Trailblazer Extension

[JOHN1]

Traiblazer

It has always been frustrating to have to use a different extension cord (220V) on my engine drive Trailblaze vs my shop (male plug are differnt).

Would it be wise to change the female receptacle on the Trailblazer to match the rest??

Thanks John

[walker]

Just make an adaptor cord. Use a short piece of wire, the male plug for your TB and the female recepticale for whatever you normaly use.

[fun4now]

add 1

you could just add a female plug. if it is ever needed for somthing other than your welder you might want that stock plug on there.

[HAWK]

John,

I made an adapter using a Hubbell plug to mate with the Trailblazer receptacle and put a 3 phase 60 amp twist lock female on the other end. Then I put the matching male for that 3 P 60 amp female on all my equipment. I swapped out my shop receptacles with Hubbell receptacles to match the Trailblazer receptacle. Now one adapter runs all my equipment from the shop or the Trailblazer. Let me know if you need pictures.

[MAC702]

John,

I made an adapter using a Hubbell plug to mate with the Trailblazer receptacle and put a 3 phase 60 amp twist lock female on the other end. Then I put the matching male for that 3 P 60 amp female on all my equipment. I swapped out my shop receptacles with Hubbell receptacles to match the Trailblazer receptacle. Now one adapter runs all my equipment from the shop or the Trailblazer. Let me know if you need pictures.

Are you saying that you're using a 3-phase plug for single-phase (plus neutral) use? I know it will work, but I'd be too scared someone else might touch my equipment and not know it's wired that way... Or did I just completely misunderstand your post?

[walker]

Mac, I would be almost sure he meant "three prong" instead of "three phase" twist lock. I don't believe a "three phase twist lock" even exists. I have only seen twist locks for single phase, in fact I have never seen three pase equipment that is not hard wired. Not sayin' it don't exist, just that I have never seen it.

[ASKANDY]

There are quite a few 3ph twist locks. I run into this problem all the time when trying to hook up machines at customer locations. It's a 4 prong twist with the gnd usually bigger and "L " shaped. The spread between them varies and so does the gnd pin size. It would be nice if they were all standardized but who am I to step on someones money maker.

A-

[HAWK]

Mac, I would be almost sure he meant "three prong" instead of "three phase" twist lock. I don't believe a "three phase twist lock" even exists. I have only seen twist locks for single phase, in fact I have never seen three pase equipment that is not hard wired. Not sayin' it don't exist, just that I have never seen it.

Walker,

I did mean 3 phase twist lock. I use the 2 hots, neutral and ground on single phase from the TB to supply 120VAC and 240VAC from the receptacle at the same time. I have them in 50 and 60 amp versions. I also have another set wired for 3 phase for in plant wiring in 30amp fused disconnects. Sorry for any confusion. See attached pictures: The center hole is for the pin. It is 3 prongs plus the pins making it the ground and 3 legs for 3 phase power. However, I utilize them a lot for single phase 120/240 VAC simultaneous draw situations. I hope the pictures are okay. They are really small files in the 15 kb range.

[walker]

Hawk, that is very interesting. I would love to see a diagram of your wiring to the TB, I don't understand it very well from you description, I am more of a visual guy. Also, what do you use 3 phase for in the field? Just curious of course, never know when I might find a better way to do things. I have also been watching you 3 phase generator threads with interest and have been wondering what you are doing with that and how it was going.
Andy.

[HAWK]

Walker,

I'll get you some pictures tomorrow. I'll show my pigtail for the Trailblazer that I also use in my shop as well as how I use a 3 phase 60 amp fused disconnect box for 120VAC/240VAC single power from a single 60 amp breaker feeding the disconnect from a 1 phase 200 amp main.

[HAWK]

Walker,

I use 3 phase in the field to power my ALT 304 in order to maintain the duty cycle at 300+ amps when carbon arc gouging and spray arcing with 92%argon/8% CO2 on mild steel. It is very handy for repairing cracked welds on the seams of paper roll clamps. I run a 1/4" carbon single pass on the cracked weld along the clamps exterior seams and then blow the gap full with spray arc using .035" ER70S-6 non copper coated National wire. 1 phase will do the job as far as producing the amperage, but the input rectifiers and filter capacitors are working overtime and it rougly cuts the duty cyle in half of what you can get when running or 3 phase input power.

The 3 phase convertor is on hold. I may want to step out of the rotary type phase convertor and look at something up the line a bit. The use is basically the same for the ALT at my shop. I have some other things in mind as well such as an iron worker and maybe VPPAW but time will tell.

[linkpin]

Walker,

I'll get you some pictures tomorrow. I'll show my pigtail for the Trailblazer that I also use in my shop as well as how I use a 3 phase 60 amp fused disconnect box for 120VAC/240VAC single power from a single 60 amp breaker feeding the disconnect from a 1 phase 200 amp main.

I am also interested in some more pictures and info. I am going to be wiring my new shop soon and I want to set it up the best way I can the first time.

Thanks, linkpin

[HAWK]

File Too Large

Walker and Linkpin,

Please email me at: [email protected]

I'll be glad to send you some info and pictures. I have reduced my files as far as possible without damaging the legibility. They are still too large to post to this site. My web server is down so send me an email where I can send the files.

Sorry