On Mon, 12 Sep 2005 17:43:52 -0700, "Richard W."
wrote:
"Gunner Asch" wrote in message
.. .
Ive got a mint Airco PhaseArc 350 mig welder, which is a 3phase
machine so havent been able to run it here at the homestead. When I
had the warehouse, I was able to use it down there because there was
3ph. Hating to have machines taking up space that I cant use, I
decided to see if it would run off my current 5hp RPC. To make a long
story short..It wouldnt. (PRC is Rotary Phase Converter btw), which is
basicly nothing more than a 3ph motor spun up to speed in some
fashion, and then it will run on single phase 220, and it generates
the 3rd leg all by itself, allowing you to hook up 3 phase industrial
type equipment to it.
I had a brand new Marathon Elect 10hp 3450rpm motor kicking around so
I decided to breadboard it up into a bigger RPC and see if it would
run the Airco. Getting it up to speed was the problem, as I couldnt
spin it fast enough with a rope wrapped around the shaft, so micky
moused up a 1/2hp 110vt 3450 moter, pulley and flat belt to spin the
big motors shaft directly, before applying single phase power to it.
Which worked just fine.
God that big 10hp motor is loud when it runs....I could hear it 200
yrs away, Of course..bolting it to a pair of I beams, then sitting
loose on the top of my welding bench turned the bench into a sounding
board....aaaaack!!
Anyways...plugging the Airco mig into the impromptu RPC. I found the
motor itself was idaling at about 18 amps on each input leg, and the
output legs generate 240, 2399, and 233 volts across the output legs,
with the manufactured leg provideing 233 volts.
With the Airco turned on, simply ideling, current went up to about 22
amps per leg, and here is the funny part...at 25 volts, burning .45
DualSheild, with 150 amps indicated on the welder, total current draw
only went up to 28 amps, raising the voltage to its top 35 volts...far
far into the OH **** spray transfer mode, only raised the total amps
to 35 with an indicated 250 amps of weld current. Chuckle..burning
that hot was like using a spray gun, the weld looked like it was
composed of nothing but tiny ball bearings, and had absolutly no
simularity to a weld at all. It was a sponge.
So, I showed that I can run a decent sized 3 phase industrial type
machine on single phase power, which in this case was the spare
electric dryer outlet, fused at 40 amps, run into a 50' 6/3 extension
cord out to the welding area (which is on its own 60 amp circuit), by
making up a simply rpc.
I think however..Ill start looking for a 1725 rpm 10hp motor , as the
noise and the air from the fan itself is like a hurricane, at 3450 rpm
Gunner
I passed up a real nice older airco tig welder because I wasn't sure if I
could run it with my rotary phase converter. I have a miller double roller
wire feed unit that would have fit on it perfect. Next time I won't let it
get away.
Richard W.
Thats why I posted it to both rcm and the welding one. The subject
has been a pretty regular one on RCM..but I figure some of the welding
folks may have been new to the idea. 10hp should be big enough to run
a fair sized TIG or stick welder.
Hummmmm maybe someone will come take the Hobart Cybertig 2 off my
hands now. Good machine, 700 amps top end of programable DC Stuff.
Includes a plasma torch and gas console. Needs a pedal though. 10pin
hobart.
Best offer. Central California, on a cart with flat tires. G But it
does run and well.
Cheap..really cheap.
Gunner
"Pax Americana is a philosophy. Hardly an empire.
Making sure other people play nice and dont kill each other (and us)
off in job lots is hardly empire building, particularly when you give
them self determination under "play nice" rules.
Think of it as having your older brother knock the **** out of you
for torturing the cat." Gunner
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