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-   -   WW2 hobart welder (http://www.mapleleafup.net/forums/showthread.php?t=27232)

Mike Kelly 09-04-17 04:00

WW2 hobart welder
 
I recently got hold of a WW2 Hobart 300 Amp DC welder . It's complete and only needs a little work to get it up and running.


The engine is a T118 Dodge engine , the unit has a AWC ( Allied Works Council ) number on the chassis and I've been told it was used in the N.T. during WW2.

I've been searching for a manual , in the TM5 series but no luck .

David Dunlop 09-04-17 04:42

Hi Mike.

Not sure if either of these will help, but a quick check of my references show the following:

LO 5-5457 (Date unknown) Welders, Electric arc, Hobart: GR-300-S

TM 5-3431-202-20 (23 Oct 62) Welding machine arc: generator; gasoline driven; single operator; remote control; 300 amp dc; Hobart model GHB3183S


David

Mike Kelly 09-04-17 06:37

Ok
 
David

Thanks but I think those are post ww2 and are different, I did download the 1960's manual but there isnt much relevant info in it .

Apparently the Dutch KTR vehicle club has the G300 WW2 Hobart welder manual in their library TM5-5120, I tried joining their forum without success.

David Dunlop 09-04-17 14:32

Mike.

Way back in the pre computer days, I used to order all my US Military Vehicle manuals directly from the US Army. I do not know if they still maintain the relevant branch, but it was called the US Army Directorate of Publications, and was based in Philidephia, as I recall. You could even get on a mailing list from them for a complete set of publications that listed their entire Technical Manual, Service Manual, Service Bulletin and Lubrication Order Publications which included an ongoing series of updates as to what was new, superseded or rescinded. That service was free. Manuals themselves were $1.50 USF for mailing plus a penny a page.

If they no longer had a manual in stock, they would send me a reference for a copy of it which was held in the Library of Congress in Washington. Apparently one of every publication always goes their for filing. The Army DOP would always provide the number of pages in the manual as a reference as the library copy charges were 'going rate +' per page. plus retrieval and postage fees.

I have no idea at all how the Library of Congress works today in the computer age, but if you are not already tapped into that resource, maybe try checking with them for a copy of what you need for your welder. The TM Number and title (or description thereof) should be enough to get them pointed in the right direction. Or maybe it's already hiding on line somewhere in their system.

David

Robin Craig 09-04-17 20:21

Dear David,

Thank you for your post.

They do still exist see here:-

http://www.apd.army.mil/default.aspx

I am on a search for a particular ancient manual and will use their "contact us" tab to re-ignite my search.

Thanks for bump starting my little project

Mike Kelly 10-04-17 07:49

Manual
 
Thanks but that US Army Directorate of Publications link does not have the TM5-5120 manual listed . This particular Hobart welder manual is made of unobtanium for some reason . I have read that Hobart do have manuals and will freely supply them but this piece of equipment is a ancient vintage item and I doubt they have a manual that old.

Matthew P 21-08-20 03:30

Hello I just recently bought one of these too. Were you able to obtain a manual. There is a portion of a US Army TM addressing several Automotive support tools that covers this welder. It's only a few pages but it's better then nothing. If you don't have it I'll point it your way, it's available online.

Matt

Mike Kelly 21-08-20 06:09

Manual
 
Quote:

Originally Posted by Matthew P (Post 271769)
Hello I just recently bought one of these too. Were you able to obtain a manual. There is a portion of a US Army TM addressing several Automotive support tools that covers this welder. It's only a few pages but it's better then nothing. If you don't have it I'll point it your way, it's available online.

Matt

Hi Matt

No didn't find a manual . Thanks for your lead, yes would like to see that even only a few pages :)

Matthew P 21-08-20 11:40

Mike,

It's TM 9-834 VEHICULAR GENERAL PURPOSE UNIT EQUIPMENT. Here is a link to one you can find online, no download required. https://www.ibiblio.org/hyperwar/USA...fs/TM9-834.pdf

The pages you want are Pages 38-49.

So is yours up and running? According to the Hobart Brothers website they made over a 100,000 of these during WW2. Looking around the internet I found one with a serial number about 1500 under mine that was reportedly built July 1945. So I think mine might be right in that end of the war time frame.

