grumpyvette Posted June 16, 2007 Share Posted June 16, 2007 I need suggestions on where to get/purchase, some FLEXABLE 3 conductor 2awg copper cable about 50ft long to wire up a new welder at a decent price. my local electical supply is on serious drugs as far as prices go...look I know the stuffs expensive but youll never believe what they quoted me, over $1000 for just the cable, plug and socket, and keep in mind thats without mounting boxes,breakers or conduit or instalation. I can easily do all the work, but they are on drugs if they think a plug and 50ft of cable to hook up a welders worth over $1000 specs call for 100 amp 3 conductor 2 AWG copper and I always match ideal or exceed minimum alowable specs Ive never felt its a good idea to scimp on electrical as I don,t need problems or potential fire hazzards in the shop. yes Im well aware the welder will pull far less than the full 100 amp draw 99.99% OF THE TIME BUT IM NOT WILLING TO take any chances its a 330 amp TIG welder Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lbhsbZ Posted June 16, 2007 Share Posted June 16, 2007 Well, the price of copper has gone absolutely nuts....All my buddies who are starter and alternator rebuilders are even having a hell of time getting cores, because the now the cores have substantially higher scrap value for the aluminum and copper than they do as cores. I know that when we were pricing out 3" copper pipe to do the airlines in our new 70K sq/ft warehouse, the prices per foot almost made me fall over. I think its just a sign of the times. Try to find some old business that are shutting down and auctioning off everything, then go bid on the wiring, tear it out, and use that....its how we ended up buying all of our copper pipe. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G.I.jonas Posted June 16, 2007 Share Posted June 16, 2007 Try to find some old business that are shutting down and auctioning off everything, then go bid on the wiring, tear it out, and use that....its how we ended up buying all of our copper pipe. I agree,i personally spent about $700 last year on wire to get my welder up and running,so im sure at this point it would be closer to $1000. Yea it sucks!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brad-ManQ45 Posted June 16, 2007 Share Posted June 16, 2007 Ooooooooo, Am I glad I bought lots of copper wire for my basement a couple/three years ago, and already wired my 220V outlets (4 years ago). I'll still probably need to get more wire, but not until I do the Media room. I have enough to wire up the workshop right now....just never have time. Wish I could help with a source. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Metallicar Posted June 16, 2007 Share Posted June 16, 2007 I don't know, I guessing that Tig is not very portable. Would it not be cheaper or possible to run Aluminum Service Cable and a recepticle 45 feet closer, and use only 5 ft of copper cord? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grumpyvette Posted June 18, 2007 Author Share Posted June 18, 2007 just info the tig unit I have is an industrial unit that weights over a 1000lbs with the argon tank, its an older unit made in the late 1980s but its a 330 amp tig. it came from a pro welding shop going out of business yeah its a p.i.t.a. to transport, but I welded up a cart with 10" roller swivel wheel so it moves in the shop Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Warren Posted June 18, 2007 Share Posted June 18, 2007 Not to be a smartarse, but if they're going out of business, why not go back there and see about getting the cable they were using? I know it's not a good idea, but they may just throw you a couple hundred feet of what you need. They're not going to be using it anyway. It may not be what you want as far as the portability, but at least you'd be able to hook it up. Warren Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cygnusx1 Posted June 18, 2007 Share Posted June 18, 2007 I went crazy trying to find wire for wiring up my car. Price differences between suppliers were ALL over the map. If you can find a small repair shop that does very low volume work, you might be able to buy wire off of them for the "old-days" price. I found my best wire prices at a run-down hole in the wall auto shop that had no idea that copper prices have sky rocketed. I ended up paying old-world prices. Sorry they don't have stuff that large though. Maybe you could slip a few bucks to a power company worker in your area for some left-over cable. Follow those power company trucks around... or instead of 3 conductor, use three separate lines. http://store.solar-electric.com/wc--2.html about $300 for three 50 foot lengths. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grumpyvette Posted June 21, 2007 Author Share Posted June 21, 2007 THANKS FOR THE LINK! I ordered the cable ,it should be here tomorrow Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cygnusx1 Posted June 22, 2007 Share Posted June 22, 2007 No Problem. Hope it all works out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grumpyvette Posted June 22, 2007 Author Share Posted June 22, 2007 price differance on a 100 amp male/female electric plug that I could use to plug in the tig welder was even more insane..I got a high near $700,for the matched pair.. a LOW at $60 and AVERAGE near $230 for both plugs keep in mind ALL rated at 100 amps 3 conductor.....and the crazy thing is that the $60 set was much better made and heavier with much larger brass contacts, and IT PAYS to SHOP around Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony D Posted June 26, 2007 Share Posted June 26, 2007 Cygnus stole my thunder, my first thought was 'why three conductor cable'---conduit and single wires is cheaper. When I was in the USAF the Aircraft Ground Power Cables were several large conductors, and we would band them with heavy shrink tubing every two or three feet. That kept it all fairly organized and untwisted. Make your own SO Cord for the TIG, and then you can move it around from a permanently-connected wall box disconnect. My Compressor is like that. I have a 50 Amp Rated SO Cord, of about 50 feet that hangs on a hook banded to the Vertical Tank, mounted to the base is a caster setup so I can roll the compressor out of the way, and up to 50 feet from the socket. Add to that a 100 foot roller hose, and a separate 30 gallon tank capable of running another 50 foot hose.... And I can get to most stuff in the front yard. If I only had the concrete to do it now... Working on it. Sounds like I really made a mistake not buying my TIG Machine's wiring when I got it two years ago (Hobart Cybertig 300Amp) Sounds like the cable will be more than my machine cost me! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grumpyvette Posted June 26, 2007 Author Share Posted June 26, 2007 http://catalog.graybar.com/servlet/BugsEye graybar has 4 awg at $1.25 a foot for a single stranded welder cable (youll need three conductors to wire 220volt single phase)and its fully able to handle a 100-130 amp electrical feed too the welder (more than any 250-300 amp tig USUALLY requires) so 150 feet to give a 50 ft feed will be under $200 I used 2 awg but Ive always prefered a serious safety margin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony D Posted June 27, 2007 Share Posted June 27, 2007 O.K. you got the cost of wiring less than the cost of the welder (just enough!) so I don't feel so bad now! Heck, I even know where there is a Graybar I can stop in and check prices locally as well... Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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