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Joined 1 year ago
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Cake day: October 23rd, 2023

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  • Yeah, just gonna chime in here real quick.

    I went down this road just as you. I found out that most MOTs are rather weak for 18650 nickel strips.

    You need a transformer rated around 1500 watts. Most are 700-900 watts. I ended up wiring 2 transformers in parallel. Also, make sure to remove the transformer’s shunts. They are a form of current limiting and will impact your amps at the end.

    Finally, make sure to carefully regulate your pressure with the copper tips. High pressure does indeed equal a weaker weld.

    AC in general is also not the best for very short pulses of welds. I have found that 40-60ms work best for 0.2 with around 1000amps. Anything less didn’t weld tbh and the MOT couldn’t pull amps fast enough. I tried all sorts of windings and cable thicknesses. I finally chose 6AWG and I’m happy enough with 2 transformers.





  • Hmm, maybe I should have clarified. You would be correct if I was talking about doubling the overall power. I meant simply adding another turn to my secondary coils so as to raise the voltage and lower the amps a bit or to connect the 2 transformers in series.

    Caps seem like a decent idea actually. The house is rated for something north of 40 amps so I should be fine for a ms load.