Do you have pictures of yours?

Matt

Mike Kelly 22-08-20 08:38

Ok
 
Quote:

Originally Posted by Matthew P (Post 271774)
Mike,

It's TM 9-834 VEHICULAR GENERAL PURPOSE UNIT EQUIPMENT. Here is a link to one you can find online, no download required. https://www.ibiblio.org/hyperwar/USA...fs/TM9-834.pdf

The pages you want are Pages 38-49.

So is yours up and running? According to the Hobart Brothers website they made over a 100,000 of these during WW2. Looking around the internet I found one with a serial number about 1500 under mine that was reportedly built July 1945. So I think mine might be right in that end of the war time frame.

Do you have pictures of yours?

Matt

Hi Matt

Many thanks for that link. Would like to see your welder and if it is the same model I have . No, haven't got it running as yet, the large commutator is a little worn/uneven, probably could use it as is but would like to have it machined down .

I did post some pics somewhere , will have a look. The Dodge engine in it is the longer block type from memory .

This example I have is a mobile setup with a Dodge light commercial axle fitted and the lunette towing setup , think this modification was done by the AWC Aliied Works Council, possibly in the Northern Territory

Matthew P 22-08-20 12:59

1 Attachment(s)
Mike,

Here is a real quick one just to get things going. I'll have to make an album once I really start into this thing. I'm trying to determine it's build date and based on some others that were inquired about on the Hobart Welders forum it appears to be late 1945. There was one built in July 1945 that was about 1500 serial numbers lower.

In this case it is sitting on a wood body Ben Hur trailer that somebody had stripped the body off, reinforced with C-channel cross struts and added a plate deck to the trailer. They kept the brakes but moved the parking brake lever to between the drawbars. For tool boxes they used two M-1937 Field Range Spare Parts Kit boxes.

The US Navy and Army Corps of Engineers had a Ben Hur looking trailer that was dedicated for some of these. 2 wheel, open C-channel frame with two large tool boxes that the fenders mounted to. I'm seriously considering fabricating the tool boxes and fitting some Ben Hur fenders to this trailer. It won't be 100% but it would be passable for reenacting events. That is assuming we get it running.

Matt

Mike Kelly 23-08-20 07:00

trailer
 
1 Attachment(s)
OK your trailer looks to be more engineered/sophisticated than the home made looking trailer under my welder. Found this pic somewhere .

Matthew P 23-08-20 14:03

Mike,

Yes my trailer is rather stout. Whoever built it took a Ben Hur chassis, then added C-channel side to side on the front, back and several places in between. Then added a steel plate deck that must be at least 5mm thick. That will probably come off as the original Corps of Engineers welding trailers were a skeleton frame. And also it'll take a couple hundred Kg off of the trailer ;)

Thanks for that image btw. It's better then the one in the manual and shows the Pierce governor linkage of which I'm missing. Mine has had an electric governor added to it, I've seen a few with that so it seems to be a standard later upgrade. But now I know what I'm looking for to return mine to original (fingers crossed that it runs at all)

Thanks
Matt

Matthew P 25-08-20 12:12

2 Attachment(s)
Mike,

Here's some interior pictures of mine. I'm hoping to narrow down the date better with some information from somebody on the Hobart Welders sponsored Weldtalk forum. But I think it's very late 1945. Then sometime after the electrically controlled governor was installed replacing the purely mechanical one. It's not original to any WW2 ones I've seen but it does show up in later 40's welders. That's the box directly below the engine control panel with the wires coming out of it. You'll note I have the engine speed knob in the center of the engine control panel. But no linkage over to the governor. That is all missing.

Matt

Mike Kelly 26-08-20 06:34

Nice
 
Quote:

Originally Posted by Matthew P (Post 271911)
Mike,

Here's some interior pictures of mine. I'm hoping to narrow down the date better with some information from somebody on the Hobart Welders sponsored Weldtalk forum. But I think it's very late 1945. Then sometime after the electrically controlled governor was installed replacing the purely mechanical one. It's not original to any WW2 ones I've seen but it does show up in later 40's welders. That's the box directly below the engine control panel with the wires coming out of it. You'll note I have the engine speed knob in the center of the engine control panel. But no linkage over to the governor. That is all missing.

