More welder questions

[Egon]

I have a 1-1/2" underground PVC tube going to the garage, but that's got a #10 30-amp line in it already. It might be a trick to snake a #6 three-wire through it as well!

Pull the existing run from the garage and run a new 220 volt line to a panel in the garage. Run your existing garage wiring into that panel. Make sure it's all to specifications.

 

[Berniep]

I bet that old feller is just a new tip away from cutting every piece of scrap metal in your possession. I cut about everything I could get my hands on and even into some not so scrap when I first got my plasma. I now don't use it a bunch but when I do it is indispensable. I can remember looking at the jigsaw and looking at the O/A setup and back to the jigsaw then to the sawzall and not liking any of them and putting off the project. Now I just hook up the airline and have at it.

 

[DaveOmak]

irvingj, I could have made an error. Where I live in Washington, the neutral wire (white) is connected to the ground bar in the electrical panel. Therefore all neutrals and grounds are bonded. In some areas a ground is required on all circuits and the neutral is NOT bonded to the ground. The neutral runs back to the utility. Check your panel to see how it is wired.
It is important however to put a ground rod at the sub panel in your shop. Read the manual on the plasma. Some equipment emits a frequency of EMF radiation that can interfere with radio, telephone etc. operation. A good ground close to the equipmant will reduce or eliminate that electrical interference. Here, 2 ground rods are required. They need to be 4 or 6 feet apart or sometning like that in the event one fails or something I guess.
Hope that helps.

"if you don't know how to engineer something, overbuild it"

 

[irvingj]

Thanks, Dave. Having worked in HVAC for 12 years, I used to be up on electrical... but I've been away from it (professionally) for 20 years. I will definitely check everything out before proceeding, always a good idea in any case. I didn't have to install a ground rod for my simple 120V feed to the garage, but if I go to 230V I'll definitely put one in, just as a precaution and whether or not it's required. But I will check the regs.

As I remember, around here the neutral is grounded, but I'll certainly check that out to be sure. Thanks for the advice!

 

[RPW]

That snap-on plasma cutter is worth its weight in gold. I just looked a a new snap-on plasma cutter (50AMP) for about $3500.00. You can contact snap-on for replacement parts.

 

[irvingj]

Thanks, RPW. I did notice that parts were still available from Snap-On. It's on the list of projects....

I just serviced the mower deck & put that up for the winter, re-installed the BH and FEL, greased them.... Now oil changes and snow tires for my & wife's cars, put the push mower & bikes away..... And MAYBE, just maybe, get the propane heater I bought last year for my garage installed & hooked up! Oh. And the front-mount snowblower for the tractor, and an oil change for the tractor, and..... Oh well. Keeps me out of mischief, I guess! But I am definitely looking forward to being able to cut with a plasma cutter!!