extension cord question

[Master Gates]

Hi guys,
Ive been lurking for a bit, and finally registered. I recently bought a Hobart stickmate and am looking to make an extension cord for it. Im looking at a run of about 80 feet. I know its far, but listen to my set-up.

Instead of using a currently unused range circut at the house (we have a gas range but the house was wired for an electric one - #10 AL wire) i just put a recessed plug in about 1 foot below my breaker box. I used a 50 amp 2 pole breaker and #6 wire. So that is what I have right now.

From there i want to go 80 feet.

At max output the welder is going to draw about 50 amps. My question is this: What size cable should i use? Whats the minimum, whats sufficient, and whats overkill? I was thinking about #8, but i am not sure, since i am not an electrician. Keep in mind that i will be plugging it in very close to the breaker box, so its not like the outlet is already 100 feet away and i want to connect another 80 feet to that. I know i probably will rarely turn this thing up all the way, but i want to just know i could and not think twice about it.

Some of you might think this is nuts, but this is how is has to be. The welder will also see some use at my dads ranch, for which i will be making a similar outlet right off the breaker box.

Sorry for the long winded post - it really is just a simple question.

-Chris

[echo8287]

Ext cord

A #8 will run 40 amps, you probably won't ever run the welder at max ,so that would work. A #6 will go up to around 60 amps,it will be expensive as extension cords go and a little hard to work with,But you can run welder wide open if it only pulls 50 amps. I do electrical work for a living and I'd probably use an 8 since its alot cheaper easier to work with and I doubt you'd ever go over 175 amps with the machine. If you do a search someone bought about a 50 foot #8 cord pretty cheap,might have been Sundown,can't remember.
David

[morpheus]

Welcome aboard Master Gates!

Your setup doesn't sound nuts to me. I did the almost identical thing in my first house. It just wasn't 80 ft away, more like 20 or so to where I was welding at.

I made an extension cord from 8-3 SO cable. I have no idea what SO stands for, perhaps Stranded O?(something) but if you go to an electrical supply warehouse and inquire about wire you'll see real quick that it's the practical choice. It's got a thick, flexible rubber sheath that can be easily rolled up compared to the other solid wire choices that are about like wrestling a bear to roll up or move around.

good luck.

Rock is away for the weekend but I'll ask in his absense cause he always wants to know, how did you find the site ?

- jack

[Stoney]

Morpheus, just because you asked (kinda).

http://www.interpower.com/pcc/NA_Cable_Types_C.htm

Stoney

[morpheus]

Thanks Stoney. I'm always willing to learn something I don't know!

Odd thing is that the more I learn it seems the more I don't know

- jack

[Sberry]

You are allowed to go down to a number 10 on a cord for that machine. If you use an 8 it will be plenty. They allow 88 ft of number 12 wire in pipe for instalation.

[Sberry]

http://www.hobartwelders.com/om/0300/o316n_hob.pdf page 19 is the specs for the stickmate.

[cutter]

Originally posted by morpheus
Thanks Stoney. I'm always willing to learn something I don't know!

Odd thing is that the more I learn it seems the more I don't know

- jack

Ain't it the truth? And about the time you think you are beginning to grasp a little bit of something, it all evolves into something else. In his old age, my father told me that when he was 38 years old ( and he specifically remembered that it was that exact year), he thought he understood how to live in his world. He said, "I understood how to get along with the machinery I operated, the cars that I needed to maintain & use & I could wire my own house. In general, I felt equipped to deal with life as it was happening. But about five years later, I looked up & it was all changing so fast that I have never caught up since." At the time he told me that, I didn't really understand what he meant. Now I think I do. But I might be wrong.

[Sundown]

Re: Ext cord

Originally posted by echo8287
If you do a search someone bought about a 50 foot #8 cord pretty cheap,might have been Sundown,can't remember.
David

David is right, I'm guilty as charged. BRWelders on Ebay for $69.00, They now have a 100ft, #8 for $102.00. Great product, very well made.

Weldit (Hobart) makes the correct plug ends you need and HF sells them in the catalog. The male end is "90464-0CUA" and the female end is "90474-0CUA" for $14.99 each, if you had a free shipping cupon (from a catalog) the shipping would be free. You could then use #10 SO, depending on how much you can get the cord for, and how much you place a value on your time, you could build your own.

I chose to buy mine because the decent ends were $35.00 for both here. At the big box store, #10 SO, was selling at $1.31 a foot. So buying for me, at the time, was a no-brainer.

[Master Gates]

Thanks for all the info. I think ill go for the #8. I can get it for around a dollar a foot and dont mind making it myself.

morpheus - i originally found the site when i was trying to find specs on different welders before I bought the stickmate.

I looked for BRWelders on ebay but the user ID came up invalid. Can someone post a URL - im curious

Thanks again,
Chris Gates

[cope]

Originally posted by Master Gates
Thanks for all the info. I think ill go for the #8. I can get it for around a dollar a foot and dont mind making it myself.

morpheus - i originally found the site when i was trying to find specs on different welders before I bought the stickmate.

I looked for BRWelders on ebay but the user ID came up invalid. Can someone post a URL - im curious

Thanks again,
Chris Gates

http://www.brwelder.com/indexTemplate.cfm