Why not just use an air impact with a pin locked socket?
S.U.
1 Like
Unless i am missing something what is the problem ? in the early days of starting engines on wood gas i always used a standard socket 17 or 19 mm onto the nut on the crank i have never had it fly off although it did once stay stuck on the nut but came off the short extension bar i was using , maybe try using a worn socket so its not so tight on the nut .
Dave
5 Likes
Yeah, I couldn’t understand the problem either. Actually it was Dave that told me I could start my generator with a drill so I pulled off the recoil starter and cut down a 15/16 socket so that it just bit about half of the width of the nut. Welded the socket to a half inch drive extension and turn it with a 1/2 inch HF drill motor. Never had any problem. Thank God, because getting that generator to start on wood gas by pulling on it is a fools errand. Work yourself to death just using gasoline sometimes.
5 Likes
if you don’t pull it off fast enough, the engine can take you and the drill with it, ruining both. It is certainly done, and it works without one. It happened to someone I know who worked on small engines a lot. It just isn’t worth the risk to me.
you don’t want to use an impact because you don’t want the hammering. Otherwise an airtool is probably fine. Those freewheel. The electric ones don’t. I am also not going to haul the air compressor around to get something started.
2 Likes
If you need a starter then maybe stick with that.
On amazon I see these Made in India Lucas knock off units.
Rated at 22 amp that plenty enough power to start a motor and charge a battery.
Big too plenty of torque to crank over most small engines with a compression release.
Big enough to crank for a sustained period of time
Now the nice thing about a DC generator is the regulator units can be adjusted.
You can tune the thing to do an equalization charge or reduce the charge rate for different applications.
You can do some of these things with an alternator but its not as easy.
Just throwing the idea out there…
A real electric start kit for a clone is cheap too.
Just be sure you order the right one because some of the 208 and 212 engines have their own taper on the flywheel and its a no fit condition even though they look identical.
( actually it will bolt on too its just not he correct part and does not fit correctly )
Since the concern seems to be on generators.
I’m linking an old RV set here, the kid of thing you might see at a yard sale.
It has no starter,
It uses the main exciter to crank and has built in safeties that would make it a simple wood gas conversion.
Switch it to run, it will motorize automatically and you hands are free to mess with the woodgas end.
When it starts it will detect the running condition and return to normal generator mode without you have to do anything other than adjust your woodgas plant to feed it.
5 Likes
hello bruce, i have read yesterday your post of welding with batteries…
since years i use this method, with the brick and fence wire…but with the wire alone the regulation was not so satisfying…since i have found a spiral resistance from a baker oven
it works really fine for different current flow…
also i can weld 1mm sheets (on the foto the piece inside) but with fine material i weld always in points -with sticks 1,6mm - touching only a short moment, so it cannot burn holes in the metall,…in this way i can also repair bandsaw blades with 0,5 mm…important with fine things is a good contact of the welding object with some thicker iron plate underneath for heat transfer,and in case of the band saw blade, a really short touch only in the beginning…after, when some material is welded on, longer touch is possible…after this when welded, grinding down to the right size…keeps up very well…
the emergency generator with welding trafo i have only for the case if the batteries get old…
i see this welding with batteries keep fresh the batteries and improves storage capacity of the batteries because the high current flow, especially with short welding impulses crack the sulfurization of the plates…when i bought the batteries, they stand around longer time in the shop, shure nobody loads them up from time to time, and they had therefore a loss of capacity…now after a lot of welding they have markable more capacity…
12 Likes
also for thicker material i use always 1,6mm sticks, i think, thicker sticks is not so good for the battery plates, with 1,6 sticks i have longer time current from the battery…
i give more current on the regulation spiral wire, but weld only a half stick lenght, then i stop for a moment and the stick can cool down ,so with the 1,6 stick and strong current i can weld also thicker metal…
the whole system 36 volt - batteries in serie, loaded up with fotovoltaic and wind with 12 v
important is a good strong connection on the battery poles, otherwise the can melt away…
before i found the spiral resistance, i welded alwas in steps of some centimeters only to avoid overheating of the sticks, this works also fine,otherwise the sticks can become too hot and melt on the stick holder and fall down —happened when i was a beginner…
12 Likes
Thank you Giorgio that is a really interesting thought , i think maybe after all these years we might have been trying to desulphated the wrong way and i can see the logic in your thoughts , i shall endeavour to give that a go and see how i can on as i have a pack of forklift batteries i am presently desulphating so i might give that a try , how long had you been welding with these batteries before you noticed a improvement in capacity ?
