Hey You Ampacity Guys!

Got all this underground wiring/conduit trenched in, run, buried and the boxes in place to the buildings..... .Power company should be here any day to heat 'er up with the new service.

Now, check my memory here.

Now, that I will have some decent juice, I want to dig out my old 220 arc welder that has been setting in a shed down at one of the other farms since 1982. I'll clean it all up and blow the dirt out if it, check the fan, etc. But first, I have to buy an electrical receptacle for it.

One of the legs on the welder’s plug is shaped like an "L". That's the ground/common. Right?

Second. Those "auto-dimming" welding helmets. I want one of those. Anything I should know before I just grab one off the shelf?

Thanks for all your help,

Allan

For the last 40-50 years I've always just used a hand-held shield. Always found that to be the handiest and quickest thing with a stick welder.

This new flangled stuff sounds pretty neat...may have to back up into the 20th century again and give it a try.☺

Just attach the two hot phase A and B conductors (240 volts across them) which are normally Red n Black and the Green or Bare safety "equipment ground" goes to that odd shaped blade/terminal. To check for safety and continuity that terminal ought to show low to near zero ohms resistance to the welders metallic frame/case. Its (equipment ground circuit) purpose is to provide a dedicated low impedance current return path back to the panel to clear any ground fault (trips the breaker) before it can come across Allan and any other return path which may cause his ol ticker to defibrilate n go bonkers..... ..

Hope this provides info n a safety minded tip.

Ol John T in Indiana, retired EE

You find some fountain of youth somewhere or what.

You don't look no 61 to me.

Gary

'Cause, I can't remember a blamed thing before somewhere around the mid to late 40s. :>)

My earliest memory is the night when my dad came home from WWII. Remember it like it was yesterday.

Heck, I was cussin' pretty darned good by the time the '49 blizzard rolled around. :>)

Allan

I remember way back when I went to a dance with my dad and went home with my mom and I wasn't even born yet.

Gary

Allan

Those auto darkening lenses have gone the same way as the handheld calculators have.

Bought one of the first ones back in 94 when working at the welding shop.

Bought one of the best for $275.The same one today is about $75.

They are the cats meow.Take it from a guy who burnt his eyes 4 times before the auto helmets.

Never burnt them afterwards because of the speed of the autodark.

Still have the original one and it was used every day for about 6 years till I got out of that profession.

Gary

I bought an auto-darkening helmet a few years ago to use with a MIG welder. Did a little research at the time & discovered there are two types. The better ones trigger on the rapid change in brightness when you strike the arc, regardless of how bright the ambient light is. I've never had a problem with sunlight affecting mine. The cheaper ones work solely on how bright the light is & will darken if you look at the sun or a bright light. When you go buy one, hold it up to the bright lights in the store, or take it out into the sun. If it darkens and stays dark when exposed to the sun, you don't want it. Mines a fixed shade, think its about shade 3 when its light (looks to be about the same as a pair of acetlyene cutting goggles) and darkens to shade 10.

I got mine at HF, it had a brand name element in one of their el-cheapo helmets. Think it was about $70-80 at the time. Took the element out of the cruddy helmet and put it in an old fixed lense helmet which was orders of magnitude more comfortable that the HF one. You can also buy just the auto-darkening lens from a welding supply place if you already have a good helmet.

I think the 50 amp outlets are sold as range outlets. You shouldn't have any trouble getting one at any of the big box home stores. Dryer outlets are generally 30 amp.

Keith

I used to have a 30 amp breaker on my welder (Miller Thunderbolt 225). Now I have a 50 on it. The 30 amp was constantly kicking out. I think that particular welder has a maximum draw of something like 47 amps. I guess you'd want to be in that area with the breaker, and the appropriate wiring.
Wish I had an autodarkening helmet. I've used them. They're really nice... but I don't bother with one because I know it'll get left out to the weather or something..... So I make do with a large view shield, fixed lense helmet. If I was only working in a garage.... where I don't leave tools strewn around outside.....

Rod

I'm safe then. I may not be religious, but I don't work at night anymore either, so all should be well. :>)

Allan

I know just enough to burn the darned barn down. :>(

Allan

Allan

I still don't understand how they work. Are they a clear lense until you strike the arc, then they instantly change to dark? Or what?

Allan

Mahalo,
doogdoog

The rain came back about 3 pm it is about this / close to snowing. rain this morning 2-3 hour sun clouds mix then rain again?

hope you made progress today?
hope all the other guys out through the country made progress?

Mahalo,
doogdoog

Allan

L think of Laundry which is a 30 amp dryer circuit . straight is a 50 amp which is for the Range in the kitchen

Forgot to ask: Is that welder gonna have to have a special breaker in the box (the box came with an assortment of breakers, 110/220)?

Do I need one that is specially designated for the higher pull of the welder? I kinda remember that the welder is something like a 225 amp unit, perhaps?

Allan

The other farm has a 60/double throw ahead of the weld plug. Didn't know if that was mandantory or not. Thought maybe nowadays I could just come right off of the breakers somehow.

Thanks,

Allan

The Social Security sent me a letter yesterday and said I should get in contact with them since I turn 62 in just a few days and that they will start sending me checks in the mail.

To he!! with 'em, I say. :>)

Allan

Since I have to use the double throw box, do I just grab the heat at the inlet of the service box instead of down behind it's breakers?

Can't 'member that part.

Allan

I should use the line source instead of a breaker source at the building's service box straight into the double throw?

Just "skip around" the breakers in the service box?

Thanks again for your help,

Allan

By double throw, do you mean a smaller fusebox/breaker box located near your welder plug, seperate of the main building breakerbox?

If so, run the power for your smaller box out of a breaker in the main box, you want the MAIN Breaker/disconnect in the building to shut off all power inside the building.

Don't skip around the main breakers, they are there for your protection and they protect the wire that goes to your smaller box.

Hope this helps, Brett

Hope this helps,
Brett
(Second year vo-tech electrical student)

Also, there's no harm in "double fusing" a circuit like this. (a breaker in the main panel, and the double pole shut off box near the welder) If a fault or overload is encountered, the weakest breaker/fuse will trip/blow.

Actually, now that I think of it, you're really "triple fusing" it. The main (100 amp?) breaker in the panel, the feed for the welder circuit (30 amp), and the shut off box near the welder (30 amp)

This subject gets beaten to death on some of the garage sites. You know the ones, people that have more money than sense... Garages that are spotless, numerous vehicles that look the same way. They are always asking how to hook up their new welder - one that they'll probably never learn how to use.