MOdel A Portable Welder

Mike Peters

Mike Peters

Well-known member
I thought you guys might get a kick out of this. Model A engine running a Hobart welder. Wico Magneto and double butterfly Stromberg carburetor that's run by a governor. I haven't run it in a few years, but it welds very well. Any other welders out there? Love to see photos!
mike
 

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Mike that appears to be a factory conversion rather than a home built? Have you got any other information that you could share.
 
Hey how about we trade radiator shells. Yours is nicer than I have on my car!:)

Is that a diamond block?
 
And I'm curious about the governor. The Gordon-Smith compressors either used a gear driven Pierce Governor which was attached at the timing gear cover (just ahead of the valve chamber cover) or by a belt driven "Hoof" governor.

I was at the annual Dublin NH Steam & Gas Engine flea market and show and bought a spare pierce governor complete except for the lever arm for $20. I couldn't believe my luck!

Sorry for the gloat. I'm gonna have to learn how to "cut back" somehow.

Next week.

Joe K
 
CarlG said:
Welders, Compressors -- what else??

When I was a teenager, (in the 50's) I saw a stationary electric light plant powered by a Model A

I have a pucture of a Model A powered farm tractor that I took at the Alaska State Fair last year. http://www.fordbarn.com/forum/showthread.php?t=81661&highlight=tractor
Click to expand...

And don't forget Arnold Palmer and his Toro Tractor. See http://www.mytractorforum.com/archive/index.php/t-27580.html

About 1930 the Toro Manufacturing Corporation, Minneapolis, Minnesota, began to produce a new golf course tractor using Ford Model A components. This tractor was used to pull Super (introduced 1923) or Trojan (introduced 1930) ganged cutting units and to haul maintenance material around the golf course.

..... The above information is from a reel mower site. .....

I can't give you the specifics for your tractor but Toro built a lot of "golf tractors" using automotive parts. They started with Model-A Fords.

The 1st is 1939 Toro "Bullet". I believe this was built by the Worthington Company.

The 2ed is 1949 Toro General

The 3ed is a Toro Golf Tractor that belonged to Arnold Palmer's dad. I believe it is a 1947.

The 4th is a 1933 and made from a Model-A Ford. .. Ray
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pennzoil-arnold-palmer.jpg


Joe K
 
More photos. I don't think it is a diamond block. It's got a 3 million and something car number. I tried to get a close up of the welder to engine drive. It really doesn't look home made. The "clutch" is a pad bolted to the flywheel. It never disengages. Direct drive only. I got this from a neighbor who bought it on a farm auction in the 60's. He used it to thaw steel water pipes in the winter. It's got about 100' of cable. Consequently, I don't know any more about this welder than any of you on Ford Barn, so it remains a mystery as to it's origins. It would be an interesting Ford Barn project to figure out the who's and where's here. All I can say for now is that it looks like a factory set up.
mike
 

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I'm thinking that is a pierce governor. They made both direct drive and belt driven versions. In fact, there is one on Ebay right now that looks VERY similar case wise.

mS71LJaHLHMnfpglgKbZedg.jpg


Until very recently one could get parts for Pierce products.

Joe K
 
I have an A powered Westinghouse welder.The engine sits transversely,with the generator bolted directly to it.It sits over the axle,and it had disc wheels but A fenders.I bought it for just the fenders,and robbed them off it first thing.It has a governor that runs off the timing gear,with another rod that comes out of a box on the generator.One can over ride the other when the speed needs to come up.It doesn't have an A carb,but because of some of the linkage I believe it has been changed.It does have an A distributer,but I think that has been changed also.It has a home made rod for the spark advance.The exhaust manifold goes up,and the intake has a straight flange for the carb,because the engine sits level instead of tipped back like in a car.I loaned it to a friend 15+ years ago,he keeps it in a shop and uses it for welding up buckets and grousers on bulldozer tracks.It will burn up big rods pretty good,but it takes a few seconds to get a good arc started.I guessed that it runs at about 1500 or so at wide open with a load.I haven't looked at it in years,I gave my friend some points for it a few years back and he put them in and kept using it.I never got any pictures of it.It is tucked inside a three sided equipment shed with tractors and equipment all around it.
 
The exhaust manifold goes up,and the intake has a straight flange for the carb,because the engine sits level instead of tipped back like in a car.
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As I have described elsewhere, my Gordon-Smith Compressor is made from a couple of pieces of 8" pipe about 4 or 5 feet long and set side by each. The engine/compressor sits in a sort of saddle on top of these tanks and the firewall/radiator/gas tank all occupy their normal (more or less) positions. The maker of this rig went to a fair amount of effort to "scratch build" a radiator shroud, top hood section, and firewall in 1/16th metal (with welded corners.)

The arrangement is good - except what does one do with the exhaust pipe. A direct down passage from the exhaust manifold is impossible due to the presence of the tanks.

I have heard of these "up" manifolds. In fact just a couple of weeks ago a "straight back" manifold (which came off a harvester/combine) was for sale on Ebay.

I confess I would like to find a manifold that points up for my Gordon-Smith. Combines or stationary applications seem to have been fitted with this.

Right now I use the standard Model A manifold, but immediately beyond the clamp, I have a couple of pieces of butt-weld elbow from the powerplant set up as a "u" to bring the muffler above and alongside with the exhaust pipe pointed up. I don't like it on account of cantilever forces on the manifold.

I've even considered the dreaded "flex pipe" as a solution to this. Just clamp to the manifold and then "flex" around the tank/reservoir/frame and exit underneath to the muffler - more like the original Gordon-Smith setup.

Dunno. On my list of things to do.

Joe K
 
If you used that double butterfly carb on a car, set up a rod & a throttle button for Mamma, so's when you go too fast or too slow, then she can "over-ride you"! Next, she'd want her own steering wheel! Like a LH/RH drive! During a sleepless night, I thought of a DUMMY column & steering wheel on the right for LAUGHS. Could I get a ticket for "INSANITY"????? Bill W.
 
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