jdleach
Stainless
- Joined
- Sep 19, 2009
- Location
- Columbus, IN USA
Here is an oldie but goody for you guys.
This last week after working at the shop, I took a few photos of the machines as they currently look. Much better than in 2009 when I started cleaning the place up, oiling, maintaining, and all the other myriad tasks I had let go for about ten years. Still sitting where I had initially placed them after erecting the building, the big change is that all the lights now work (many have been completely dismantled, painted, and new ballasts installed), machines are (mostly) rust free, lots of belts and some bearings replaced, ALL machines, with the exception of the Bliss press, are fully functional, and the part I like the best, is that it doesn't smell like rodent piss anymore, it smells like cutting oil.
The subject of this post, is our ancient Hobart welder. I recall vividly my father welding with this thing when I was a mere tadpole of about 5 or 6. The sound of one of these babies starting up is truly an experience. Sounds like a jet slowly winding up, and has a solid roar when at speed.
This welder, from what I have been told, was one of the first machines purchased in the early days of the Shop, so that would be sometime in the late 40's. Until we bought our Westinghouse wire feed welder in the mid to late 50's, this was the go-to machine for sticking metal together. Even when I started at the Shop in the late 70's, I was forced to use it instead of the Westinghouse till I learned to acquire some proficiency in the welding arts. Built massively throughout, the welder has never failed us. The only time it didn't generate juice, was a couple years ago when I first fired it off after it had sat unused since 1998.
Unbeknown to me at the time, some vermin had nested in the generator (gerberator?). When I threw the switch, great gouts of dust, seeds, and bits of paper and straw bellowed from the machine. I quickly shut it down, and began the process of removing the sheet metal vents and cleaning it out. Since then, I have fiddled with it off and on, polishing the armature (sandpaper), cleaning the brushes, and checking connections. Last week, I drug the welder out, checked it over, and did a test weld. Worked like a champ, with no more voltage drops in output. Appears I finally got all the corrosion off the armature and brushes. Although she looks rather ratty, it works fine, and will get use again as I get the jobs that require structural steel weldments.
Lastly, when I was trying to work my way through the wiring to repair the rodent infestation, I called Hobart to see what data they had on the machine. The only numbers for my welder are the serial number and spec. number, with no model number. Hobart informed me that my welder was from no later than 1937 and, sorry, nothing was left in regards to diagrams, parts list, manuals, etc., from 1937 on back. Drat, at least my suspicions were validated as to this machine being a very early version of the classic "Torpedo" or bomb type.
This last week after working at the shop, I took a few photos of the machines as they currently look. Much better than in 2009 when I started cleaning the place up, oiling, maintaining, and all the other myriad tasks I had let go for about ten years. Still sitting where I had initially placed them after erecting the building, the big change is that all the lights now work (many have been completely dismantled, painted, and new ballasts installed), machines are (mostly) rust free, lots of belts and some bearings replaced, ALL machines, with the exception of the Bliss press, are fully functional, and the part I like the best, is that it doesn't smell like rodent piss anymore, it smells like cutting oil.
The subject of this post, is our ancient Hobart welder. I recall vividly my father welding with this thing when I was a mere tadpole of about 5 or 6. The sound of one of these babies starting up is truly an experience. Sounds like a jet slowly winding up, and has a solid roar when at speed.
This welder, from what I have been told, was one of the first machines purchased in the early days of the Shop, so that would be sometime in the late 40's. Until we bought our Westinghouse wire feed welder in the mid to late 50's, this was the go-to machine for sticking metal together. Even when I started at the Shop in the late 70's, I was forced to use it instead of the Westinghouse till I learned to acquire some proficiency in the welding arts. Built massively throughout, the welder has never failed us. The only time it didn't generate juice, was a couple years ago when I first fired it off after it had sat unused since 1998.
Unbeknown to me at the time, some vermin had nested in the generator (gerberator?). When I threw the switch, great gouts of dust, seeds, and bits of paper and straw bellowed from the machine. I quickly shut it down, and began the process of removing the sheet metal vents and cleaning it out. Since then, I have fiddled with it off and on, polishing the armature (sandpaper), cleaning the brushes, and checking connections. Last week, I drug the welder out, checked it over, and did a test weld. Worked like a champ, with no more voltage drops in output. Appears I finally got all the corrosion off the armature and brushes. Although she looks rather ratty, it works fine, and will get use again as I get the jobs that require structural steel weldments.
Lastly, when I was trying to work my way through the wiring to repair the rodent infestation, I called Hobart to see what data they had on the machine. The only numbers for my welder are the serial number and spec. number, with no model number. Hobart informed me that my welder was from no later than 1937 and, sorry, nothing was left in regards to diagrams, parts list, manuals, etc., from 1937 on back. Drat, at least my suspicions were validated as to this machine being a very early version of the classic "Torpedo" or bomb type.