Welding Machine plug??

[trevmai]

A guy at work has just bought a welder and asked if i could put a plug on it and get an extension lead for it.
The manual says you will need a commando plug for it - which is ok, but he says he wants an extension lead with a BS1363 plug on one end an a commando socket at the other end. He wants to be able to plug it into a normal socket to power his welder and says that that was what he did with his old one before it got nicked.

Can this be right? The welder draws 29.3 amps and doesn't it have to be on a C breaker due to the high starting current?

 

[Adam_151]

Yeah, needs a 32A cee connector, feed from a C32 breaker from what I can see.

Welders favourite trick is to use a BS1363 plug anyway and when the 13A BS1362 fuse fails eventually, to put a length of bolt in there

Much like the musicians who disconnect cpcs at plug tops to eliminate ground loops, it gets things working (and thats all that matters isn't it )

 

[trevmai]

Is there any way i can make an extension lead for this?
can you get a 32amp BS1362 fuse?

 

[RF Lighting]

You might even find it needs a 'D' type breaker, as it's rated current is pretty close to 32A.

My welder will run off a plug top, but it is only a tiddler.

If you do try and use the big welder with a bodged plugtop, you will see lots of these:

 

[aptsys]

Nice picture!

 

[Adam_151]

Is there any way i can make an extension lead for this?

Yes, just use connectors appopiate to those installed on the welder and on the wall and a suitable size of flex

can you get a 32amp BS1362 fuse?

Even if you could, it'd be particulaly poor idea to install on in a BS1363 13A plug top!