Matt

Ok I see the electric governor box , I will have a look at the welder here to see what governor it has fitted

Matthew P 28-08-20 13:06

Manuals...

Today I learned WHAT manuals I'm looking for finally. So here goes.

WW2: TM 5-5120
Post-War TM 5-5131 (Has the electric governor)
Post-War TM 5-3431-204-20P Repair Parts list for it and another welder 1963

The last manual is the only one I've found online so far. But the first one I located a copy on eBay and bought it. A friend has sent out a Signal Corps catalog for professional scanning before. I'm going to ask him where he had that done/cost and see about doing that for this. Since it seems to be nearly unobtainable and there is at least marginal demand for such a manual.

Matt

Mike Kelly 28-08-20 16:22

5120
 
Excellent I could not find the 5120 manual anywhere seems to be a rare publication for some reason . I hope you can arrange the copying process.

Matthew P 03-10-20 11:26

Mike,

I have the manual in hand. It's the usual TM size, so like half of A4 paper size, but almost 200 pages thick. I'll be sending it out for commercial scanning as it's too thick and fragile for me to do page by page on my scanner here.

I'll keep you posted.
Matt

Mike Kelly 04-10-20 10:54

Great
 
Quote:

Originally Posted by Matthew P (Post 272883)
Mike,

I have the manual in hand. It's the usual TM size, so like half of A4 paper size, but almost 200 pages thick. I'll be sending it out for commercial scanning as it's too thick and fragile for me to do page by page on my scanner here.

I'll keep you posted.
Matt

ah excellent /// :thup2:

Matthew P 06-10-20 12:29

1 Attachment(s)
Here's the original on it's way to the scanner right now. Should have the PDF back in a week or two. Is there interest in a hard copy reproduction? I'm working out the possibility right now. Probably would be about $20 USD for hard copies.

Matt

Mike Kelly 07-10-20 00:39

yes
 
Quote:

Originally Posted by Matthew P (Post 272948)
Here's the original on it's way to the scanner right now. Should have the PDF back in a week or two. Is there interest in a hard copy reproduction? I'm working out the possibility right now. Probably would be about $20 USD for hard copies.

Matt

Yes would be interested in a hard copy . That's a very reasonable price for a hard copy. The postage might be a problem, the US postal fees have gone up so much in recent years. Anyway the PDF version will be a start , I can get a quote from the copy centre here in town , they do the wire binding but they charge like a wounded bull. Thanks for your assistance again.

hrpearce 07-10-20 05:16

I would be interested in a hard copy.

Matthew P 20-10-20 15:20

2 Attachment(s)
Update! Manual has been scanned. Now I'm cleaning it up for publication.

Matt

Matthew P 08-11-20 12:10

Here's the digital version.

https://g518parts.com/?product=tm-5-...-parts-catalog

Matt

Mike Kelly 09-11-20 00:55

Thanks
 
Quote:

Originally Posted by Matthew P (Post 273710)

Thanks for doing this :thup2:

henrywilliam320 08-09-21 17:35

Hobart Arc Welder
 
When equipment is orfered on a Corps of Engineers contract, it will have a brass Engineers Data Plate attached to it stating the Nomenclature, DOD and manufacturers specs.
There were Hobart Generators in WWII, Chrysler industrial Powered would be in the 300Amp range. They are nice as long as they still function, but 99% of the parts are no longer available thru Hobart, once the governor and vacuum controla fail, it may as well be junk. If the engine has under 1000 hours and it runs smooth, the engine is a good candidate for a WC. Best Wire Feed Welding Machine is also one of my favorite

Mike Kelly 09-09-21 05:43

Thanks
 
I must thank Matthew for his work, scanning the welder manual and making it available at minimum cost.

Matthew P 09-09-21 16:47

Mike,

You are quite welcome. If I sell a few more PDFs my expense will be covered and if I sell about 15 more hard covers my expense will be covered ;)


Back in the winter I drove 12 hours round trip with a friend to buy some wheels for his G506 truck and was able to pick some generator parts. So I have a spare governor or two now as well as some of the other harder to find components. I don't see any vacuum system on mine to go bad. But I'm confident that between my technical abilities and the spare parts I have that I can get the governor to function correctly if it doesn't already. I have to rebuild my carburetor first.


Matthew


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