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How to Make a Pocket Welder

Building your own portable, simple welding system may be a little easier than you think. In an emergency situation, or while away from your garage, you may need to perform light welds on light gauge steel. With this system, you will be able to make such repairs with access to only a car battery and a pair of common jumper cables. Remember however, that this procedure will quickly discharge the battery, so only use it with a spare battery, or one you do not need.

Things You'll Need

Car battery
Jumper cables
2 quarters
Protective goggles

Instructions

- 1
  Pinch a quarter in the teeth of each of the black and red clamps at one end of your jumper cables.
- 2
  Connect the red clamp at the other end of the cables to the positive terminal on the car battery.
- 3
  Connect the remaining black clamp to the negative terminal on the battery.
- 4
  Hold the two clamps gripping the quarters in either hand, only touching the rubber-insulated handles. Touch the two quarters together quickly and briefly. You should see and hear a spark when the two quarters touch.
- 5
  Sandwich the two metals you wish to join together. Touch the quarter in the black clamp to one side of the metal, and then touch the quarter in the red clamp to the other side. Electricity stored as chemical energy in the battery will flow between the two quarters and melt the metals together.

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