Stud Welder.....Need Ideas

[freudianfloyd]

I was recently given a stud welder at work. We bought it for a project and never wound up using it. These machines are quite expensive, but the chance of me needing to do any stud welding is slim.

So my question is, is there a practical use for one of these machines other than just welding studs? I have it listed for sale on Marketplace, but if somebody can tell me a creative thing to use it for, I will keep it.

 

[dr_clyde]

They're pretty much only good for anything using capacitive discharge welding.

You can find some weird specialty fasteners that have the CD timer stud on them, but beyond that, this machine is extremely specialized.

That said, if you need to weld some studs, they're the cats ***. I have a smaller one, we use the **** out of it in the sign making world. Tons and tons of stand-offs for letters or backing.

 

[seber]

Would that work as a spot welder with a hand held gun?

 

[kyrbz]

I'm sure I've probably posted this before in a metalworking thread, but it was stud welder extravaganza. My wife designed this privacy screen for a client, I built it, we brainstormed together on the idea and how it would be built. I've always kinda thought of stud welders as being a popular tool for sign makers and exhibition display purposes.

 

[dr_clyde]

Would that work as a spot welder with a hand held gun?

No.

That is a capacitive discharge welder. It uses a bank of capacitors to build up a large charge of electricity then releases its all at once when the trigger is pulled.

The part being welded requires a timer spacer on the end of the stud to allow the weld to be made correctly. The timer melts very predictably and under the spring loaded pressure of the gun allows the weld nugget to form in the time it takes for the stud to travel the distance of the timer.

You can’t resistance weld with one of these, nor can you arc weld.

They do one thing, but they do it very well.

 

[strength_and_power]

I was recently given a stud welder at work. We bought it for a project and never wound up using it. These machines are quite expensive, but the chance of me needing to do any stud welding is slim.

So my question is, is there a practical use for one of these machines other than just welding studs? I have it listed for sale on Marketplace, but if somebody can tell me a creative thing to use it for, I will keep it.

How much are you asking for it?