Dave
6 Likes
the batteries- 110 ah ,12 v, vibration resistant quality for trucks and tractors , i have since 2018…
the batteries before kept up 6 years, but i have welded not so much…with the new batteries from 2018 i began to weld a lot since 2-3 years because of gasifier fanatism and restoring our agriculture tools…sinc this time i noticed more capacity of the batteries, recognizing a longer load up need time and having longer time current for welding…seen on the possible max lenght of welding seems before feeling the current becomes weaker- not welds properly more because of weak current,-flat batteries…
but the last time i feel especially the step by step welding - in opposite to long seams in one step made, makes more again of this desulphurisation…
that strong current - at charging or discharging- helps break up sulphurisation i have read in a book once, also this high current mixes up the acid in the batteries, otherwise stratifying of the acid- down more concentrated, up less concentrated - makes sulfurizing…
also shaking the batteries from time to time is helpful for acid mixing, if no strong current is used…this in the car you have of course automatically…
also can be used loading near to beginning of gas production in the battery for mixing acid
lot of my batteries died prematurely because of not knowing this things and from a bought regulator what stops loading too early…
the batteries we use mostly for light (12v) in the house, for washing machine -extra upheating of the water with wood- but the use only for this makes the batteries weaker by sulphurizing without using high current from time to time - my observation
looking google immagines - alexkor battery - this should be a system for desulfurizating batteries, but not have tried, they say a older battery can be refreshed and keeps up 15 years…who has experience, my knowledge is not sufficient for valutate this…
9 Likes
I desulfate my batteries one at a time with my inverter stick welder. In short 1 minute bursts with a 10 minute resting period. I remove the vent caps entirely to allow the gas to escape and not make pressure. I add clean water if it is low. I’ve never had to add new acid using this method.
I’m basically doing a controlled overvolting.
3 Likes
Electricity questions. Do North American 60 Hz tools and components operate at 50 HZ without issue and are all European appliances, blenders, washing machines, ect operated at 230V or are they stepped down. Since most of these things are made in China regardless of their final market, are they required to build the same blender eg at two different standards?
3 Likes
Tom a lot of the Chinese tools can operate at both Herz levels. My welders actually list what voltages and Hz ranges it operates at on the info label.
3 Likes
cody, how you make it exactly? connect your inverter stick welder with the batterie poles, on what scale of the welding engine- amps?
15 years ago i tried with 3 batteries on 36v connected to another battery- open vent caps- to crac sulfate…
but not at all it has worked, because some batteries have had just plate short circuit, but at some seems to work…we found the batteries on a new opened junk place, so one could take away all…it was like a drug after finding some good batteries what have had only pole corrosion, we took all at home to try…a good method for to see if a old battery has all cells intakt or cell short circuit was with a electric bulb 12 v 21 watt and a voltmeter, connected the bulb and observe volt drop…if it goes under 10 v or less probably one cell is not more good…
11v and so can be only discharged…
5 Likes
I change the amperage depending on how active the liquid starts to boil. Usually I charge it at around 50 amps, and if I see the acid boil over I will cut off power and let it cool down.
Edit: Usually after one burst I will put it to a standard charger. I have an old style simple battery charger. I leave it charging overnight and will check the voltage.
I like my smarter chargers but sometimes they give up on the battery if it thinks it isn’t worth charging. A simple charger can restore a battery given enough time.
4 Likes
It’s a complicated question but short answers is
Induction motor driven equipment will work just fine from 50 hz used it n a 60 hz system at the same voltage or a little bit higher
They will turn 20 percent faster and if the voltage is increased to match the frequency to 240 they will be about 10 percent more powerful
The other way is not so good most motors have a built in over capacity of 15 percent or so in North America under Nema standards
They might manage ok on 50hz without derating
It all depends on specific equipment and loads
A four pole motor in Canada will turn around 1750 rpm at load
Same motor will spin 1450 in France
This can create problems
Add speed controls and all bets are off
Japan is split into two power systems
Half is 50 hz 100 volts the other is 120 volts and 60 hz
They tend to design equipment there to a standard hat will work in both parts of the island
I’m Canada we used to operate a 25 hz system
We had to replace all the motors in all the washing machines
But all the universal dc/ac motors were just fineVacuum cleaners hand drills etc
All lights and heaters worked just fine
7 Likes
I have been going wide open from can to can’t 
10 Likes
If that ain’t an old Indian trick I don’t know what is. I’ll have to remember that one, might be useful for my tiller tines.
4 Likes
That weed whip blade sharpener, looks great idea tool for the job. Thanks for posting.
5 Likes
I have been noticing welds on projects lately and many of you are running your amps way to high. This is apparent by the erratic welds and the amount of splatter. Take the time to fine tune your heat. Welding should not be a struggle where you feel like you are always losing control of your puddle. Some are welding dirty metal. When you put two pieces together to weld, just cleaning the outside surface will still leave some rust in the pores of the metal. You want to grind that out as well until you are working with shiny metal. Also the edges of the welded materials need to be cleaned. Don’t just tack together a seam and then flap wheel or wire brush the outside. Welding can be very meditative if you are not fighting with it. There are not many things you can control in life. Welding can be the exception.
13 Likes
Hm…I have a lot to learn. When I strike the arc sweat is pouring and I forget to breathe 
12 Likes