You really can't tell much from the plugs in the room, there is enough
variation that is will be misleading. This variation is a function of
both local intereptations of NEC as well as conventions used by that
building.

For a very ROUGH approximation, Bridgeports typicaly come with 2 hp 3
phase motors, ditto for a 15" lathe (less and single for smaller 10"
lathe) and 1 hp for a bandsaw (single or 3 phase. This collection of
machines totals around 5 hp of load. Room wiring could be anything
larger than that. Ask the facilities people to meet you in the room,
they can tell you in a couple of minutes what is possible. Be prepared
to need a rewiring job to run a new wire from a convient breaker panel
to your location through (hopefully) an existing conduit. On campus,
this will likely cost as much as the machine you plan to hook up.

Your press will not be a welcome neighbor to the machine tools. The dirt
will bother the machines, the noise will bother the users.


Bernard Arnest wrote:
Hi,

After an 8-month-long search, I may finally have found a space
on campus for a forge.

For my forge I want a hydraulic press, which = power hungry

The room is shared by a bridgeport mill, a lathe, and a metal
bandsaw, which I'm told run on 3-phase.

I'm new to this. I know that with standard household power, all
outlets are 15amp, unless one contact is turned 90 degrees, and then
you know it's 20amps.

I'll visit the shop again tomorrow or tuesday and examine it
more closely. How do I tell the voltage and amperage of this 3-phase
circuit, so I know how much I can load onto it? The press would
benefit from a 5-10 hp motor, so I need to know if it could handle that
power. How do I find out; are there specific plug types to recognize--
if you even use plugs?



thanks!
-Bernard Arnest