Will Grandpa's 50-Year-Old Tombstone Welder Work?

Ғылым және технология

This week, we're heading to the FirstBuild shop with Randy and Tim to test out a 50-year-old Tombstone Welder.
Tim inherited the welder from his grandfather but hasn't been sure how to use it. With help from Jody, one of our Product Technicians, Tim and Randy have some fun putting this welder to the test... discovering some ancient relics along the way 🕷.

Пікірлер: 63

  • @AlexJonesWasRight1776
    @AlexJonesWasRight1776Ай бұрын

    I have this exact same welder $20 at yard sale 30 years ago still works like a champ

  • @aaronbugaiski2487
    @aaronbugaiski2487Ай бұрын

    Just scored one at a garage sale a couple weeks back it’s probably as old. Brought it home plugged into it in and it welds like it was new outta the box. First welder i learned to weld in my grandfather’s work shop about 32 years ago with one of these. I have welded tig and mig professionally and it was a lot of fun just stepping back with an old tombstone. Very capable welders👍

  • @hardwurkindaddy
    @hardwurkindaddy3 жыл бұрын

    I love my old tombstone. It was my grandfather's too.

  • @suntzu5836
    @suntzu58362 жыл бұрын

    This is what I started with back in 1980 when I started my apprenticeship with Local 98 Columbus Ohio.....

  • @83flhs
    @83flhs Жыл бұрын

    I bought my tombstone when I was a young man. Now I’m a grandpa. Still works like the day I bought it new.

  • @SchysCraftCo.
    @SchysCraftCo.3 жыл бұрын

    Wowers my dad has one. Very cool restoration. Keep up the great craftsmanship and hard work my friends. Weld on. Fab on. Keep making. God bless.

  • @eePatCox
    @eePatCox3 жыл бұрын

    Of course Tim has a 50-year old welder just laying around...

  • @seanseoltoir
    @seanseoltoir Жыл бұрын

    Well, other than the fact that there is not a positive and negative in house wiring since it is AC, not DC...

  • @BCole-bj4lv
    @BCole-bj4lv6 ай бұрын

    They still sell this in 225 amps. I just took mine apart and cleaned it. I've used it for 37 years. It does the job very well.

  • @Jason-wc3fh
    @Jason-wc3fh2 жыл бұрын

    I have an old one similar to this. I think mine goes up to 225 tho. I did a complete teardown and full restoration on it. I removed the old junker cooling fan and replaced it with a modern larger sized computer fan that moves more air. I also added a rectifier and choke to make it a combination AC/DC welder with an included overheat illumination for if it gets too hot on the diodes in DC operation.

  • @deankirby5966

    @deankirby5966

    2 жыл бұрын

    Would love to see a schematic and pictures of your mod.

  • @Comm0ut
    @Comm0ut Жыл бұрын

    BTW the original "tombstones" are the ROUND top Lincolns so designed because that style top sheds water. They actually look like a tombstone but the name spread in later years (forty years ago IS later years for Lincoln!) to what was and often still is referred to as a "buzz box" (term also common to Mille, Hobart, Sears and Dayton etc simple transformer machines). The little AC-125 and AC-125/DC-225 are much newer but especially the older copper transformer units like your inherited welder have a VERY nice arc. I bought one in the late 1980s and though I've added many more welders since it's been well worth keeping. It's well worth buying a rectifier to add DC to the AC versions (commercial rectifiers are cheap) and many add modern panel QD fittings (Airgas etc are not expensive) to extend the leads with any other leads you have handy. If it ever dies fifty years from now it would be easy to hand-wind the old transformer core. These machines are dead simple.

  • @user-dj6rq2vc1s
    @user-dj6rq2vc1s2 жыл бұрын

    so cool ,i love it

  • @rogerclark9285
    @rogerclark9285 Жыл бұрын

    That's like asking of the sun will come up in the morning.

  • @TorBoy9
    @TorBoy9 Жыл бұрын

    Awesome tombstone, May it live for another 50 years! Inside is so simple..

  • @jamespetty9545
    @jamespetty954510 ай бұрын

    Lincoln sold a billion of these things. I would love to know how many semi trucks of rods were used in the 50years

  • @jvazquez53
    @jvazquez533 жыл бұрын

    Those things are indestructible! The only drawback is how heavy they are.

  • @seanseoltoir

    @seanseoltoir

    Жыл бұрын

    And it gets heavier as you get older... :)

  • @mtwseneca
    @mtwseneca8 ай бұрын

    I routinely run little 1/16 rods (usually from HF) in mine, run either 40 amps or 60 for them. I don't have a MIG. Bought it in the late 60s did a LOT of projects with it from building trailers to motorized bikes to a hot rod.

