wiring for welding

[SPIKER]

patrick
that is good, also it will keep a more stable voltage at the welder which will let the welder RUN efficiently with out field collapse on the transformer which will cause weld spatter & loss of performance on the welder as well as additional heating inside the unit as the voltage drops and spikes as the transformer field expands& collapses under these spikes. this is also a common problem for new welder people who just cant weld, often due to machine performance and blame the machine, when it can be from a voltage fluctuations on the supply side as well.. ask any engineer who worked in/for a welding company or welder people who have worked at many locations some locations you couldn't strike an arc 60% of the time and have any stable performance unless you were plugged in right under the in-feed power panel... been there had that problem. as for my calling it a stove plug, in the old days that was what was used for stove plugs the std nema6-50r s(250 volt only plug) now days the 10-50r is (a 125/250 volt plug) is used. stoves use the 125 volts for control sides clocks ect.
mark m

 

[gemini5362]

I am sure that all of you guys are right and that the numbers you are using are the proper plug. I have not seen one to see the difference. All I know is that my Miller welder plug fits perfectly into the receptacle I bought in lows for a 220 v stove. I also notice that the 120 volt plug for my miller fits perfectly into an ordinary 120 volt house receptacle who would have figured that.

 

[Highbeam]

I am all hooked up. I ran 6/3 (only needed 6/2 but want a subpanel someday) to a standard welder plug. 50 amp breaker 80 wire feet away. I thought my old 7018 rod had gotten wet from just being too old but 135 amps let me use that 1/8" 7018 rod to burn a nice bead into a scrap brush hog blade.

It burned and felt so good that I started writing my name with weld. Yes, I'm a little odd.

Oh the sound of a rod burning nicely. Kind of like bacon sizzling being pressed down under the weight of a spatula. And the smell, don't forget the smell.

 

[GaryBDavis]

as for my calling it a stove plug, in the old days that was what was used for stove plugs the std nema6-50r s(250 volt only plug) now days the 10-50r is (a 125/250 volt plug) is used. stoves use the 125 volts for control sides clocks ect.
mark m

Hey Spiker,

The NEMA 10-50 doesn't have a ground, so I'd suggest a NEMA 14-50 in it's place for new applications. Any like configuration plug that has an independent ground should be given favor over the non-ground wire version. NEMA 14-50 plugs are becoming more and more common for stoves in new construction. They are also the same 50 Amp plugs you find at RV camp sites.

I just converted all of my shop's 220V outlets to NEMA 14-50 and changed out the plug on my MIG welder to match. The most common welder plug is the NEMA 6-50 as most welders don't use the neutral. However, you can wire a welder to a NEMA 14-50. Just don't install the neutral lug on the welder end. Now, I can take my welder outside and plug it into my RV outlet or take the RV inside the shop and plug it into my welder outlet. Plus, my Miller TB302 gas powered portable welder has a NEMA 14-50 outlet for the 10kW generator, so either RV or MIG welder can run off it. Heck, I might even take my kitchen stove out to the shop and plug in it. And, it's all up to code.

 

[gemini5362]

My welding plug does not look anything at all like the ones on the previous post. Mine seems to be considerably larger, it only has three prongs and the two blade type are at an angle. Changing the plug on my Miller DVI is a major evolution unless I buy the correct plug from Miller. The DVI is made to adapt to whatever voltage you plug it into. The welder has a connector on the end of the power cable that mates to an adapter plug. You get the adapter plug to fit whatever type of receptacle you want to use. It comes from the factory with the adapter I described above and one for standard 120 volt receptacles. The nice thing about it is that it will use 240 or 120 without you doing anything more than using the adapter to fit your recptacle.