Bobby Ironsights
New Member
Has anyone here made their own capacitors? I've been looking online, and there are only one or two posts on them, almost all of them people who are making high voltage caps for homebrew lasers.
I'm interested in making some very large capacity, low voltage, high amperage caps for a homebuilt spot welder that can handle thicker gauge metal than the Microwave oven transformer designs that are more common. I've had a chance to go over the capacitance chapters on the electronics club website, and it seems simple enough.
Is there any reason why I couldn't or shouldn't get some kraft or butcher paper, and some industrial sized rolls of aluminum foil from the bulk store and start wrapping up dozens of cap's and connect them all into a bank in a vat of mineral oil?
I understand that I wouldn't get the efficiency, or small size, or sealed convenience as those nice super capacitors from an actual manufacturer, but I have a fair bit of space in my shop, but not alot of money right now. I'd rather keep the expense under 150-200 dollars if I can, or I'll have to put this project on hold.
4 or 5 volts average, but a couple thousand or more of amp's for a second or two would be great.
The reason I think it would be nice to use capacitors instead of a rack of car batteries is that batteries have a limited number of charge and discharge cycles and doesn't take being fully discharged very well, which would be pretty unhelpful for a spot welder.
Thank you for your time and input,
Bobby
I'm interested in making some very large capacity, low voltage, high amperage caps for a homebuilt spot welder that can handle thicker gauge metal than the Microwave oven transformer designs that are more common. I've had a chance to go over the capacitance chapters on the electronics club website, and it seems simple enough.
Is there any reason why I couldn't or shouldn't get some kraft or butcher paper, and some industrial sized rolls of aluminum foil from the bulk store and start wrapping up dozens of cap's and connect them all into a bank in a vat of mineral oil?
I understand that I wouldn't get the efficiency, or small size, or sealed convenience as those nice super capacitors from an actual manufacturer, but I have a fair bit of space in my shop, but not alot of money right now. I'd rather keep the expense under 150-200 dollars if I can, or I'll have to put this project on hold.
4 or 5 volts average, but a couple thousand or more of amp's for a second or two would be great.
The reason I think it would be nice to use capacitors instead of a rack of car batteries is that batteries have a limited number of charge and discharge cycles and doesn't take being fully discharged very well, which would be pretty unhelpful for a spot welder.
Thank you for your time and input,
Bobby
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