  • @inspireonex
    @inspireonex3 жыл бұрын

    Not sure why it was ever in question

  • @rawbacon
    @rawbacon Жыл бұрын

    I used the AC/DC version professionally for several years and probably went thru over a ton of rod in that 5-6 year period.

  • @jessekern4957
    @jessekern4957 Жыл бұрын

    Mines from 1959, and I love it. $100 at auction

  • @jmyers9853
    @jmyers985311 ай бұрын

    back in the 70's that welder went for $98.

  • @dondondon5695
    @dondondon5695 Жыл бұрын

    The 70 Amp position is circled because at that setting it can be used to thaw frozen pipes. The instructions were a bit sketchy, as it said to disconnect the building's ground wire while you were doing this. There's also instructions to change some wiring around to compensate for low line voltage.

  • @YR7A

    @YR7A

    10 ай бұрын

    Absolutely dead wrong, & perhaps fictitious. The 75 amp selection is circled, as that is what the machine can be used at with 100% duty cycle. As you increase the amperage adjustment from there, the duty cycle tapers down to 20% @ 225a on the AC-225 machines.

  • @mikehilbig8280

    @mikehilbig8280

    9 ай бұрын

    The circled amp marking on the dial indicates the 100% duty cycle amp rating. 70 amps at 100%. The later 225 model has a 90 amp at 100% rating.

  • @dondondon5695

    @dondondon5695

    9 ай бұрын

    www.lincolnelectric.com/assets/servicenavigator-public/lincoln3/im232.pdf This is a link to an owners manual that describes the procedure for thawing pipes.

  • @dondondon5695

    @dondondon5695

    9 ай бұрын

    @@YR7A www.lincolnelectric.com/assets/servicenavigator-public/lincoln3/im232.pdf

  • @BRENT3143945
    @BRENT31439452 жыл бұрын

    Can't believe it! Jokeing

  • @jackmorgan3498
    @jackmorgan3498 Жыл бұрын

    Sanding to clean the contacts would have made a world of difference,

  • @DJb-ill219
    @DJb-ill21923 күн бұрын

    Those things are Tanks my Uncle bought one new from like Home Depot or something and I think he paid 4-500 for it but it was a 225 the newer model was wondering will it run 7018 I never got to weld with his machine too much because his wife would always complain about the smoke in the garage but regular Lincoln Excalibur 7018 rods was just curious

  • @kevinthorrington2131
    @kevinthorrington213110 ай бұрын

    Those old welders had solid copper wire, the new 225 tombstones have copper coated aluminum wire. Those old welders are way better than the new ones.

  • @GoldSrc_

    @GoldSrc_

    8 ай бұрын

    I've read that some old (1970's) entry level Lincoln Electric ones had aluminium wire. Rugged, yes, but I'm not sure about "better", transformer welders have a horrible power factor which isn't good for the electric grid. Inverter welders are better.

  • @pittergomes1993
    @pittergomes1993 Жыл бұрын

    A parte negativa de máquinas com controle de corrente por tapes, é que quando se diminui a corrente também diminui a tensão e a tensão é fundamental para abertura do arco elétrico, porém a vantagem é o peso da máquina.

  • @timwilliams9443
    @timwilliams9443 Жыл бұрын

    Hello I have a question I have a Westinghouse flexarc welder and it has a Primary and secondary transformer in it but I'm still working on it do you think it still works or should I give up on it?

  • @paulhinds328
    @paulhinds3285 ай бұрын

    He looks and sounds like a skinny Randy Quaid the actor phenomenally he could be Randy’s kid L O L

  • @vitvaa143
    @vitvaa143 Жыл бұрын

    Hi .for lincoln welder AC225. Output 110V is ok ?.thank you

  • @seanseoltoir
    @seanseoltoir Жыл бұрын

    Considering the fact that it is just a tap on the transformer, the OCV is going to change depending upon the amperage...

  • @sheepdoglogic
    @sheepdoglogic9 ай бұрын

    No disrespect meant by saying this but, you should have taken it apart before you ever plugged it in. I am sure you thought that at some point. A friend of mine, decades ago got electrocuted on one of those monster's. His name was Randy, and he lived through it but barely.

  • @myusername111
    @myusername1114 ай бұрын

    I'm sorry to remind you that the fifties aren't 50 years ago anymore

  • @upstatesfinest4256
    @upstatesfinest4256 Жыл бұрын

    I literally just picked up the same one an hour ago for $100 it came with a bunch of rod 3 helmets, and a chipping hammer I couldn't pass up the deal

  • @morenothing4u
    @morenothing4u17 күн бұрын

    What are the specs of the capacitor in this?

  • @Rigoknow
    @Rigoknow Жыл бұрын

    👍

  • @bigdave6447
    @bigdave6447 Жыл бұрын

    Don't draw an arc, dead short it! Arc length makes a big difference!

