making a 220v extension cord

[Dave Aronson]

I have a 220v grizzly 690 tablesaw that I would like to make and extension cord for. I only want to extend it a maximum of 10 feet. Would a 12 Ga extension cord work with replaced cable ends?

[Roy Turbett]

Check the amps the motor is drawing and multiply by 1.5. If the product is less than 20, 12 ga. should be fine. Your breaker and fixed wiring should also be rated to handle the motor. I use a 12 ga. cord for a 2 hp single phase motor on a planer but use a 10 ga. cord for a 2 hp VFD on my lathe because the VFD is rated for 18 amps. 18 X 1.5 = 27 and 10 ga. wire is rated for up to 30 amps.

[Charles Lent]

You can make an extension cord, but why? You can buy them in that length, ready made for less money from the big box stores (Lowes, Home Depot) than the plug, receptacle, and wire will cost if bought separately. My Unisaw runs on one of them.

Charley

[Dan Hintz]

You usually have to do a little digging between boxes, but these are readily available at the Borgs... I use a 9' extension for my DC since it was relocated to another wall in the shop.

[Jerome Hanby]

You can make an extension cord, but why? You can buy them in that length, ready made for less money from the big box stores (Lowes, Home Depot) than the plug, receptacle, and wire will cost if bought separately. My Unisaw runs on one of them.

Charley

Good point. I bought extension cords for my drop circuits because they were cheaper (and better wire) than I could buy separately. I cut ends off for the box side connection and cut the hanging receptacle side off the 240 drop and replaced it. All the cords were 12 gauge and started out 25' length. Seems like they were about $8 at the orange borg.

[Kirk Poore]

You can make an extension cord, but why? You can buy them in that length, ready made for less money from the big box stores (Lowes, Home Depot) than the plug, receptacle, and wire will cost if bought separately. My Unisaw runs on one of them.

Charley

Maybe I've been looking in the wrong giant pile, but I've never seen a 240V extension at either Borg. All had ends for 120v. I have bought their cords and cut the ends off, replacing them with the connectors I needed, and also used them as cords for restored machines.

Kirk

[Dan Hintz]

Here's what I picked up (can't remember if it was this specific cord at 9' or if I got a 12' one instead):
9 ft. 12/3 3-Wire Appliance Cord


http://www.homedepot.com/h_d1/N-5yc1v/R-202353559/h_d2/ProductDisplay?catalogId=10053&langId=-1&keyword=extension cord 12/3&storeId=10051


Same thing at Lowes:
http://www.lowes.com/pd_51659-58573-UT680609_0__?productId=3166653&Ntt=extension+cord+12%2F3&pl=1&currentURL=%2Fpl__0__s%3FNtt%3Dextension%2Bcord%2B 12%2F3&facetInfo=

[Dave Aronson]

thanks, I'll check out the appliance cord.

[Bruce Wrenn]

Check the amps the motor is drawing and multiply by 1.5. If the product is less than 20, 12 ga. should be fine. Your breaker and fixed wiring should also be rated to handle the motor. I use a 12 ga. cord for a 2 hp single phase motor on a planer but use a 10 ga. cord for a 2 hp VFD on my lathe because the VFD is rated for 18 amps. 18 X 1.5 = 27 and 10 ga. wire is rated for up to 30 amps.Read a little more of the NEC, and you will see that cordsets are rated a little differently from "hard wiring."

[Stephen Cherry]

I bought a 220 3 phase cord at lowes for cheaper than I could put one together myself.

[Curt Harms]

Take a look at where the current cord attaches. Why not just replace it with a longer cord? 12-3 (pretty sure rubber sheathed cords include the green in the count) SJO should be perfectly fine. This is what I did on a G1023 15 years ago and no issues at all. There are screw clamps on the motor starter terminals. Remove what's there and replace with the longer cord. Put the correct plug on the other end and yer done.

[Van Huskey]

I would consider Curt's idea, remove two failure points and probably cheaper. BTW the machine manual will give you a chart for wire gauge vs distance for the tool. If you have lost it it is online at Grizzly.

[Brian Backner]

If you're going to make a 220v extension cord from a 120v heavy duty cord (12 or 10 gauge wire), the wire itself will have no problem with being "repurposed." Just be aware that the color code will be off. The 120 cord will have something like a black, a white and a green wire. A 220v cord SHOULD have a black, a second black (or at least any other color than white), and a green. A buddy of mine made a cord up like this for his commercial cabinet shop. An OSHA inspector came in and, realizing it was a shop made cord, took one of the ends off. That was a quick $500 fine - just for having the wrong colored wire! Probably be fine for a home shop - unless the cord causes a fire .....

Brian

[Van Huskey]

If you're going to make a 220v extension cord from a 120v heavy duty cord (12 or 10 gauge wire), the wire itself will have no problem with being "repurposed." Just be aware that the color code will be off. The 120 cord will have something like a black, a white and a green wire. A 220v cord SHOULD have a black, a second black (or at least any other color than white), and a green. A buddy of mine made a cord up like this for his commercial cabinet shop. An OSHA inspector came in and, realizing it was a shop made cord, took one of the ends off. That was a quick $500 fine - just for having the wrong colored wire! Probably be fine for a home shop - unless the cord causes a fire .....

Brian

Usually the hots are red and black. I wonder if OSHA would have an issue if the white wire in the cord had been marked with black tape, this is acceptable for hardwiring, just curious what they would have said.

[Dan Hintz]

Usually the hots are red and black. I wonder if OSHA would have an issue if the white wire in the cord had been marked with black tape, this is acceptable for hardwiring, just curious what they would have said.
Wondered the same thing myself... I mark second hots with black tape like a good little boy. But I have to wonder about doing that with flex cable...

[Van Huskey]

Wondered the same thing myself... I mark second hots with black tape like a good little boy. But I have to wonder about doing that with flex cable...


Fortunately for me an OSHA inspector has no business in my shop, if he does show up I will just "release the hounds".