WWll welding generator?

[Ben Clarke]

I usually hangout on the Old Onan forum. I have just bought an old welding generator. The claim is that it is a WWll pulley driven welder. The story is that it ran off a jeep in some fashion. It is to dark now to get proper pictures but I can discribe it. Wieghs in at about 80 pounds, about 16 inches high, 8 inches wide and 10 inches long. It has a double "V" belt pulley on one side "B" belts. An air outlet on the opposite side. The top has an adjustment knob. The cables come out of the side just above the air outlet. It still turns freely but the case has a dandy coat of rust. No ID plate or decals on it. I will have some pictures tomorrow.
Does anyone know anything about these generators? I would like to restore it. I have an old Kohler motor I can rig up to run it.
Thanks
Ben

I was able to get a few pictures this morning. On the top there are some setting stampings. Off, Low, High, and increments inbeteen.

[Ben Clarke]

A few more pictures

[K D Redd]

Looks like an old AIRCRAFT generator someone has mounted up. Look close, does the generator have a fan in it. Aircraft generators DO NOT have a fan. They used the aircraft's slip stream for cooling. You need to rig up some type of fan to run it very long as a welder.
I have a Delco P-1 from a B-17 I am told. It DOES NOT have a cooling fan. I was going to try to rig it as a welder but found a Lincoln 180 DC unit before I gathered all of the pieces for the P-1.

Kent

[J Tiers]

That looks very much like the Eclipse P2 I asked about in another thread..... nobody seems to know anything about it.

items with a fan, but otherwise like aircraft generators may be from a tank. Radial engines very much like aircraft engines were used in tanks, and apparently used similar accessories. But of course would need forced ventilation.

[Ben Clarke]

I was able to get the cover off and there was a patent plate and an ID plate on the generator. I will need to take a rubbing to read the patent plate but the ID plate was very clear. I have photos that I will attach but for those with eyes as weak as mine I will type in the data.
Type P-2, MFRS. Dwg No. 101295-914-3, Serial A 36173, weight 38 Lb., Order No. AF 37892, Volts 28.5,
Eclipse Aviation. Division of Bendix Aviation Crop. Bendix NJ USA, Made in USA.
On the top the settings read; Off, Low, 5, 10, 15, 20, High.
Info stamped below the settings reads
Rheostat type 0-1B Heated Clothing, 24 volt - 100W - 5.75 Ohms, Spec94 32357A, Cat No J-138, Cont W33-038, AC-2196,Property Air Forces US Army, Joleco Cororation.
When I took the control out of the cover I found there was a twin DC receptical that had been covered by the metal. On one side it was stamped Heated Suit. The other was stamped 24 Volt. I am guessing that this unit was never used in an aircraft but was used as a portable welder.
I have included a pic of the connection the two large cables are for welding the smaller two run to the control and outlet.
Ben

[J Tiers]

That seems to be a modification/adaptation, quite possibly rigged up in the field........

On the P-2 I have, the smaller two are the field, and the larger ones are the main output. The voltage regulator would have controlled the field based on, and drawing power from, the main output voltage.

Presumably, in your case, the field was powered through the switch or rheostat from the main output, and was used to set an approximate output.

[Ben Clarke]

I have a P-2 generator. Pics and info here.
http://www.smokstak.com/forum/showthread.php?t=47766
It has a Joleco Corporation 0-1B rheostat. This has seen much better days. I need to replace it. I have found a similar one on the Warbirds site but it does not match spec, watts or ohms. I am looking for a Joleco 0-1B heated clothing 24 volt, 100 watt, 5.75 ohms, Spec 94 32357 A. Any information for a replacement or substitute would be helpful.
Thanks
Ben

[K D Redd]

I bought the same rheostat from Surplus City YEARS ago. I think these rheostats, which controlled the crews heated suit, were used on most of the WW II bomber except the B-29 with it's "Shirt Sleeve" crew area. I bought the one I have to use on my P-2 Delco, but I never could get the generator to energize. I found out later that some aircraft generator had to be excited with a battery to generate. Before I was able to finish the convertion to a welder, I found a 180 DC Lincoln which I repaired. I am using the suit rheostat now to control the field of a 24 volt military alternator trying to make a portable TIG welding unit.

Kent