Getting confusing info

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This is what I got: I haven't seen it, bought it sight unseen. (Boy is this guy nuts) Anyway, I bought it from a retired ironworker. It's the AC/DC machine not the AC only buzzer. One somewhat respectable fellow told me I could add a wire feeder to it. Seems I read somewhere that all early wirefeed machines were just add ons to existing rigs. Another experienced and respected fellow says bologna.  No go with a constant current machine. I dunno. I just made a million brackets in my life. I'm not a real welder I'm an electrician welder. Ya all know what that means. I've burnt a ton of 30 and 60 series in a paper mill, mostly with motor drive Lincoln equipment. (I had to show my pimp which machine we were using every day and make him write the number down or he'd get in fights with the fitter welders for adjusting their machines in the middle of something people actually cared about hehhehheh)So this is a constant current machine. I used them back in my salad days and they weld fine. I'm going to restore this physically and probably go through the insides and spruce things up. Look at the bearings on the cranky mechanism, brushes or slip rings or whatever moves and wears. Re-glyptol the windings. So there you go. Now. Anybody got a picture of one without all the labels worn off? I can get new ones made by my genius Nephew at the sign shop. Second. Can I use this as a wire feed supply?? I have run a lot of wire before but with a PowCon which needless to say ain't much like this old Linc. Say I find  an LN-7 perhaps? I'm a Retired Electrician and I can hook the thing up I just don't want to do it if it's not going to work. I probably have a 700amp DC mercury contactor out of a lite rail car I worked on long ago that will fit inside the machine or in a box adjacent to the LN-7.Y'all have a nice week working now and thanks in advance for the help. Tomorrow's the first of my 6 Saturdays this week. Dan
Reply:For the most part you need CV (constant voltage) to run wire. You can run a voltage sensing feeder like a Miller 8VS or 12 VS, Super S32=P, LN25 (IIRC it's a VS feeder) with a CC machine. HOWEVER...#1 I'm not sure that little buzz box has enough balls on DC to run the feeder right. DO NOT RUN THE FEEDER ON AC! You will kill the feeder. Usually VS feeders on CC are used with big engine drives that have the balls to run high amps with big wire.#2 VS feeders on CC don't run short arc well at all. The feeder tricks the machine to fake CV by adjusting the feed of the wire to mimic CV. With short arc the changes just can't happen fast enough. Also small dia wire runs poor since it burns off so fast. Usually heavy wire .035+ at high amps in spray will run ok. It's typical for guys to run big wire FC with these on CC.#3 Because it won't run short arc well and needs to be run in spray, out of possition welds are a PITA. It is possible to do Overhead and vert, but it is very difficult to do so. Mostly this is a flat and horzontal fillet process. However with a high amp machine, large dia FC wire, you can put down a LOT of metal in a hurry with the feeder in flat or horizontal fillet.My guess is you will be SOL trying to run a feeder from that machine. You'd be better off just getting a nice used stand alone 220v mig for what you would spend on the feeder.Last edited by DSW; 09-26-2010 at 11:54 PM..No government ever voluntarily reduces itself in size. Government programs, once launched, never disappear. Actually, a government bureau is the nearest thing to eternal life we'll ever see on this earth! Ronald Reagan
Reply:Thanks DSW:I got this question going on two sites and it seems that the later Idealarc machines could do both CC and CV. I would be real surprised is this one does that. I've fooled around with spray arc a few hours and it's a neat process. I think this is a stick only machine for me. I'm intending to buy a tig only for small work. I will actually only use stick on the odd occasion. I have a small guitar amp repair and custom building shop. I'll be making aluminum and steel chassis.
Reply:Thanks fellers. Seems the confusion came from Lincoln keeping the same model name through many years. Later machines were CC/CV. End of story. This will make a nice stick machine for me. I'm comfortable with the process and these are nice old machines. http://www.mylincolnelectric.com/Cat...t.aspx?p=28506   The manual shows my machine and describes it as CC. Period. Thanks againDan
Reply:While you are cleaning her up. clean and lube the polarity switch.The iron shunt is driven by the crank. It has a spring loaded brake at both ends.This keeps it from moving while you are welding. Don't grease or paint them.The model name is idealarc 250. An idealarc DC 250 is a multiprocess CC and CV welder.The idealarc DC welders start at 250 amps and go up to 1000 amps. The DC 250 is no longer made.
Reply:Originally Posted by DSW...#1 I'm not sure that little buzz box has enough balls on DC to run the feeder
Reply:Originally Posted by skyboltoneY'all have a nice week working now and thanks in advance for the help. Tomorrow's the first of my 6 Saturdays this week. Dan
Reply:Heres your pics as promised, hope they work. (1st attempt here) Attached Images"The reason we are here is that we are not all there"SA 200Idealarc TM 300 300MM 200MM 25130a SpoolgunPrecision Tig 375Invertec V350 ProSC-32 CS 12 Wire FeederOxweld/Purox O/AArcAirHypertherm Powermax 85LN25
Reply:Originally Posted by 7A749DSW gave you the technical reply.Post up pix of the restoration. Give the linkage & gearing inside it a good looking over & lubing with white lithium grease or dielectric spray grease. They tend to get stiff over time with out lube.Good luck with it.
Reply:Originally Posted by skyboltoneAwww Duane, if I can't make fun of you, who can I make fun of?  Truth be known, I'd rather be workin' but I'm falling apart. Kinda like an old car you know? Norite, CCAWG, and 7A749: Thanks for the tips. It may take awhile to get to the machine for restoration. There are a few other project ahead of it. How about this one:That's genuine Aluminum on the snowflake wheel guard. That was a rare metal indeed in those days. Older than me even.  This one is a '32-34 Boice Crane 14" BS.
Reply:It's getting a 3 phase 1/2 hp motor and a Variable Freq Drive.