What is this tool?

[Silgo]

While clearing out a load of old tools, left by someone who worked in many areas, we found this. As we can no longer ask the owner, anyone have any ideas?





It's got 'HARRIS' on one side and 'MADE IN ENGLAND' on the other, but no patent marks, or seemingly any identifying marks at all.

It's got a connector, presumably for a battery, at one end and a holder for something at the other end? I guess for something soldering or welding related, but I can't find anything similar on Google...

Thanks

p.s. It's not my hand!

[paintman]

Battery powered arc welder? The welding rod goes in the end of the holder & is held in by the clamp?
Would need another lead to provide the earth circuit.

[CoolC]

Tyre tread cutter?

[hedgefinder]

CoolC said:

Tyre tread cutter?

certainly could be, but we need a better picture of the business end to tell..


ahhh the memories... recutting tyres down to the threads to get a few thousand extra miles... oh to be 17/18 again and still live to tell the tale.

[Crafty_]

Its for testing something I think, the clip goes on to the battery.

I was going to say spark plug tester, i.e. plug is held in the end, (which is electrified) and you move it close to the block etc and see if you get a spark but 12v (or 6v lookingat the age) wouldn't be enough to provide a spark so probably not that.

[Silgo]

paintman said:

Battery powered arc welder? The welding rod goes in the end of the holder & is held in by the clamp?
Would need another lead to provide the earth circuit.

That's what I was thinking...

Not sure how to multi-quote, so for the tyre tread cutter idea, there is only a single wire, so not sure this would work? Anyway, here are a couple more photos.

[S0 What]

Looks like a battery stick welder to me, no extra lead !! the stick is the earth path.

Tread cutters need 2 wires to heat the tip/cutting head.

[andyiley]

I am guessing neither as you can't weld with 12 volts & there is no electrical circuit (positive & negative) as would be required to make the applied voltage heat any element up, also the spark plug would then have 2 earths when it only needs one.

As for what it actually is I have not a scooby!

[oakdale]

It's a carbon arc welding torch.

[Tampon]

andyiley said:

I am guessing neither as you can't weld with 12 volts & there is no electrical circuit (positive & negative) as would be required to make the applied voltage heat any element up, also the spark plug would then have 2 earths when it only needs one.

As for what it actually is I have not a scooby!

You certainly can weld with 12v. Driving down to Ghana from london for charity a few years ago and a bloke stopped and helped us in the Sahara by whipping our battery out and welding some of our hanging exhaust.

Got us out of a bit of a pickle at the time hundreds of miles from nowhere.

[andyiley]

OK, I accept that it is feasible thinking about it some more, but the amount of current required is unlikely to be carried by the cable attached to the tool shown & the normal requirement to supply such current would be through a transformer or regulator rectifier network, none of which are attached.

Never heard of a carbon arc welder, so can't comment on that one, but surely if it were it would need 2 electrodes to create the arc still?

Edited by andyiley on Sunday 5th October 20:46

[hedgefinder]

yip, definately NOT a tyre cutter.

[oakdale]

andyiley said:

OK, I accept that it is feasible thinking about it some more, but the amount of current required is unlikely to be carried by the cable attached to the tool shown & the normal requirement to supply such current would be through a transformer or regulator rectifier network, none of which are attached.

Never heard of a carbon arc welder, so can't comment on that one, but surely if it were it would need 2 electrodes to create the arc still?

Edited by andyiley on Sunday 5th October 20:46

I should have said a carbon arc brazing torch, at least it looks very much like one that I saw many years ago.

Carbon arc torches usually have two angled carbon rods but I have seen them with just one, the job is earthed and the arc forms between the rod and the job.

[andyiley]

OK, sounds feasible, I am sure someone will have direct 1st hand knowledge soon.

[S0 What]

The one i had dame with a coil to up the voltage but looked similar, as for 12V welding, of course you can, you see it all the time in India and here's a vid to prove it ) although not in India lol

http://www.instructables.com/id/Golfcart--Welder/


looks later than the one pictured (if it is a welder that is)

Edited by S0 What on Sunday 5th October 23:28

[Tampon]

andyiley said:

OK, I accept that it is feasible thinking about it some more, but the amount of current required is unlikely to be carried by the cable attached to the tool shown & the normal requirement to supply such current would be through a transformer or regulator rectifier network, none of which are attached.

Never heard of a carbon arc welder, so can't comment on that one, but surely if it were it would need 2 electrodes to create the arc still?

Edited by andyiley on Sunday 5th October 20:46

This gives you a ideal of "bush welding". Similar to what the bloke did for us (but with one battery)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PV5oLPLUzrM

[paintman]

There's a surprising number of youtube vids of using 12v batteries & jump leads for arc welding & one TIG welding: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XVqBRPVw08Y
I'm tempted to have a play myself as I've got all the bits for arc & I'm curious how good it would be with very thin rods.

[one eyed mick]

Carbon arc used a atick of carbon to provie heat and normal gas weld filler rods or even brazing rods,kits were available even in sunday papers 40 years ago . I used one once but asn't impressed , sculptors /artists have been known to use them ,I suppose most of you guys don't go back that far

[DVandrews]

S0 What said:

The one i had dame with a coil to up the voltage but looked similar, as for 12V welding, of course you can, you see it all the time in India and here's a vid to prove it ) although not in India lol

http://www.instructables.com/id/Golfcart--Welder/


looks later than the one pictured (if it is a welder that is)

Edited by S0 What on Sunday 5th October 23:28

That looks like the old XP welder which was subsequently rebadged as a black and decker, it differs in that it has a solenoid to vibrate the welding rod which continually makes and breaks the arc.

Dave