Planning for welder/plasma cutter

[jwasilko]

Hi:

I'm new to the forum and have been lurking for a while while planning my new shop.

We bought a house with a 1000 sq ft 2 car garage. Later this month we're having a lift put in one side of it.

While I've got the electrician in doing the electrical for the lift and air compressor, I'd like to have him wire a circuit for a welder or plasma cutter. I don't own either yet, but I'd like to plan ahead.

Should I plan on a 50A 220V circuit? Is there a common plug for that type of application?

Thanks!

 

[Cobra4B]

I wired in a 50 amp plug with 6 gauge wire to an existing 40 amp breaker in my my panel (was there for an old hot tub that no longer exists). I did this because my buddy who I borrow the welder and plasma cutter from has converted them to take 50 amp plugs and has an extension cord he made for 50 amp.

 

[ket-tek]

There are a couple diff blade configurations for 50 amp plugs, The one that came standard on my miller 210 had straight blades not angled like the pic above.

I just wired two new outlets last weekend for welders and plasma.

I did a 50amp outlet and 6 gauge wire for the miller 210, but then I also did a l14-30 4 pole twistlock 240v 30amp plug for various other stuff like the miller 375 plasma and thermal dynamics FP120 120v welder I use. I liked the idea of the universality of the 4 pole outlet since I can use 120v or 240v, with or without neutral, I also have one of the those extension cords that come with generators that has a l14-30 plug and 4 120v outlets broke out on 2 circuits. So instead of taking more breaker spots to add dedicated outlets for each high power device that I never run at the same time, I just need to put the proper males plugs on whatever machine/welder/cutter I acquire later, doesn't matter if it's 120v or 240v.

 

[Larwyn]

My plasma cutter and both of my welders came with what I have always considered to be a "standard welder plug", the NEMA 6-50P. They, of course, fit a NEMA 6-50R receptacle. I have a pair of them in my garage on 10 gauge wire and a 30 amp breaker and one out at the shed on 6 gauge wire and a 50 amp breaker.

 

[Spudland_Dave]

My plasma cutter and both of my welders came with what I have always considered to be a "standard welder plug", the NEMA 6-50P. They, of course, fit a NEMA 6-50R receptacle. I have a pair of them in my garage on 10 gauge wire and a 30 amp breaker and one out at the shed on 6 gauge wire and a 50 amp breaker.

Personally...If it were me...and what I did is run 6-3 instead of 6-2 Romex on 50A Breakers...so IF you ever need a neutral, its there in the box at least. Larwyn is right, vast majority of welders use 6-50P, The other common plug found in welding trades is 14-50...which is what I used.

 

[madosta]

I'm a fan of the 6-50 plug and receptacle since most of my stuff came with that setup already.

Some of those yahoos that weld with red stuff like that slant blade configuration, but I don't.

I'm sure you will hear people say that you should indeed install that extra neutral wire for a 14-50R and you could record your welder or whatever to a 14-50P.

I would run 6-3 and install a 6-50R. You can use that neutral at some other point if you need it and swapping plugs/receptacles will be the easy part once you figure out what you'll be using.

 

[mattmankow]

I drilled and tapped the side of my lift and put an outlet there. Put a plug on the lift pump. I matched the plug on my mig and plasma cutter to the outlet. When I need the lift I won't be in the middle of a weld/cut, so one outlet is not a problem.

 

[sberry]

That works, I have an outlet on mine also. Larwyn. yes, those are often refered to as standard welder plugs and a 10/30 is tailor made for the compact machine class. I am always trying to squeeze what I can get out of them and figure the wire gives them all the help they can get, its usually in my mind but I feel better about myself and a bit more handsome too.

What machine uses a 14-50?