After months of watching the R-Tech site like a hawk it became apparent that the cheeky bar steward had had the last iMig 160, new models had replaced it. Since the new models were cheaper and looked it I was back to square 1. Another source whose welding is superb recommended a Lorch but at well over a grand I'm out. So what to do?
At the next end of season sale I snaffled this, the next model up:
One problem solved, another created; it is a bit of a beast and requires a 20A supply*. The wiring in my garage was, shall we say, a tad rustic. Fortunately the armoured cable from the house is rated for 20A so 'all' I needed do was replace the geriatric wiring with something a bit more industrial.
Out went 2 fused spurs bodged straight onto the end of the cable, in came a proper termination box and 5 way consumer unit with RCBOs
Out went 1 circuit feeding the entire garage & external lights, in came 4.
1) Out went 2 broken bulb holders (1 garage, 1 workshop - gloooomy). In came 15 on 3 circuits; 4x 22watt CFL for workshop, 8x22w CFL for garage and 3x11w LED for the walkway through (LED for fast start)
2) Out went 2 broken floodlights on the most bizarre and shite wiring I have ever seen, in came a sensible number of appropriate fittings.
3) Well, that's the sockets and is still to be done. There were 2 doubles and a broken single socket for the whole garage. When I get back to the job there will be 8 or so metalclad doubles. For the moment there's just the 2 healthy doubles on temporary wiring.
4) One of these for the welder:
The 2nd fused spur/5th RCBO feeds a further shed. As with the feed to the garage this is on a perfectly appropriate armoured cable but the terminations were 'creative', now they are safe.
Here we go.
So what work of art did I undertake as my first job? Cill? Wing? Is it as was described of the Lorch - about as hard as squeezing toothpaste? Hard to say having only used about 2 feet of wire extracting a sheared bolt from a GT6 fuel tank mounting.
My next highly demanding project will be the repair of a gate. Onwards and upwards.
* It is highly unlikely it will ever need the full 20A in the sort of work I shall be doing. I have an extensive range of test equipment with which I can verify or disprove that theory.
