Help! Learning to weld

[k0ua]

"in effect it was only getting 120V"

In the interest of even more ejumication , you didn't even have 120 volts if it was wired correctly - 240 volt wired plugs (3 prong) have two hot wires 120 volts and 180 degrees out of phase, and an equipment GROUND - no neutral. So even though you had 120 volts at one contact, there was no return path so no current could flow.

An equipment ground is supposed to be ONLY connected to the chassis/frame of the equipment so an internal wiring problem cannot cause the outer parts of the device to be live.

Newer stuff, especially with a motor of some type and/or electronics, uses a 4 prong plug - it has the same 3 wires as a 3 prong, with an added neutral so 120 volt power can be had and still meet code. On those units, the neutral is only connected as a return for any 120 volt components, and the ground is only connected to the frame.

I know it seems weird at first, but even though BOTH the ground and neutral attach to the same buss bar in your panel, the ground is NEVER supposed to carry current unless there is a problem - but a neutral will carry just as much current as the hot wire since it is the return.

HTH... Steve

Good explanation Steve.:thumbsup:

 

[Industrial Toys]

It was simply "open circuit".

I have never seen a 220 welder with anything other then a three wire plug in Canada. Probably just to stick with standard convention. If it had something internally that required 110, they would just use an appropriately sized transformer. If you had fed the welder, say with number 8 AWG, and had to run another neutral of number 8, that would be very expensive and a transformer internally would be much cheaper.

 

[BukitCase]

I agree, I've not seen welders with the 4 wire plug either - mostly things like newer kitchen stoves. I only threw that in for purposes of clarifying differences between ground and neutral, sorry if it confused more than it helped... Steve

 

[Sodo]

Dont' ever tell anyone on this site that you tried welding with 110v power. Folks can't handle that for some reason. Sodo can explain.

Glad thats over.

I built railings today, on a loading dock stairway. Mostly 1.25 x 1.25 x 1/8" SQ tube with some 1/4" brackets. Only 120v available at location. Job almost done, will post pics if anybody cares about railings.

Good luck learning, will help a huge amount if someone experienced can look over your shoulder. If you want to weld better than your best memory, try waiting 36 years.

 

[travlitt]

well I see both hot wires from the outlet connecting to a single incoming wire. In other words there's two outlets connected on with one incoming wire so is three wires under one wire nut. There's no way in the world you can have 240 that way I'm not sure how you're reading it. is this connected to a 2 pole or doublr breaker or a single breaker. maybe there's something in that picture I'm not seen

I see 3 wires coming out of the conduit..2 of the 3 go to the hot terminals..1 goes to the wire nut with a green box ground then to the ground terminal of the plug..

 

[dragoneggs]

Glad thats over.

I built railings today, on a loading dock stairway. Mostly 1.25 x 1.25 x 1/8" SQ tube with some 1/4" brackets. Only 120v available at location. Job almost done, will post pics if anybody cares about railings.

Good luck learning, will help a huge amount if someone experienced can look over your shoulder. If you want to weld better than your best memory, try waiting 36 years.

Yeah please post the railing pics... I am still trying to learn to weld and will be until I'm dead I imagine.

 

[Big Barn]

Yeah please post the railing pics... I am still trying to learn to weld and will be until I'm dead I imagine.

That's prob true about learning in general, for a lot of us. Terry

 

[pat32rf]

Went to open up the cottage one spring and only had 110 volts. Half the lights didn't work and none of the 220 stuff. (stove)
Using a digital tester at the panel incoming it showed 220 when the main was open but a Square D tester only showed 110 at one line. Turned out it was a bad crimp connection up at the triplex on the roof but I had a heck of a job convincing hydro to send out a truck at 10pm on a Friday night...