  • @keeptrying7640
    @keeptrying7640 Жыл бұрын

    Question can you change the leads from the straight wire to those plugs mostly all welders Carry nowadays

  • @Comm0ut

    @Comm0ut

    Жыл бұрын

    Yes! There are different styles of quick-disconnect panel fittings and a step drill bit is all you need to make the holes. You can use either Tweco or Dinse style, and for smaller machines like this Dinse is a good choice but use whatever matches your existing leads unless you want to run thin lead like stock in which case run Dinse. (You can always swap lead male ends or make adapters if desired). Note that on the CABLE connections the cheap Radnor rubbers from Airgas are shit and fall apart without help. The panel connections use hard plastic and are not an issue.

  • @iNdUsTrIaLrOcKeR4U
    @iNdUsTrIaLrOcKeR4U3 жыл бұрын

    The question GREATER. Will you be working in 50 years???

  • @bdubz5150
    @bdubz5150 Жыл бұрын

    The guy with the beard, Tim, is the dude who once fed his co-worker a dog turd, and the guy ate it thinking it was a candy bar or something.

  • @johnstiles7962
    @johnstiles7962 Жыл бұрын

    hey guys. how do you fix one of the settings . I believe it’s the 90 amp setting do you have a video on that

  • @_doomzday

    @_doomzday

    Жыл бұрын

    Replace the wire that runs from the transformer to the 90 selection

  • @maddnesme01
    @maddnesme012 жыл бұрын

    Does anybody else sharpen there rods slightly for easy start

  • @eweunkettles8207

    @eweunkettles8207

    Жыл бұрын

    bohler bvd series,

  • @zulubravo9434
    @zulubravo9434 Жыл бұрын

    "Master fabricator" having a hard time starting a stick electrode and pecking away at the slag from his weld like a drunk pigeon? Master........ right.

  • @LayLaw
    @LayLaw Жыл бұрын

    How much could one of these sell for? Inherited one myself...

  • @skepticalobserver7484

    @skepticalobserver7484

    Жыл бұрын

    $100-$250 depending on condition for the AC only version.

  • @Hotrodford
    @Hotrodford Жыл бұрын

    Late 1950’s or early 196o’s makes it older than 50 years

  • @bigdave6447
    @bigdave6447 Жыл бұрын

    Anybody who says that old 'STINKIN LINCOLN' is useless ask them to get into a cage welded by one and see if they want you to weld to shut!Any takers???

  • @RamYRN
    @RamYRN Жыл бұрын

    Why can't it be connected at a house

  • @sunflowerisland
    @sunflowerislandАй бұрын

    haaar haaar haaar do de dooo

  • @bigdave6447
    @bigdave6447 Жыл бұрын

    Give that weldor a book of matches so he can start that arc!

  • @colt10mmsecurity68
    @colt10mmsecurity682 жыл бұрын

    Sorry to burst your bubble but that is NOT a Lincoln “Tombstone.” The genuine Lincoln “tombstones” have the old round top and do NOT have tapped amperage settings.

  • @n8mail76

    @n8mail76

    5 ай бұрын

    good morning. The term "tombstone welder" is a colloquial nickname and doesn't refer to a specific model or brand. Instead, it's often used to describe portable Stick welding machines with a characteristic shape resembling a tombstone. Various manufacturers produce these compact and portable welders designed for Shielded Metal Arc Welding (SMAW) or Stick welding. Common brands associated with these types of welders include Lincoln Electric and Miller Electric, among others. Specific models may include the Lincoln AC 225 mentioned earlier, or various Miller Thunderbolt models. However, it's essential to note that the term is more of a descriptive nickname than an official classification for a specific line of welding machines. Always check the specifications and features of a particular welder model to ensure it meets your welding requirements.

  • @colt10mmsecurity68

    @colt10mmsecurity68

    5 ай бұрын

    @@n8mail76 If I cut and paste the above message, then run it through Google, it will show me where you just CUT & PASTED it from. Sorry but the “Tombstone” term was unofficially, yet originally started from old school welders that gave the name to a very specific 250 Amp, plug-in, Lincoln Electric “round top,” red colored stick welder of yesteryear. Every welder that’s been one for at least 40 years, knows this fact. The “Tombstone” was NEVER a reference to the Miller Thunderbolt line, regardless of what you might have picked up from some Internet forum. “Tombstone” was always an unofficial and unique term given to “Lincoln.” Period. Now the term “buzz box” was a term associated unofficially to the various brands of electric powered (non engine driven) Lincoln’s, Montgomery Ward, Miller, Fornney etc… welders. The “farm” shop AC-main plug-in type machines. Maybe that’s where the confusion lies.

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