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Tool Talk Discussion Forum

Welder extension cord

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BDS

01-23-2004 22:09:09




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I have a Lincoln Welder that runs on 220. I need to do some welding that is about 150' from the nearest outlet. Can someone tell me if it is possible to make (or buy) an extension cord that long? What kind of wiring should I use? Or will there be too much of a voltage drop with an extension cord?




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Fern(Mi)

01-25-2004 02:43:46




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 Re: Welder extension cord in reply to BDS, 01-23-2004 22:09:09  
In my younger more foolish days I did a lot of crazy things.
about 1969/70 I started building a large implement trailer. Without fore thought I had cut, ground, fit, and set up its pieces to far from the shop and the welder (229 Hobart buzz box). Bought myself an extra long length of welding cable for the stinger. Scrounged up some overhead service entrance cable for the ground. Have fond the extra long welding cable a plus, able to get around about and capable to reach (near or far) whatever I want to weld, without moving the welder. The extra super long lead was a good investment. The original wrlding lead became my ground cable. Haven't noticed and lack of performance nor admormal heat. What started thirty five years ago is still working for me.
That's my penny's worth.

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sparkey

01-24-2004 15:26:33




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 Re: Welder extension cord in reply to BDS, 01-23-2004 22:09:09  
When I went to buried electrical cable from the house to the barn I had a 250' pc of triplex that we dropped off the pole, makes a dandy cord. It does leave you with an uninsulated neutral. That got to bothering me so I wrapped a pc of 4/0 jacked copper around it and wired it to neutral.

If your barn is like mine I've got a dozen coils of triplex or vaious lengths. If the open neutral bothers you, can always use another pc of triplex and use one of the insulated wires as neutral.

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Dean Minnesota

01-24-2004 13:17:26




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 Re: Welder extension cord in reply to BDS, 01-23-2004 22:09:09  
Cheapest way for a short term project is to find yourself a friend or contractor who works road construction. They are always tearing out old heaving duty wire from street lights, signal lights etc that is very heavy duty and they usually aren't allowed to put it back in as the contracto will require new wiring when the road, ramp etc is completed. You can either buy it cheap or maybe even borrow it for a little while. The market for used wire or scrap wire is very poor since it is usually not allowed for new construction.

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Slowpoke

01-24-2004 12:13:02




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 Re: Welder extension cord in reply to BDS, 01-23-2004 22:09:09  
Put this site on you favorite list:
www.stanselectric.com
Most of the answers to extention cord questions.



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Dieselrider

01-24-2004 04:07:55




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 Re: Welder extension cord in reply to BDS, 01-23-2004 22:09:09  
BDS, Whta part of the world are you? Surely some one around you has a gas powered welder you can borrow. How about the rent all places, any of thos nearby? If you are central Pa I have a miler Ac that's gas powered you could borrow. Renting would definately be cheaper than all that cable.



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Slowpoke

01-24-2004 00:19:19




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 Re: Welder extension cord in reply to BDS, 01-23-2004 22:09:09  
I think you should move the project close to the welder, use a generator, or get a mobile welding truck to do it. The cable cost for 8/3, 600v is about $2.50/foot, for 6/3, 600v, about $3.50/ foot. Add the cost of plugs and recepticals, and it starts getting pricy. And I'm not sure if even the 6/3 will give you the amps you need at that distance.



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Phil Munson

01-24-2004 06:16:31




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 Re: Re: Welder extension cord in reply to Slowpoke, 01-24-2004 00:19:19  
Where are you buying that wire??? Late last summer I bought 4/0 triplex for under $2.00 a foot!



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Slowpoke

01-24-2004 18:51:08




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 Re: Re: Re: Welder extension cord in reply to Phil Munson, 01-24-2004 06:16:31  
It's copper wire cable from Grainger catalog.



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Ken

01-24-2004 08:58:23




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 Re: Re: Re: Welder extension cord in reply to Phil Munson, 01-24-2004 06:16:31  
Triplex is aluminum conductor & 8/3 is copper conductors . Alot of difference is wire structure & cost . If your using triplex as an extension cord you're definitely living on borrowed time . You need to read-up on doing electrical work properly & safely .



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BDS

01-24-2004 00:33:59




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 Re: Re: Welder extension cord in reply to Slowpoke, 01-24-2004 00:19:19  
I wish we could move it closer but we are welding the top rail of a fence.



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David - OR

01-24-2004 08:31:55




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 Re: Re: Re: Welder extension cord in reply to BDS, 01-24-2004 00:33:59  
It is possible to make a super-long extension cord. You MUST give due regard to durability, ampacity, and voltage drop. Still, such a thing can come in quite handy for situations like this.

A few years ago I bought a spool of 250 feet of 10/3 SOOW hard service cord at a "going out of business sale" of a failed big box retailer. It cost me $100. It has paid for itself several times over.

The resistance of 10AWG wire is .00118 ohms per foot, making the two-way resistance of my "extension cord" about 0.56 ohms. At 10 amps (typical of heavy duty 120 volt power tools), the voltage drop is 5.6 volts or about 5%. This is a little higher than the 2 to 5 % goal of the NEC, but provides perfectly acceptable results for use in a pinch.

At 240 volts, you can go up to 20 amps with this same 5% drop. At 30 amps, it would be 7.5 percent -- or a drop from 240 volts to 228 volts. Still very much within the operating range of most 240 volt equipment. I've used this to run a 3HP well pump (through a VFD -- long story).

Let us consider your welder. You probably won't be using the limits of its amperage (nor its maximum duty cycle) to weld a fence. Let's say you set the welder dials to 100 amps.

At the welder's typical output of 30 volts, and allowing for some inefficiency, this would translate to about 20 amps from a (voltage sagged) 220 volt supply. It will draw higher current as you strike the arc, but not for very long. A 10AWG long extension cord should operate the welder fine FOR THIS APPLICATION.

The other posters are correct in saying that gas torches, or generators, or motor operated welders, would be better and would be the "right" way to do it. But if I had the cord, I would give it a try before paying $$$ at the rental store.

For anyone reading this, please don't use the above discourse to justify doing stupid things like trying to weld up 1/2 inch plate for hours on end, or connecting 5 horsepower motors to long cords (remember the 5 to 6x motor start current), or hooking up your whole shop to an extension cord, or going over the ampacity of the cord, or using NM wire for portable applications. If you burn your house or shop down misusing electricity, it's your own fault.

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Slowpoke

01-24-2004 00:54:03




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 Re: Re: Re: Welder extension cord in reply to BDS, 01-24-2004 00:33:59  
Rent a generator. Or go with gas.



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