Spotter for body repair by own hands

The advantage of the spotter is that the force is applied only to the outer side, which has been damaged. This makes the task easier. This article will describe the principle of the device, as well as how to make a homemade spotter for body repair.

What is a spotter?

Spotter for body repair is a device for contact welding type. The formation of the pulse of this device is due to a discharge in the capacitor of a large capacitance and acts for a sufficiently short period of time. This time is so short that the paint on the back of the metal is not damaged. An ordinary semi-automatic does not possess this property. Therefore, the spotter has become an indispensable tool for repairing the body of the car.

Features of using the device

Spotter is used for the following purposes:

• Machine body welding;
• Body extensions without disassembly.

When repairing body parts with the use of a welding machine for a deformed part, a special fastener is welded. With the help of a reverse hammer, the curved metal straightens. Also, the spotter can heat the metal, so the material quickly acquires rigidity and shape.

Pros of the device

Spotter for body repair has the following positive characteristics:

• High level of performance. With the help of this unit, it is possible to weld metal hooks.
• Convenience in operation. If you compare the device with a conventional device, then the device is safe because it does not emit sparks and the metal remains cold. In addition, such indispensable attributes of conventional welding as gloves, mask and special clothing are not required.
• High level of quality. Welding does not leave any slag and scales and does not spoil the part, which prevents rusting.
• Economical. Washers for fastening are used several times and are not susceptible to melting. You save consumables.

These reasons are sufficient to understand how well designed the design of such a device as a spotter for car body repair.

How to make a spotter from the inverter yourself?

Among the devices made with their own hands, a spotter for body repair on the basis of a welding machine is often found. If the unit is not assembled from the welding machine, then in this case it will have a low power factor.

Spotter from the welding machine does not contain ticks. Therefore, the device is considered to be similar to an electric arc device, where the voltage passes through the body of the car. One contact is connected to the body, and in the role of the second stem and nozzle protrude.

Many people are interested: what is required to make a spotter from an inverter with their own hands?

Spotter, made by handicraft, includes two main components:

• Inverter for welding;
• Thyristor relay.

What do you need?

In order to make a spotter from the inverter yourself, you will need:

• Thyristor, whose power is 200 volts;
• A 12-volt step-down transformer for controlling the relay via a button;
• Relay with a power of 30 Amps;
• Bridge based on diodes;
• Contact group 220 V;
• Control button.

With the help of a bridge on the diodes, it is connected to the electrical network. To the bridge, in turn, a relay thyristor is connected. The transformer is responsible for supplying the control branch of the thyristor circuit.

Required Materials

Iron for the spotter is allocated in the volume of 35-40 square meters. See Overheating is not observed on the thyristor. They are noted on the sections located after the cable. Overheating is a rod based on ferrous metal. Its diameter is 16 mm. It is desirable that it be made of brass.

If we talk about the cable for a spotter, then it is taken with a cross section of 70 sq. M. Mm, and for a mass and a hammer the length of 1.7 and 2.1 m will be sufficient. Provide pulsed thyristor control (PM-40).

The secondary winding of the transformer is wound by means of a copper busbar measuring 6.5 to 4 in the third winding. It is also possible to replace with aluminum. Two more are added to the secondary winding. Finally, the apparatus should contain an aluminum transformer winding of 250 square meters. Mm, which corresponds to five windings with six turns.

What is important to remember?

• More often the handle is made from a gun for glue, and the working cable has a thermo-insulating layer and a commuting wire.
• Remember that when heated, the thermal barrier layer contracts.
• The bridge on the diodes and the thyristor can be replaced by triacs.
• The design of the spotter, made by own hands, should be clearly thought out. It should work correctly, regardless of the size and the resources spent on it.

How to make a spotter from a microwave oven?

You can make a spotter from a microwave. The most important component of any such device is a transformer. Find it in the finished form is difficult. Therefore, it is better to do it yourself. You can take a transformer from a microwave oven.

To ensure optimal supply of electricity, it is recommended to take a couple of transformers from microwave ovens. From them, secondary windings are removed and new ones are wound. For this purpose, a wire with a cross-sectional area of 50 mm² or higher is used.

What will be required additionally?

The transformer is not the only spot of the spotter. The scheme also includes:

• Transformer supplying the control unit of equipment;
• Thyristor;
• Bridge on diodes;
• variable resistor.

How to ensure the convenience and safety of work?

For safety of work with the unit on the basis of a microwave oven it is necessary to place its components in the accurate case, differing reliability. It will serve as a guarantee of protection of electrical parts against mechanical damage and pollution, which contribute to the malfunction of the unit. In the role of the casing, the housing can come from the microwave itself.

When placing an electric block in the housing, it is necessary to fix all the parts in the area, the basis of which is made up of dielectric sheet material. The elements should be distributed evenly over the entire area. This will provide convenience when carrying the unit. In addition, mobility can be imparted to the device by small wheels fixed to the bottom.

After fixing the electrical parts, you need to think about other components, work without which it will be impossible. These include:

• Electrical cables that provide the connection of the transformer for welding with the electrodes of the device;
• A gun for fixing the device's electrode;
• The device for drawing of metal;
• Working elements of the unit.

Calculation of the cable section

With a known indicator of the current produced by your home-made unit, the cross section of the cables that ensure the passage of electricity is determined.

The following rule is taken as a basis: for 10 amperes of current take 1 mm² of electrical cable. The length of the cord that fits the electrode for welding is also important. It should be minimal. This helps reduce the loss of electricity.

Making a gun

The gun can be made from a thick sheet of getinax or textolite. Of these, a pair of identical parts is cut out. In a special cavity made in one of the blanks, a button for switching on and a bracket for fixing the electrode are disposed.

Electrode manufacturing

The electrode can also be made independently. For this purpose, copper rods with a round cross section or bronze or copper tubes are used, which are convenient for connecting with a current-carrying cable.

From the working part of the electrode is made a slot for inserting the welding washer. If the tube is taken as the basis of the electrode, then its working end is flattened, and only after that a cut is made.

Make a spotter for body repair with your own hands from an old microwave oven and other unnecessary parts is not so difficult. The main thing - patience and attentiveness.