Welder set up!

[Russell]

The goal is to be able to weld aluminum some day I would like to turbo something , i also want to be able to modify intake manifolds, etc. Some day I would like to build frames and cages, headers Thought it would be nice to have the arc welder for thicker steel.

[oletrux4evr]

Hmmmmm......

• 12-gauge wire: 20 amps
• 10-gauge wire: 30 amps
• 8-gauge wire: 40 amps
• 6-gauge wire: 55 amps
• 4-gauge wire: 70 amps
• 3-gauge wire: 85 amps
• 2-gauge wire: 95 amps

These ratings are for standard copper NM sheathed cable, but there are instances where these amperage ratings vary.
Also from the article: calculate the circuit load at no more than 80% of the circuit protection.

When I wire my shop I'll be dealing with the same issue. Great thread.

[anotheridiot]

Hmmmmm......

• 12-gauge wire: 20 amps
• 10-gauge wire: 30 amps
• 8-gauge wire: 40 amps
• 6-gauge wire: 55 amps
• 4-gauge wire: 70 amps
• 3-gauge wire: 85 amps
• 2-gauge wire: 95 amps

These ratings are for standard copper NM sheathed cable, but there are instances where these amperage ratings vary.
Also from the article: calculate the circuit load at no more than 80% of the circuit protection.

When I wire my shop I'll be dealing with the same issue. Great thread.

Yeah, each state code is pretty much the same, but they do vary some with the type of wire. This is per wire too, so if you have 6 gauge wire you can run 3 more 6 gauge, or 3 more 8 gauge double it up to get to 100 per leg and not scrap the wire that is in there. If a #2 is fitting on your plug, then two sixes will too. Stranded wire has more capacity than solid wire.. Just keep your conduit as big as you can to allow as much room for the wires to cool. Stuffing them in a small conduit will take some capacity away. What I usually do with adding or changing is to use the current wire as your pull wire to draw them thru.

Amp probes on multi meters are pretty inexpensive. Its really the best way to get confidence. Just get someone at your panel, clamp around a wire and strike an arc and see what you are reading. You can probably take off the panel of the welder and do it there if you are alone. Heavy aluminum does take alot, but there are things you can do like preheating that will drop the need.

Like I said before, I am not trying to convince you to just run it as it is forever, but letting you know its safe to use on some stuff now to verify it all works.

[AndyB]

That's not wiring, that's so big it's plumbing.

Makes me think I should look at learning to gas weld stuff and stop dreaming of putting a TIG in the garage.

[squirrel]

if you get a modern TIG machine, it'll run on 30 amps....and have an inverter in it, and not weigh a ton, and have expensive circuit boards that can die at any time and cost a lot to replace.

I've been gas welding for years, finally got a TIG this year.

[milner351]

My brother in law has been welding for decades - he really pushed me hard to buy the "last of the real machines" as he put it - the syncrowave that I have, before the industry switched to the inverter machines. It may be advice from the same ilk as "3/4 race cams" or it may be genuine. Regardless, it's what I have and so far, it has done a fantastic job and I've only scratched the surface of what it can do. Electrical service for a shop is something that it's almost always better to "over supply" than not. Most well equipped home shops can run on a 100 amp sub panel. Just don't strike the arc on a 1/2" aluminum plate, while your buddy is starting the compressor, and your wife is turning on the hot tub...

Seriously - keep your eye out for "left overs" I've scored some pretty good lengths of wire in large gauge sizes used, that's what I built my welder extension cord from - about a 25ft piece of 4 gauge stranded wire that had a bunch of paint over spray on it.

I've also built some shop wiring panels from used parts taken out of the house. If you upgrade your house from a 100amp to 200 amp for example - keep the old house 100 amp panel, and run it in the shop.

Wiring from scratch really is not difficult - it's ALOT easier to put in a new set up than diagnosing what the last guy did - especially if 3 way and 4 way switches are involved.

[anotheridiot]

We had the Alpha tig 200. First tig, no problem, steel or aluminum. We used the converter cord, which should have allowed us to run it off a 110 outlet, it fried. Did 300.00 worth of work to it, dont know what they changed but it worked again.

I liked it because it was an on off thumb switch. Their pedal is also on off, no range. First thing I bought was the thumb switch for the precision tig 275, he fell in love with the pedal.

the very first tig I used was a 1930's arc welder with a high frequency box on it. Just an arc, no pedal, burnt my eyes many times even using a 13 lens.

You see old and 500 pounds and you can almost hear that Tim Allen tooltime grunt.

[Russell]

Bring this back from the dead! I installed the 50 amp breaker and wires. Man I love this thing I cut some exhaust pipe and welded it back together. When there is no gap it looks the best just fusing it together with out filler. Appears to have good penetration on the inside.

[Russell]