Fixing up my homemade stick welder(pic heavy)

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so, a couple of years back my uncle got this old welder as a trade for some work he did, and after a few months of it sitting under his carport he decided he'd never do anything with it and gave it to me. at first look I thought this thing is awful, it'll never weld... I mean...look at it. It'd obviously been built in someone's barn 20 plus years ago and had been sitting for a long while. But, surprisingly I fired it up and it welds like a beast. Wish I could talk to the guy who built it. very cool. but, the top being the way it was caused a few issues. namely the stinger fell into the machine, touched the coil , and shorted out my house once. lolgood times. so, today I took it to the shop and decided to give it a bit of a facelift. first, I cut the old top off (well, the bolts that held it on) and cut off the angle pieces to re-use them. I cut the piece of scrap sheet metal roughly the size of the top (it's by no means square) then sat it in place, traced the edges from underneath, and cut it closer to the exact shape.  welded it up, rounded the corners even more. note the hole I had to cut out for the power cord to stick out the top.Millermatic 211 Miller Blue Fire 140@swiftwelding on Instagram
Reply:cut out a name plate from some more scrap, had to make it look official Needed to paint it, all I could find was an old can of red.  I'm a Miller guy so this will be the only red machine in my shop.  Attached ImagesLast edited by Swifty; 03-12-2014 at 06:01 PM.Millermatic 211 Miller Blue Fire 140@swiftwelding on Instagram
Reply:Interesting.
Reply:How do you control the amps?Miller Multimatic 255
Reply:Originally Posted by Louie1961How do you control the amps?
Reply:Very neat Swifty!  Hey I see in your signature you have a MM211, but in one photo it looks like there's a MM252.   Are you at a buddies shop or sumthn? "Hey I didn't come to look and learn, I came to turn and burn.... If I can't light up, I'm gonna light out!"-JodyIdealarc 250 "Fatman"MM 252MM 211 "Little boy" Victor Torches
Reply:swifty; i know that machine welds better than it looks. at first glance i thought it was a clothes hamper. how about a pic of some welds it did?i.u.o.e. # 15queens, ny and sunny fla
Reply:SwiftyIndiscriminate paint is the fastest way of turning a 'collectable' into yard-sale junk.Opus
Reply:Looks cool, relatively easy to build you think?  Doesn't look too labor intensive, but as always, I know looks can be deceiving. Swifty, good job on the upgrades, she looks beautiful.
Reply:Very cool. It looks like two transformers and a home made wire-wound resistor to take taps off of. Assuming it is AC? Is it 240V?http://www.lsfdesign.comMiller Millermatic 211 MVPMetcal STSS-002
Reply:dang, I thought this thread had died. just now saw all the replies. sorry for the delays, guys.  it is 240, I had to replace the plug as well - it had an old school three prong deal, worked great at my old house where I happened to have matching outlets for my dryer, but no where I take it seems to have them. so it's been switched over to a more generic modern plastic outfit now.... Yeah, I had thought for a long time that it was just set as is and you couldn't control it, until I took it all apart to paint it and realized it has to be the lugs on the side....why else would he have put so many on it? I haven't tried it out yet, but I will in the next couple of days. taking it up to my friend's house tomorrow to work on some projects. and yeah, these pics were taken at the shop I work at sometimes... but if this dude doesn't pay up soon I'm taking the 252 with me for sure. and OPUS, I was more afraid that it'd be mistaken for scrap and hauled off if I DIDN'T put a fresh coat of **** paint on it. cheers.Millermatic 211 Miller Blue Fire 140@swiftwelding on Instagram
Reply:I have welded a few projects with this, I just haven't tried to adjust it with the lugs....that's what I meant. it does weld sweet, I'll post pics in a day or two when I get some.Millermatic 211 Miller Blue Fire 140@swiftwelding on Instagram
Reply:So, finally got around to taking a picture of a weld I did with this thing if anyone cares. I've been working myself to death and hadn't been online in a while. Cheers.Millermatic 211 Miller Blue Fire 140@swiftwelding on Instagram
Reply:Oh, and the lugs definitely adjust it. from left to right, it definitely cranks up. On the first lug it barely does anything. Number 7 and 8 will tear through some 1/4 inch.  The weld I pictured was on some half inch scrap. burned in really nice. was welded with 7024 set on number 7.Millermatic 211 Miller Blue Fire 140@swiftwelding on Instagram
Reply:Originally Posted by SwiftyOh, and the lugs definitely adjust it. from left to right, it definitely cranks up. On the first lug it barely does anything. Number 7 and 8 will tear through some 1/4 inch.  The weld I pictured was on some half inch scrap. burned in really nice. was welded with 7024 set on number 7.
Reply:The next thing I would do is make some kind of cover for the power taps ,so they don't get touched or shorted by something or someone!!!
Reply:Good idea, gxbxc.  This thing is sitting up underneath the shop table right now, what little bit it does get used I just pull the leads out from where it is...but yeah, I hadn't even thought of that. and SuperArc, not sure where you're going with that...some things are lost in translation. ?Millermatic 211 Miller Blue Fire 140@swiftwelding on Instagram