Thread: Recommendations for Small Stick Welder

My turn
here we go here we go here go

A lot of mucking around filing the pin down, much quicker to slice the edge of the pin off with your tin snips.

Geoff.

Originally Posted by Boringgeoff

A lot of mucking around filing the pin down, much quicker to slice the edge of the pin off with your tin snips.

Geoff.

I don't like to mangle plugs so I made myself a 15A socket/ 10A plug adapter. Only for use in emergencies of course!

Originally Posted by Boringgeoff

A lot of mucking around filing the pin down, much quicker to slice the edge of the pin off with your tin snips.

Don't mess around with that, just cut the whole pin off. That way even if you move to the US you can also plug the welder into their "two vertical pronged" sockets by just straightening the pins on the plug.

Oh, I just had a though ... messing around with electrical stuff without knowing the full story, the legalities, or what the standard says, could be dangerous ... might be better to just cut off all the pins ... it's sure to be safe then.

Maybe just use some jumper leads with nails at one end........

Cheers

Justin

Originally Posted by Boringgeoff

A lot of mucking around filing the pin down, much quicker to slice the edge of the pin off with your tin snips.

Geoff.

Let's just solve the issue once and for all; replace the breaker with a solid metal bar so there will be none of those inconvenient trips.
I can easily imagine those 'filed-the-earth-pin, never-had-a-problem' type people doing that.

As we approach the first anniversary of my joining this Forum I reflect on the huge amount of valuable information, handy hints and time saving tips I have received.
I don't know how I got by for so long without you.
Thanks guys,
Geoff.

We've been through this a thousand times before. Wouldn't it be nice if the sparkies installed 15 amp wiring and sockets as standard, and charged the extra. Then when we buy some appliance that needs 15 amps we wouldn't have to pay another $200 just to run one line to an new outlet.

My golden rule is to abide by electrical laws completely when it comes to the home and the kids and so on (ie., call a sparkie to install a new power point), and to slightly bend laws (I have a 15 amp adapter, and I wire my own plugs and power points and so on) down in my shed (which is well away from the house).

What I do, with ALL power hungry machinery, is to constantly feel the leads to gauge how hot they're becoming. But this isn't for everyone. You can shoot me for my attitude if you want, but it ain't gonna change. I've worked with sparkies doing lots of re-wiring, and they've always been happy with what I do.

Originally Posted by drsed

We've been through this a thousand times before. Wouldn't it be nice if the sparkies installed 15 amp wiring and sockets as standard, and charged the extra. Then when we buy some appliance that needs 15 amps we wouldn't have to pay another $200 just to run one line to an new outlet.

this makes no sense at all.

15A wiring is generally no different to 10A wiring. The only difference is that 15A sockets use a dedicate line back to a dedicated circuit breaker. If you want 15A sockets for all your fittings then every single 3 pin socket would need it's own breaker so you will have a breaker box that fills a wall and 100's of metres of cables running everywhere.

My golden rule is to abide by electrical laws completely when it comes to the home and the kids and so on (ie., call a sparkie to install a new power point), and to slightly bend laws (I have a 15 amp adapter, and I wire my own plugs and power points and so on) down in my shed (which is well away from the house).

Unfortunately magistrates don't see laws as bent - just broken or unbroken.

Originally Posted by BobL

this makes no sense at all.

15A wiring is generally no different to 10A wiring. The only difference is that 15A sockets use a dedicate line back to a dedicated circuit breaker. If you want 15A sockets for all your fittings then every single 3 pin socket would need it's own breaker so you will have a breaker box that fills a wall and 100's of metres of cables running everywhere.

Unfortunately magistrates don't see laws as bent - just broken or unbroken.

I was under the impression that the dedicated line was heavier. But it's much the same thing, anyway. The point is not to overload the supply line and overheat it. I've made it clear that I'm not a sparkie, but it would seem to me to be pretty obvious that if heavier wire was used throughout the shed you could install 15 amp power outlets. Bit like three phase.

So far as the magistrate is concerned, I'd plead guilty to installing my own power points and plugs in my shed and so on. I understand that. But I'm still gonna be doing it, Bob, and so will a whole bunch of other members reading this but remaining silent.

I don't want to get into a tired old debate over this. No more from me on this issue.

Originally Posted by drsed

I was under the impression that the dedicated line was heavier.

Generally it's not - a standard 10A GPO circuit is commonly run with 2.5mm2 cable protected by a 16A or 20A breaker (there are variations to this which a spaky makes based on the particular installation). A dedicated 15A socket would typically also be run with 2.5mm2, and again could have a 16A or 20A breaker.

One of the key rules of house wiring is that the breaker is there to protect the cable - ie. no matter what load or short circuit is put on an outlet, the breaker's job is to cut the power before the cable to the socket overheats.

It's worth noting that you can quite legally plug in 2 x 2400W blow heaters into a double GPO - that's 20A worth of load, and on a 16A breaker (C curve), it won't trip for maybe 20 minutes or more.

But as mentioned, while the internal wiring might be up to dealing safely with whatever loads you plug in, extension leads and other components may not handle the excessive current so safely.

Why don't you all go back and answer the bloke's original question intead of all this gobbledeegook you have gone on with

Originally Posted by rod1949

Why don't you all go back and answer the bloke's original question intead of all this gobbledeegook you have gone on with

Well Rod, you started it. Foccacias original query was answered in the next six posts, then you opened the door to the zoo and I, along with some other chimps, got out.

Regards,
Geoff.

Originally Posted by rod1949

Why don't you all go back and answer the bloke's original question intead of all this gobbledeegook you have gone on with

With all due respect, you were the one who advocated illegal elctrical practices. And please don't give me that tired old "I've filed earth pins for 40 years and never burnt down a house yet". There are plenty others who have and it comes across as ignorance of electricity in general.