pic, I'll add more later:

[Stu]

Does it have a crank start? Sounds similar to one where I first worked in the 70's. It was a bear to start

[nickel-city-fab]

Does it have a crank start? Sounds similar to one where I first worked in the 70's. It was a bear to start

Nope, I got smart this time. It has 12v electrics, all original. Push a button. The electric start was a factory option.

[metalfixer]

The old Hobart was a great welder, mine was a little older, had a
Hercules 4 cylinder, updraft carb, magneto, and crank start, no
battery needed.Started on first crank.
Power tools had to be AC-DC rated. Weld all day at 1700 rpm.
Center adjustment reostat could be removed for remote adjustment,
just connect with an extension cord.
Larry

[barracudajoe]

I remember those, when I started out in the early '70's we still had a couple of those for work out in the field. They welded fine.

[J Tiers]

Nice! Given when it was made, should be just about bulletproof.

[nickel-city-fab]

Nice! Given when it was made, should be just about bulletproof.

Sure does seem that way -- that Willys motor ("Go-Devil") Can't kill it, like cockroaches after the Apocalypse.
Turns out you can still buy every single part for that motor too.
The field rheostat is a current Ohmite part number.
The Open Circuit volts were a tad low most likely due to all the corrosion on the armature.
Still welds, though. Gonna have to clean it, I like a juicy puddle.
I can still find brushes at carbon brush dot com
But the originals still have more than 75% life remaining.

[rickyb]

A nice manly accession for you.

[Dan Dubeau]

Congrats. That looks like a brute, and I'm sure has many more decades of work left in her.

[Tim Clarke]

We had a welder truck at the mill I worked at in the early 70's Had this same welder in the back of a 50's Chevrolet 1/2 ton. welded like a million dollars, Sweet running also. Later, I worked at an Automotive machine Shop, and saw a few of these engines come thru the shop. Word from the WW2 veterans was if you run a WW2 jeep in steep territory, to put an extra quart of oil in the crankcase or youd starve the front rod bearing. Not to matter in a welder, but for what it' worth.....

[The Metal Butcher]

Alright! Well now you've got to start posting some projects again! >

[Tundra Twin Track]

Nice score Nickel-City,some of that old iron just keeps going and going 🤓

[JRouche]

I like it.

It is abeaxt, That box, with the right guy on the stck will make bridges. I have iron workers in the fam.. That is a nice welding machine, I think. JR

And on the back side. I am asking you to prove me wrong, I want tto see the fail point also...

I always stress all of my things off the mill to a fail point, Its in the contact or paper. Make it then brake it. They said,
If the contract said prove it to failure thats what you do.

There are odd folks looking for odd answers,, Whatch out who you end up working for,,,

No regret here yet... JR

[RB140]

Looks like your first project with it is to Fab up a dolly to move it around and give the truck springs a break nice acquisition they run great and keep on going

[reggie_obe]

Looks like your first project with it is to Fab up a dolly to move it around and give the truck springs a break nice acquisition they run great and keep on going

Or build a trailer to make your welder even more mobile.
I find lots of info on the old engine driven Hobart welders, but no mention of weight.