Shop wiring question

[Jerry Cummins]

I sold/disbanded most of my woodworking equipment couple of years ago because of a move from Texas to Southern Illinois. I am in the process of buying a few things and getting my little retirement woodworking area in shape.

I recently bought a used Grizzly dust collector. I’ve now built a Thien separator, and exhausted the collector outside. I don’t have the piping done, so can’t really comment on the suction etc….but it is considerably quieter with it exhausted outside. Think I will like it that way.

Question. In my working years I was in IT work, and some 30+ years ago I moved a computer room and in the process the cables in the pictures where excess, and I grabbed them. Never found a use for them…until now…I hope. I want to use these two cables for the final legs on a 220v circuit to my table saw and dust collector. I’ll have 220 ran to a central point and then branched to three machines. One machine is already wired to 220v, the dust collector and table saw are not. I’ll move the dust collector switch to a central point to turn the collector off/on. These have Hubbell 250 volt 30 amp twist-locks on them. I opened one end and found what I guess is aluminum wire. Cables are pretty thick, but I was not expecting the aluminum wire. Will these be ok in that use?


Dust collector as purchased.
http://i52.photobucket.com/albums/g27/jcummins42/Mobile%20Uploads/downsized_0817120941.jpg

Modified exhaust outside with Thien separator.
http://i52.photobucket.com/albums/g27/jcummins42/Mobile%20Uploads/downsized_0911121540.jpg

Cables.
http://i52.photobucket.com/albums/g27/jcummins42/Mobile%20Uploads/downsized_0911121538.jpg
http://i52.photobucket.com/albums/g27/jcummins42/Mobile%20Uploads/downsized_0911121539.jpg

[John Lanciani]

Tinned copper, not aluminum. Proceed as planned...

[JimT Thompson]

Look like marine wires. If tinned copper, better than standard house wire, especially in humid environment.

[scott vroom]

I wouldn't use any wire not rated for an application. How were the cables being used before you removed them? Do you know the gauge of the individual wires? Are you certain these are tinned copper and not aluminum or some other alloy? Would these be inside a wall? Conduit? Or, are they going to used as cords to plug your machines into wall outlets?

[Ron Natalie]

OK, lets get down to brass tacks here. Those aren't cables. They are cords. Scott, I can guarantee almost 100% they are NOT aluminum. On the jacket of the cord there should be the cord type (typically something like Type SO) and the size and number of conductors (10/3 or whatever). Note that cords unlike cables, count the equipment grounding conductor in the number. The connectors appear to be L6-30 (P and S for plug and socket respectively, consistent with the 250/30 marking) which would probably imply the wiring is 10/3 (or heavier)

You can't run these through a wall, but you can connect them to the tool or to a junction box using an appropriate fitting. One gotcha is that you'll need to use a 30A circuit with such a plug to be legitimate.

[Joseph Tarantino]

.....You can't run these through a wall, but you can connect them to the tool or to a junction box using an appropriate fitting.

i'd use them like big extension cords. reminds me of the 30A shore to ship power cables that were used on a family boat years ago. two of them, each pulling 30A, gave the boat 60A of service when @ the dock.

One gotcha is that you'll need to use a 30A circuit with such a plug to be legitimate.

not necessarily true. an extension cord can be larger than the circuit breaker, but it is unwise for the breaker to be larger than the extension cord

i use this for a 3hp unisaw and a 2hp BS, with no problems, on a 20A 220v circuit:

http://www.homedepot.com/h_d1/N-5yc1v/R-202353559/h_d2/ProductDisplay?catalogId=10053&langId=-1&keyword=188327&storeId=10051#.UFDAtbKPXSg

[Jerry Cummins]

Until this thread, I was not aware of thinned cooper. The computer installation this came from had 3 phase power to a large distribution panel, pretty sure these were used in a 220 environment. The Hubbell twist locks say 30A 250V right on the plug. AND…I looked closer at the wire ends….I see copper. The cable/cord on the side says ‘C&M Corp Type ST 10/3 …. LL41146 CSA type ST 11F0098’. My shop is in a completely enclosed concrete floored barn, taking up perhaps 1/5 of the space of the total barn. I’ll simply run the wire along a 2x4, all wiring in the barn is done in that manner.

I think I’m good to go with this wire.

[Greg R Bradley]

+1 to Ron Natalie's post above.

Those are 30A 250v cords with 3 10ga copper conductors. Look like NEMA L6-30. You do need to use those for a 30A circuit as he advised. You could change the ends for a different use such as 20A circuits.

[Joe Angrisani]

Until this thread, I was not aware of thinned cooper.....

Tinned copper, Jerry. Just to be clear in a world of typos.

[Ron Natalie]

Yep, you can easily get 20A (either locking L6-20 or straight bladed 6-20) at the borgs. I have run out there to get plugs for a few things.
I've also cut the 5-20 (regular 120v/20A) plugs/sockets off the end of the 10/3 extension cords the borg sells and replaced them with 6-20's to make extenders for things (notably a portable industrial airconditioner). One thing to be careful is to not lose any of the strands of the 10g conductors while inserting them into the terminals on those smaller plugs.

Type ST is a plastic jacketed copper cord that is neither oil resistant nor water resistant, rated 60C degrees and 600V. It should be fine.

[Jerry Cummins]

Tinned copper, Jerry. Just to be clear in a world of typos.

I just wish typos is all I'd have to concern myself with in any given day. Seems the older I get the worse it gets too!