Quote Originally Posted by Jonathan View Post
I started making one but soon after spotted the one at Aldi.

http://www.google.co.uk/search?aq=0&...sformer+welder
Hmm. A voltmeter attached to the workpiece and to the stick will measure (approximately, considering voltage drop etc over the length of the stick) the arc voltage when in use. Could you electronically sense when the arc kicks in and the welding starts, in a way that would allow a computer to effectively control stick distance from the workpiece?