Remember when you were the new guy? New guy's progress and circuit breaker size question.

What matthewsx said - you can change the plug on your existing cord, or pull some 12 gauge copper wire and use a 20Amp 220 breaker to add a new circuit. 20A will give you up to 5HP of single-phase power, which is likely big enough for anything you would drag into your basement (except possibly a welder or electric heater).
 
Mark summed up what I needed to know. A 1/2 HP 3 phase motor will only deliver 1/3 HP through my single phase phase converter. I think I will go ahead and run a proper 220V single phase receptacle. I know it will run under powered but maybe this is good for starters. After I get some experience I may look to upgrade to a something like a 1 HP single phase I'll stay with a 1725 RPM motor and make sure the footprint and shaft size are compatible.
 
Why not buy a VFD that converts single phase to 3 phase? No loss of power, and you'll have control over spindle speed.
That can be done pretty cheaply, and you could sell the converter.
 
I suspect you'll find the existing motor sufficient for most turning tasks. As with cars, more power in the hands of a novice isn't always a good thing. You'll know it when you run up against power limitations but until then have fun making chips with that beautiful machine....

John
 
Nogoingback said:
Why not buy a VFD that converts single phase to 3 phase? No loss of power, and you'll have control over spindle speed.
That can be done pretty cheaply, and you could sell the converter.
Click to expand...

Nice idea. I wasn't aware that you could get a converter that would not reduce the HP of the 3 phase motor.
 
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In a redundant summary, plug and socket must be rated same or more than circuit breaker and the breaker's job is to protect the wire. Your plug and socket are prolly 50-60 amps and you would expect 8-10 gauge wire.
 
There a lots of choices for a VFD that would work for your application. I have a Mitsubishi that I bought used off ebay,
but a lot of folks around here buy Chinese VFD's and are happy with them. If I remember correctly, Automation Direct
is the vendor that seems to be favored.
 
You can investigate VFDs while you get some time on the machine and see if it needs any parts or repair. I usually hold off on repainting too at first, in case you need to take stuff apart. Enjoy
-M
 
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