New to me lathe wiring question

[Ninedriver]

As I continue to setup my “new to me” Taiwanese import lathe, I have some questions regarding wiring. It has the option for single phase 110v or 220v. The switch and motor are wired up for 220v. There is an id plate on the motor that states 110/220v 26/13A. It came with a nema 6-15p plug end. The plug end and cord goes into a box on the back of the lathe and the 3 wires are attached to a terminal block. The lathe wiring comes off the terminal block to the lathe fwd/rev switch then to the motor. I don’t see any visible fuse or circuit breaker protection on the lathe.

I have a 30amp circuit, 10/2 awg wire, with a 50 amp industrial outlet nema 6-50R in my garage/shop that I use for my welders and plasma cutter.

I would like to change the plug and and cord on the lathe to 10/3 and a nema 6-50P so I can plug it into the same outlet as I wouldn’t need to use my welder and lathe at the same time.

Questions:

1. If I’m reading the motor id tag correctly, at 220v it’s rated to 13amps. Would it be ok to use it on a 30amp circuit?
2. Should / can I add 15 amp fuse or circuit breaker protection to the lathe. (Is it possible that it’s internally protected, thermally)
3. I’m assuming it will run better/ stronger wired for 220v or should I change it to 110v?

I’ve attached some pictures of the lathe and id tags.

 

[Asm109]

should work fine on a 30 amp breaker. its only gonna pull 13A while taking a bigger cut than you probably have intestinal fortitude to take.

 

[benmychree]

Having multiple plug ins in a shop on one plug is a PITA, having to unplug one unit to plug in another is vexatious, best to have multiple receptacles, one for each unit.

 

[rabler]

My inclination would be to run it on 220V. A 6-15p is normally used for 220V, but the last image would worry me. I wouldn't rely on a previous owner adhering to convention. I'd pull the plate on the motor junction box and see how it is wired. Running it on 120V would require a 30A circuit, which is not common for 120V in residential use.

As @benmychree says, I'd want to add additional outlets to that circuit rather than playing musical plugs. Just don't use more than one machine at a time. Since it is a 30A circuit, I'd be inclined to replace all of the plugs and receptacles with 6-30p's.

 

[silence dogood]

Ninedriver, I must say that your second question is an excellent one. The lathe will work fine on the 30amp breaker. You must understand, the 30amp breaker protects the wiring to the main box. So if your lathe for some reason draws more than 20amps but less than 30amps, the wiring on the breaker side will most likely be okay. The lathe could be toast. So adding a 15amp breaker to the lathe itself is a good idea.

 

[markba633csi]

Keep it on 220, more efficient, less loss in the wiring
-M

 

[Bi11Hudson]

I have a 30amp circuit, 10/2 awg wire, with a 50 amp industrial outlet nema 6-50R in my garage/shop that I use for my welders and plasma cutter.

Per your question, you have a 50 Amp circuit run with AWG 10 wire. That is the first "no/no". Either change the breaker to 30 amp or run larger (AWG 6) wire. Changing the breaker would be the easiest, and the fastest. But make that change, NOW. You are sitting on a fire hazard. AWG 10 wire is only rated for 30 Amps. Most likely your welder isn't used to its' full capacity, meaning you can get by on a 30 amp circuit. But, if you hook up something that normally draws 45 Amps, you will melt the wire. The end result is that if you survive a storm and your roof is torn off, and the homeowner's insurance adjuster sees that circuit, your insurance is invalidated. Do it NOW. As for the plugs, you can connect any plug to the circuit that has the rating listed, or higher. You can use a 100 Amp plug safely enough. So long as the circuit is protected at the maximum wire capacity. It is a poor practice, but is safe enough. I personally recommend you change the wiring to a 3 conductor version. The third conductor being a safety ground. Or neutral. . . That is required by the "code" and is one point where the code is useful. Your neutral is at ground at the power meter. At the plug, it can be used as either, or both. Re. a dryer or range.

Now, about the machine: Most machine motors don't run any "smoother" on 240 Volts, just with less current. The Chinese line cord is usually not as "stought" as American made wire. Current (Amps) matter more than voltage at that level. In essence, less current is smaller wire needed. You can maintain your 240 volt feed, plugged into your 30/50 Amp plug safely enough. The motor may have a starter. A starter will have the protection for the motor. If there isn't a starter, perhaps a fuse somewhere. I don't have one on my machine and don't worry too much about it. If you want one, a breaker or fuse box will suffice. But having a 240 volt feed and a 240 volt machine is preferable to me for nothing more than a balanced, lighter load.

My shop has several circuits that are not "standard". Plugs are a convenience as much as anything. I use "dryer" cords from a hardware store for many uses. They, and "range" cords come pre-assembled, and since the shop is in a separate building, I have some "residential" plugs located as needed. The welder is an exception, with its' 50 amp cord. I had to acquire a mating receptical from a marine supplier. The Home Depot locally doesn't stock such plugs or caps. But, as a rule, I change line cords to what connection I use. The welder connection is specifically kept separate because it is "finagled" into a backup generator system. Things get wierd here, I won't explain. . .

.

 

[WCraig]

Check the motor tag re thermal protection. If it is thermally protected, it likely has a small pushbutton switch that pops out if the motor is overloaded for too long. However, as Bill says, it isn't strictly necessary as you, the operator, ought to be able to switch it off just as easily. Thermal overload protection is generally more important for an unattended machine like a compressor or similar.

Craig

 

[markba633csi]

I think Bill meant "stout" but I haven't noticed any lack of stoutness in Chinese copper per se, except that the insulation is sometimes very stiff. Apparently they use recycled plastics sometimes
-M

 

[B2]

Be safe first.

Rules:
1- Not all electrical codes are the same in all cities or states. Close but there are some ringers. So be safe first and then worry about codes.

2- Motors draw more current during load, like start up, than during idle. The current rating on the motor plate should be for the loaded condition. When not working hard it draws less. I have not seen a motor yet that does not run better on 220 than on 110. This is especially true when the motor is under load.

3- 30Amp breaker at the main means that your 10gauge wire is the correct size for the breaker (Provided the wire insulation is equivalent or better than Romex, NM). Your outlet is over rated at 50Amp, so it will not burn up since you cannot get there with more than 30 amps anyway due to the main box breaker. Any equipment cord that plugs into this should also be rated at 50Amp. So no safety problem.

4- Never trust that the "used" motor is wired up correctly by someone else. Check it and fix it.

So, to your questions.

Questions:

1. If I’m reading the motor id tag correctly, at 220v it’s rated to 13amps. Would it be ok to use it on a 30amp circuit?
2. Should / can I add 15 amp fuse or circuit breaker protection to the lathe. (Is it possible that it’s internally protected, thermally)
3. I’m assuming it will run better/ stronger wired for 220v or should I change it to 110v?

1. OK. 220V at 13Amp. If it is 110v then it is 26amps. These are the same powers: 220*13=110*26
2. The lathe should not need a 15 amp breaker, but adding one does not harm anything. Just make sure that the wire going to the motor from the main is rated higher than any load current the motor will demand. If it is a short distance from the wall outlet to the lathe I would run 20gage stranded wire rated for 20 amp (only need >13) for the 220V wiring. You should have 10Gauge(30Amp) for the 110V 26Amp the motor will draw . Strained wire will be easier to connect and being flexible it is less likely to come loose at the lathe motor. I do not see anything about the motor being thermally protected on the label, so I doubt that it is.
3) see above.