The Village’s Only Schoolkid has built a dozen power-tool packs with the AWithZ portable welder and answers a follower: 0.15 nickel strip (slotted) welds very solidly, pulling it off leaves two holes and later it won’t come off at all; the negative holds just as well; holding strip and pen in both hands makes the button awkward, so fit the foot switch or use auto mode; for 0.2 strip he only has the slotted kind, and that welds fine; gear ‘around the middle, turn it down if the welds go black’; comments: on the UK1 gear 50 does 0.2, a U2 at 9.9 can’t match it
Built a dozen power-tool packs with this little spot welder over the past few days, thinks it’s good, the welds hold. Power-tool pack strip is slotted (an opening in the middle) — that kind welds well and holds; this piece seems to be 0.2 and a bit thick, but slotted it welds solidly. A follower asked whether this (unslotted) strip welds solidly, so today’s the test: another problem shows up, one hand on the strip and one on the pen makes the button awkward, so the foot switch is needed, fit it; there’s also an auto mode up top, auto works too. Weld then pull: with a big reel of solder wire underneath as a support, it came off, tearing out two holes (strip torn); then weld the negative (the positive is easier to weld), the negative holds just as well, two holes punched through; keep welding, does it hold — very solid, won’t come off; zoom in, the strip is 0.15 and it still tears like this. A follower says 0.2 won’t weld; no unslotted 0.2 strip on hand, only the slotted 0.2, and that welds fine, no problem; unslotted 0.2 he doesn’t have. Comments: on the UK1 set gear 50 for 0.2 and it works (with photo); my AWithZ U2 at 9.9 can’t get this result, the machine’s no good (creator: mine isn’t even turned up high, I’ve used several and this portable is still the best, the others fall a bit short); what gear for 0.15 pure nickel (forgot, set it loosely, turn down if black, turn up if weak, around the middle); a 3D-printed jig to merge the two pens into a one-hand pen; the handle should be swapped for one with a button; can it weld 32140; did you build the welder yourself.
Flashlight 400mAh 14500 swapped for a 2000mAh 18650: handheld mini welder on 0.12 nickel strip — top gear punches through, gear 1 doesn’t hold, middle gear is right, don’t press hard
The flashlight dies in under two hours; opened up (pull forward, no screws) it turns out to be built cheap: a single 14500 400mAh NMC cell. He swaps in a 2000mAh 18650 that just fits. These cells are hard to solder (flux would help), so the creator first spot-welds a nickel tab on each end to try out the new mini welder (easy to carry, compact), in manual mode. 11 gears: top gear first to see its power — it holds firmly but punches two holes through the 0.12 nickel strip; then welded onto the cell it holds well. Thick strip takes the top gear, thin strip the middle; the higher the gear, the more power it uses. Gear 1 test: 0.12 strip peels off (not good), but very thin strip holds even on the lowest gear. Note: don’t force it down, keep the surface flat and just make good contact, or you’ll punch through. Cell swapped, OK.
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