Trailer hitch replacement, TIG Welded

[KartFab]

I bought a great trailer last year, but the hitch was bent (probably jackknifed sometime in its past). I have been able to make due so far, but I really hated using my 5 lb hammer to put it on the ball, and a crow bar to take it off the ball. Well, I got a new locking collar style hitch and went to work with the angle grinder and reciprocating saw. 3 cut off disks and 2 metal saw blades later I had the old hitch off. I ground down the edges and cleaned up the steel for welding.

Then i made a 220V to 115V style converter (Have a Miller Maxstar 140) to get 140 amps out of my TIG welder. I am definately new to welding (only am doing tig and I HATE stick!). Bit by bit I am getting better and my welds are actually starting to look GOOD (to me anyway )

Here are some pictures of the project and final result! I really like how easy it is to attach the trailer to the ball now!

 

[Doc Sprocket]

Good job. How about some more detail on this power converter thing?

BTW- This is why I HATE folks that weld the coupler to the tongue. They DO get damaged, and I despise having to cut them off. I always bolt my couplers on with grade 8 hardware.

 

[Maine Mud Mower]

wow jackknifed is right

 

[KartFab]

Good job. How about some more detail on this power converter thing?

Ok. I have a Miller Maxstar 140 stick/tig welder that has the capability of running off of standard 110v (115v whatever you wanna call it) and it automatically senses the change to 220 and pumps out more amps. I got it used with the 110V male plug wired onto it.

Disclaimer: I'm not an electrician.... but this worked out.

Standard 110V has a hot, neutral, and ground. 220v comes in 3 or 4 wire. In my case I had a 3 wire (2 hot, one ground) dryer plug on the other side of the inside garage door.

What I Bought
My dryer had the 3 wire plug so went to home depot and got a new 3 wire 30 amp male dryer plug with 6 ft of 10 gauge cord (plug matched the already installed female dryer plug). I also bought a 110v 20 amp female plug.

Wiring
See pic. Basically I took the two hots (doesn't matter which hot is which) and wired them where the hot and neutral would go (the two top slits in the 110v female plug). I took the ground (middle wire) on the 220 wire and wired it to the ground on the 110 female (the bottom slit).

I plugged it in, crossed my fingers, plugged the welder into the female plug.... the machine turned on, didn't catch fire so I am happy

Just don't plug anything that only runs on 110v into this .

 

[Doc Sprocket]

Ahh. I thought it was going to be something like that. Thanks for the explanation.

 

[landuse]

To me, that is one weird looking plug. Here are ours.

 

[souperman000]

To me, that is one weird looking plug. Here are ours.

No...Your's are weird! That plug is only for high voltage stuff (like electric stoves and such). The other plugs look normal.