DIY Trail Welder
Posted: Wed Jun 25, 2025 7:44 am
After the absolute disaster we encountered on the Rubicon trip last summer ( http://www.peakputters.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=7569 ) that involved using a trail welder on no less than 3 separate occasions, having one of these in the tool bag has become a high priority for me personally. Now, truth be told, I had already put together a DIY kit that we tried to use on the first repair, and it ended up being more useless than useful 
In the weeks and months since however, I have done some additional research and put together a much better version with dedicated pieces, rather than trying to make everything multi-purpose... Sometimes you are better off having THE tool for the job, and not trying to just make something else work. Lesson learnt 
If anyone is interested in making something simular, I've included some Amazon links:
And here is the first test weld using 1/8" 6010 stick rod... yes, it looks as though I welded it upside down behind my back with my left foot, but I'm confident that the weld itself is serviceable enough to get a guy off the trail 
So what's different between this and my initial version? Well... my first kit was based on jumper cables rather than dedicated welding lead. Although the idea of not packing a bunch of extra stuff was great in theory, this was problematic not only for trying to achieve solid connections and stable current draw, but also for holding the stick welding rod. I had also failed to include any sort of welding lens, and the safety squints just didn't get the job done. I now have at least semi-legit leads with a proper electrode holder, a good ground clamp, and the quick-release battery terminals make it a breeze to securely connect to the batteries. Oh, and the collapsible welding hood is as handy as a pocket on a shirt
Weld leads: https://a.co/d/1Y4g34E *note these are not what I used but are simular in spec
Quick-Release battery terminals: https://a.co/d/ctO8i9q
Foldable leather welding hood: https://a.co/d/hM06OXA
In the weeks and months since however, I have done some additional research and put together a much better version with dedicated pieces, rather than trying to make everything multi-purpose... Sometimes you are better off having THE tool for the job, and not trying to just make something else work. Lesson learnt If anyone is interested in making something simular, I've included some Amazon links:
- IMG_0480.JPG (1.64 MiB) Viewed 1330 times
- IMG_0481.JPG (1.66 MiB) Viewed 1330 times
- IMG_0482.JPG (1.52 MiB) Viewed 1330 times
And here is the first test weld using 1/8" 6010 stick rod... yes, it looks as though I welded it upside down behind my back with my left foot, but I'm confident that the weld itself is serviceable enough to get a guy off the trail
- IMG_0485.JPG (1.56 MiB) Viewed 1330 times
- IMG_0487.JPG (1.59 MiB) Viewed 1330 times
- IMG_0491.JPG (1.36 MiB) Viewed 1330 times
So what's different between this and my initial version? Well... my first kit was based on jumper cables rather than dedicated welding lead. Although the idea of not packing a bunch of extra stuff was great in theory, this was problematic not only for trying to achieve solid connections and stable current draw, but also for holding the stick welding rod. I had also failed to include any sort of welding lens, and the safety squints just didn't get the job done. I now have at least semi-legit leads with a proper electrode holder, a good ground clamp, and the quick-release battery terminals make it a breeze to securely connect to the batteries. Oh, and the collapsible welding hood is as handy as a pocket on a shirt
Weld leads: https://a.co/d/1Y4g34E *note these are not what I used but are simular in spec
Quick-Release battery terminals: https://a.co/d/ctO8i9q
Foldable leather welding hood: https://a.co/d/hM06OXA