Just gathering thoughts on how to repair my Lenco Panelspotter. Where the cable is swedged into the end, it has broken about 1/4 of the way through the wire. I was thinking of cutting it off and bolting a lug to it. Cable is 4/0. Any thoughts on the repair of this item would be helpful. Maybe I'm worrying about nothing - my thought is that I am losing current. I only use this spot welder occasionally for auto panel replacement. Thanks in advance for any help.
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Lenco Panelspotter Repair
- Thread starter dda402
- Start date
No, I did not fix this as yet. Lenco wants $300 for new cables. That's a little more than I want to spend. A guy on a welding forum recommended cutting it off and brazing a welding cable connector to it. I also thought about getting a copper rod and making a new end. Any other thoughts would be appreciated.
rlitman
Well-known member
If you can deal with a shortened cable, then I can think of some fixes.
If the end is still fine, you should be able to use a drift to open up the end that the cable fits in, and extract the cable. Then shorten the cable, torch anneal the copper end (before crimping it), and then use a hydraulic crimper to re-do the connection with the wire being shortened an inch or so.
It might make better sense to cut the wire and anneal the copper end before you even try to wedge it open, if you think it's too hard already and might crack.
But I doubt that the loss of just a few outer strands is all that important.
If the end is still fine, you should be able to use a drift to open up the end that the cable fits in, and extract the cable. Then shorten the cable, torch anneal the copper end (before crimping it), and then use a hydraulic crimper to re-do the connection with the wire being shortened an inch or so.
It might make better sense to cut the wire and anneal the copper end before you even try to wedge it open, if you think it's too hard already and might crack.
But I doubt that the loss of just a few outer strands is all that important.
fitter30
Well-known member
Cut the wire off of the electrode find a copper sweat coupling or a short copper pipe close to that size. Solder 1/2 coupling on the electrode the other half to the coupling. Would tin both sides to make soldering easier.
Jim greengo
Well-known member
Can you uncrimp it from the cable?
kabinenroller
Well-known member
Were you able to repair the end? I would be careful of a bad connection if you leave it as is because it would create resistance which would create heat in the handle where you hand hold the “stinger”.
I have a Lenco Spot and when I use it continuously for multiple welds the handles get hot.
It is a great machine and makes good strong welds.
I have a Lenco Spot and when I use it continuously for multiple welds the handles get hot.
It is a great machine and makes good strong welds.
Were you able to repair the end? I would be careful of a bad connection if you leave it as is because it would create resistance which would create heat in the handle where you hand hold the “stinger”.
I have a Lenco Spot and when I use it continuously for multiple welds the handles get hot.
It is a great machine and makes good strong welds.
What size breaker do you run for the Lenco panel spot welder? I recently acquired the same welder.
kabinenroller
Well-known member
What size breaker do you run for the Lenco panel spot welder? I recently acquired the same welder.
I use the same receptacle as my tig welder, it is a 50amp breaker. Never had an issue.
rlitman
Well-known member
Have you tested the ohm resistance of the cable? ...
If more than a couple of strands are connected, any multimeter will read 0 ohms. You need a micro-ohmmeter to get anything useful out of this, and even then you'd need baseline numbers to know what's going on.
If more than a couple of strands are connected, any multimeter will read 0 ohms. You need a micro-ohmmeter to get anything useful out of this, and even then you'd need baseline numbers to know what's going on.
I have the same lenco spot welder if that could some how help. I just have a regular ohm meter.
RPH
Well-known member
You can use a low voltage but 30 amp dc power supply. Measure the voltage drop across the cable. If it’s more than one volt, then strands are broken. Time to fix at that point. We use this technique on the high frequency cables with induction equipment.
Here is an update of what I have done. I checked the voltage drop - it was 1/2 to 3/4. I cut one of the ends off and removed the wire. I heated the end up until it was cherry red and then left it cool. I managed to hammer in a drift pin. It cracked slightly but I don't think it will matter. I am currently waiting for a crimping tool I ordered. The wire is a little green from corrosion. I am going to clean that up and try to re-crimp it to the end. First, I will heat it up again to make sure the end is soft. Thanks for all your help.
rlitman
Well-known member
...It cracked slightly but I don't think it will matter...
I guess it's a good thing you annealed it first. Do you have any silfos brazing rod?
toplessHO
Well-known member
without cutting can you slide a piece of thick wall copper tubing over the stinger and the wire? If so strip back a portion of insulation,crimp wire and crimp pipe to the stinger.
DON@38PLYMOUTH
New member
I just picked up a older Lenco Panelspotter from a body shop closing as is I knew the shop,and it used to work for them. There not around anymore for me to talk to. So i have power into the machine going through the 60A cartridge fuse but nothing happening after it Anyone out there able to diagnose this. thankswithout cutting can you slide a piece of thick wall copper tubing over the stinger and the wire? If so strip back a portion of insulation,crimp wire and crimp pipe to the stinger.
Last edited:
wyliesdiesels
Well-known member
4yrs old thread
californiamilleghia
Well-known member
I have one out in the garage , are there any copies of the manual on the net somewhere ?
Not sure what model it is , all I remember it was green !
Not sure what model it is , all I remember it was green !