Gettin' the electrician to fix up the gargage for welding

[future_jack]

Hi,
I have a 185 amp portamig and might have a metalworking lathe, bench drill and plasma cutter in the future.

Up to now we only have domestic 13amp going out to the shed.

The electrican is gonna install fusebox, plugs and set everything up.

He is running 4mm wire or 4 inch or something (can somebody clarify what this probably is). I will be ringing him anyway to confirm.

So I'm thinking maybe two plugs (I think it is the blue type plugs) he will be putting in - is this correct?

Also gonna put some proper lighting - 3 flurescent lights.

Any other ideas that I should be getting him to do when he comes or particular way I should get it setup etc.

Thanks.

 

[peterd51]

Hi,

4mm wire should be good up to 35 - 40 amps I think.

I have one 'blue socket' for the welder and five double 3-pin sockets scattered around the workshop (as I have benches along both sides). Before someone jumps on me for overloading the feed, I only use one at a time!

The lights are six standard bulbs on two circuits although they may get changed to flourescents when my current box of spare bulbs runs out as I can't get cheapo replacements now.

The fuse box was second-hand and came with eight trip switches for £12, so pretty much everything is on it's own trip. It means that if something blows it doesn't take out all of the lights.

If you can, get at least one of your lights on it's own fuse/trip so you don't lose all lighting when one of them blows.

Regards
Peter

 

[pointer2null]

I've only got a 2.5mm spur to the garage at the mo (still waiting for the nice new 40A armoured cable to fall of the back fo the lorry). I get a dip in the lights when I fire up the mig or the bench drill, but everything works ok. The cable is too long and thin really but it's all fuesed at 13A so I don't risk overloading it. Since I only do small amounts of welding (20 seconds at a time) I'm not even warming the cable or fuse. However if I had to do a larger job then it certainly would not work.

 

[Robotstar5]

If you can, get at least one of your lights on it's own fuse/trip so you don't lose all lighting when one of them blows.

Or connect an emergency light like this after lighting mcb so if mcb or main breaker trips, light will come on.
I had to upgrade all ours at work and managed to make up a couple of decent ones from the bits, got one by main board and one above door.

 

[MarkMG]

On the ordinary sockets I had a fused 13amp switch in line, I can flick everything off as I leave, no worries with bench grinders etc being left live and relying on their crappy switches.
Also had a four sockets put in on a 5amp mcb just for charging

 

[Benny]

i would definitely go for more lights you cant have too much lighting in a garage. i have 6 tubes in the garage and still use handlamps and spotlights.

 

[the snooper]

cant have too many lights you dont have to have them all on.
but you can have too few

 

[Justme]

A few tubes low down on the side walls are great too for working on & under a car. Just use the fully sealed ones with strong bulb covers.

 

[..DAZ..]

Plenty of 13 amp double sockets, aluminium ones preferably. Count up how many you need then add at least a third. Being a spark to trade I done my shed myself, put in 3 double sockets thinking it was enough, 3 months later I ended up adding another 3 doubles. Compressor, fridge, freezer, pillar drill, table saw, radio, trickle charger, heater in the winter, router table, 1 stick welder, 1 small clark mig, 1 large mig. The list goes on and on. Always put in more lights and power than you think you will ever need..........depending on the situatuation with pennies of course.
daz

 

[Wedg1e]

I ran 10mm steel wire armoured to my workshop/ garage... the TIG takes 27A flat-out and the main compressor used to pop 13A fuses until I gave it a dedicated spur with industrial connectors.
My biggest worry is that I'll forget to turn off the house aircon while I'm outside welding, because the TIG plus the 60A startup current of the aircon will have the main house fuse out...
I could never sell this place, the amount of stuff I have 'accidentally lost' the compliance certs for is just unreal... electrics, gas fire, combi, electrics, aircon, more electrics...