(ET) Elec-Trak Welder Worked Great

[jsgoev thirdwave net]

Hello Fellow Elec-Trak Enthusiasts:

I recently used my Elec-Trak welder on a bike rack project and thought
I would share my results. To say the least, I was very pleased with the
performance of the welder.  As most already know, the welder accessory
is an arc (stick) welder.  Before the bike rack project, I had virtually
zero experience in arc welding.  However, I have done a fair amount of
welding with a gas and mig welders.

Reviewing the Elec-Trak Welder Manual before starting the project aided
me in making strong and sometimes even nice looking welds.  The stick
number that worked best for me on 1/8 inch thick bed frame steel was
#6013.  I used 1/8 inch thick sticks with the welder cable attached to
the "medium" lug for most of the welding.  When securing the 1/8 inch
steel to a 1/2 inch flat bar (removable tongue that inserts into the
trailer hitch on my vehicle) I used a 5/32 inch stick with the welder
cable attached to the "high" lug.  Wow, I am still amazed how well this
36 volt nominal welding machine worked.

The only problem I encountered, due to my inexperience, was I popped the
120 amp circuit breaker on the welder unit once.  At the time, the unit
was pretty warm from several sticks of welding and I was having trouble
"striking" an arc.  I heard a snap and the welder was dead.  After
letting the welder cool down for about 15 minutes, I was having trouble
re-setting the circuit breaker, so I switched to the second of two units
and finished welding.  Later, I separated the circuit breaker from the
first unit and persuaded the breaker to reset by jiggling it.  I think
being 25-30 years old had the reset button a little stiff, but now seems
to be just fine.  The welder manual does mention the unit was intended
for light repairs rather than production welding jobs.  However, I think
my problem was more along the lines of mis-use by taking too many
attempts to strike an arc.

Until the last few days, the weather in my area (Kansas City) had been
in the fifties for several days and I was able to use the bike rack to
transport my bike to some trails and go riding.  I wish we would get a
big New England snow fall so I could  try out my Elec-Trak snow blower.

By the way, I (and maybe others on the list) would enjoy hearing about
experiences with other Elec-Trak accessories including, but not limited
to,  the inverters or the sicker bar mower.

Jeff Simpson