Taking the Welder Plunge

[Berniep]

I think that the plug on your welder is rated for more amps than the outlet in the first picture, Or maybe it's the other way around. Anyway A lot of people have that model welder wired up to the outlet in the first picture with no problems. Tractor supply has the outlets in your pictures and I am going this afternoon and I will see what they are rated for. I wired my welders to the one in the first picture but mine only pull 30 amps. You can pull 50 or 60 amps with that lincoln if you turn it all the way up.
although the one we had on the farm rarely got turned up past 150 output amps. Here is a page I found that lists the specs http://content.lincolnelectric.com/pdfs/products/literature/e230.pdf

 

[Kratos]

Here is the whole package that I bought. You know when after 15 years the guy still has the books, he probably takes care of his stuff.

 

[California]

Here is the whole package that I bought. You know when after 15 years the guy still has the books, he probably takes care of his stuff.

Wow - you did good!

For those old rods: you may find the rod type stamped near the bare end. If they are 7xxx series, they require dry storage and shouldn't be used for anything beyond harmless practice.

Some people will advise the same for 6xxx series (6011 and 6013) but as I understand it, 6-series rod coatings are expected to have moisture content similar to normal indoor storage and if the coating is intact, they can still be used.

I bought an old, dusty, nearly full 50 lb box of 6011 from an old farmer for $5 just to see if they were usable. I estimate the box had been open for 10 years or more; he said it had been in his barn for 'a long time'. I lucked out - they work great. The weld in my photo (Post #24 in this thread) was made with that old 6011.

 

[Birdhunter1]

It looks like you done good on that buy, that is a very good welder.

 

[Berniep]

The plug with the parallel prongs is rated for 50 amps and should run your welder fine if you want to change the plug end. You can pick them up at TSC or my local hardware store has them.

 

[gemini5362]

sounds like the plug in your garage (if it is a big black receptacle that fits on the outside of the wall instead of inside a receptacle box on the inside of thewall) is a stove receptacle they have two straight slots and a round ground hole. the one on the welder looks like a 230 volt plug for a window air conditioner. You can make an extension cable like you were talking about pretty easily and that will probably be a good idea. If you are not sure what you are doing ask someone that knows to help. get some 8/2 with a ground run the copper ground cable to the center connections on each end. run the black to one of the angle receptacles on the one end and to the straight terminal on the plug to the other end. Do the same with the white wire to the other plug and receptacle side. If you look on the lincoln home page it will tell you how many amps you need for the supply current. Just because it is a 150 or 200 amp out welder that is at around 32volts you are supplying 240 volts to it so the current will be a factor of 8 less that is not an accurate amount but it gives you an idea. for a 200 amp welder your current will be somewhere around 25 or a bit more. remember that is not an accurate amount look for the actual specs and they may be on a plate on the welder. You might be able to get 1/2 with ground depending on the current amount you need and how long you make the extension cord. The important thing you need to check is the circuit breaker size going to that receptacle it will say on it how much current it will handle. If it is a 20 or 25 amp breaker you probably do not have big enough wire going from the receptacle to the breaker. Good luck with your welder.


I have the same helmet you have and I love mine.

 

[cp1969]

Now you might want to invest in a little book called "The Welder's Handbook" by Richard Finch. It is a good beginner's book; it goes for about $15 new. Can probably get a used one off of ebay or Amazon for less.

You can always get a more technical book later if you're interested.

 

[Kratos]

I had to play around in the electric box as the wires to the plug in the garage were not hooked up. My stove was hooked up to a 40A breaker and I had a 30A that was open. So, I moved the stove to the 30A and hooked the welder plug to the 40A. I assume that the stove or the welder will trip the circuit breaker if this is not good enoght for either.

I took the back off the welder and it is a simple deal to change the plug out. I live 15 miles from town and try not to go to town on Sunday since I work the other days so I will hit Home Depot tommorow and see what is the best available fix. I may just put the original plug back on the welder with enough wire to go where I need to go. However, one plus if I can do the extension chord adapter thing is I could for small jobs use the plug in the basement that the dryer is plugged into if I need something welded down there.

Thanks again for all of the help.

 

[2manyrocks]

I saw a used lincoln in not as good a condition as yours go for $175 at a farm auction about 2 months ago. Looks like you got a great welder for $100.

I'd read through the safety stuff on Hobart's Weld Talk website. Example: I didn't know a welder could throw sparks 35 feet away. Also didn't know that welding zinc plated material or welding material primed with zinc paint could be deadly, either.

I think you can also find answers to your wiring questions at the Weld Talk site. The plug on your welder is not the factory plug. Look at another Lincoln welder at Home Depot and you'll see the difference. When I wired mine, I installed a 50 amp circuit.

You want to be sure your stove has adequate amps, too. I'm not so sure about putting a stove on 30 amps. My stove is on a 50 amp circuit.

There are three things you need sized correctly: the circuit breakers at the box, the receptacle, and the wires going between them. All three need to be able to carry the amps for that welder.

 

[California]

I moved the stove to the 30A and hooked the welder plug to the 40A.

Careful. You need to look at a chart that matches wire size to breaker capacity.

If you are fusing 30 amp capacity wire with a 40 amp breaker you could smoke the wire and burn down the house before the breaker trips. That's not likely - but it's not a good idea. And it might have a drastic effect on your fire insurance if there is a problem.

So far I haven't tripped my 30 amp breaker. While the scale on the welder goes to 235 amps output (@ 50 amps input), I use 120-130 amps for 1/8 rod and haven't yet had a need for bigger rod or more current. I asked about this here when I started, and a couple of experienced welders said they seldom trip a 30 amp breaker with this size welder.

Also I wouldn't weld in the basement. There's no way to control where all the sparks go. Whatever you do, have a bucket of water and a fire extinguisher right there for an immediate response if sparks start something smoldering.

I like 2manyrocks advice to read up on welding.