John wrote:
Someone please help. I want to install a 40 amp double pole breaker and run
the line ( 8/3 ) to the receptacle for a 225 amp stick welder. The 8/3 line
has a black and a red ( Hot, correct? ) and 2 groups of bare wires ( one has
3, the other has 4 wires...neutral and ground?

Is it possible that this is 8/2 cable, and all the bare stuff is one
bundle of 7 bare wires? In which case it's ground and there's no
neutral. This would be normal for most welders, which are 240V only so
they don't need a neutral.

It would be weird if one were really a bare neutral, since neutral
should be insulated in white right up to its connections.

Also, does it matter which pole gets the red or black?

No.

At the other end, the receptacle has 3 provisions...one is marked
AL ( copper colored ), one is CU ( silver colored ) the other one green.
Which wire goes where??

My guess is that "Al" and "Cu" aren't markings for each screw, but that
the outlet is marked Al/Cu indicating that Aluminum or Copper wires are
acceptable, on all screws.

The green screw is ground, that's easy. If the outlet is for 240,
usually the screws are marked X and Y, and it doesn't matter which gets
red and which gets black. When screws are coloured, the copper or gold
one is hot and the silver or grey one is neutral, but that's for 120V
outlets. Try to find your receptacle pattern in the chart at
http://www.leviton.com/sections/techsupp/nema.htm and tell us which one
it is. I think it *ought* to be 6-50R, or maybe 6-30R.

Chip C
Toronto