Is my 50 amp outlet safe for a welder with this old wiring?

That silver wire in the middle is almost certainly tinned copper, wich was standard for heavy-duty circuits back in the 50s and 60s. The issue isn't realy the metal type; it’s that flaking cloth insulation you’re seeing. Once that stuff starts to crack and crumble when you touch it, the cable is essentially done. Trying to pull a heavy **50-amp load** thru wire with degraded insulation is a recipe for an arc or a fire, especially with the heat cycles a welder creates. The lack of a connector where the wires enter the box is another massive red flag. Without a proper **cable clamp**, those wires are just vibrating and rubbing against a sharp metal edge every time the circuit is energized or the plug is moved. Eventually, that box will cut right through what's left of the brittle insulation. It’s basically a short circuit waiting to happen. You coud try to pull some slack and see if the wire looks better deeper in the wall, but usually, if it's flaking at the box, it's shot throughout the whole run. You really need to pull new 6/3 Romex or THHN in conduit if you want to run that welder safely. It’s a pain, but that old cloth-covered stuff just wasn't meant to last forever, and it definitely shouldn't be used without a strain relief. If you aren't up for a full rewire, I'd seriously consider returning that machine and getting a smaller 120V inverter welder. Modern 120V units are surprisingly capable for most home projects and won't require you to gamble your garage on 60-year-old wiring. Using that current setup as-is is just asking for a fire.

I've seen some videos where people just wrap old wires in electrical tape to fix the cracking, but woud that even work here if the heat from the welder is as bad as you say? I’m also wondering if my actual breaker box is too old to be safe since it's probly from the same year as that wiring. If the wire is this bad, do I need to worry about the breaker failing to trip if it shorts out? Honestly, I’m leaning towards that smaller 120V welder now because this is sounding way more complicated than I thougt.

Tape is just a band-aid on a bullet wound. Welder loads are heavy and generate serious heat; that electrical tape will just get gooey and peel off when the wire expands. If your panel is original to that wiring, check the brand. If it's somthing like an old Federal Pacific or Zinsco, those are famous for 'locking up' and refusing to trip even during a dead short. If that brittle wire touches the metal box edge and the breaker doesn't pop, you're looking at a structural fire in minutes. It's not just about the wire being old—it's that the safety systems meant to protect you from that old wire are likely just as compromised.