Advice needed for my table saw

[Colin Tanner]

I’m setting up a shop in my basement and have a 20V circuit dedicated to my table saw. I rewired my Delta 36-477 table saw to 230V many years ago and will need a longer power cord so I was going to shorten and use a 12 AWG extension cord with a 230V plug, but when I opened up the switch I found that the current wiring is 14 AWG. Solder 12 AWG to 14 AWG connector wires? That doesn’t make sense to me. Get a new switch and run new wire to the new switch and motor? What do you folks suggest?

[Van Huskey]

That's a 2hp contractor saw correct? If so it probably isn't even pulling 10 amps on 240v.

[glenn bradley]

The manual states 1-1/2 HP. Extension cord info from your manual:

394478

Remember this is a job site saw and is designed to be run on temp power wherever you may be using it. In a relatively fixed position in a home shop, 14 gauge should be fine at 220v.

[Charles Lent]

Is your saw a an older Delta Contractor saw?

If so, you need to look closely at the motor label as it's likely not a normal 120/240 volt motor, since most of these saws had a specially designed motor that only produced 1 1/2 hp when wired and connected to a 120 volt 15 amp power circuit, so the contractor could take it to the job site and plug it into any home 120 volt circuit in the house without drawing so much current that it would trip the 15 amp breaker. To make it not overload the 120 volt circuit the motor hp is limited to 1 1/2 hp when wired for 120 volts. But when the saw is wired for 240 volt power and used back in the contractor's shop, the motor will produce a full 2 hp on 240 volts at considerably less than 15 amps. So in either configuration the saw draws less than 15 amps when running at full load and 14 gauge wire within the saw is acceptable. If the saw is run from a long extension cord, it's best to use a heavier gauge like 12 ga extension cord to reduce the voltage drop in the long extension cord, because voltage drop in this cord and poor starting and less than maximum horsepower of the saw will be reduced. Still, the short wires within the saw and it's power cord do not need to be replaced, because they will never see more than 15 amps of load and their length is so short that voltage drop in them will not be a problem. Leave the wiring within the saw 14 gauge.

I found one of these Delta Contractor saws, a model 34-444 (but most of this series are basically the same) for my son and tuned it up for him. We have found it to be very satisfactory in performance for most of his woodworking needs with one major exception. Saw dust control is almost impossible because the bottom and back of the saw is completely open. Another exception is that the trunnion of the saw is attached to the bottom of the saw table, making alignment of the blade to the miter slots a bit more difficult to perform, but once aligned and adjusted properly the saw cut every bit as accurately as the Delta Unisaw that's in my shop. No, a contractor saw isn't a Unisaw in many ways, but it can be adjusted to cut just as accurately, although with less horsepower and no control over where the sawdust goes.

Charley

[Colin Tanner]

The motor is dual voltage- 1.5hp at 115 V, and 2hp at 230V. I need a longer cord.

[Colin Tanner]

Should I clip a different extension cord and use it for my power cord, or better off going to the store and get a new cord cut to length off one of their big reels? I put 2 twist lock receptacles on the ceiling- 1 above each end of the table saw so I can turn my saw 180 degrees to avoid interference when cutting larger pieces of wood- so I will need a long enough cord to drop from my 8’ ceiling and leave me some room so it doesn’t get hit by wood. How long a cord should I use?

[Jim Becker]

Colin, I build machine cords from component stock...such as the rubber coated wire "on the spool" at the store combined with appropriate terminations, rather than doctoring an off-the-shelf extension cord. For your specific application, I'd use the 12 gage wire.

[Colin Tanner]

I’m good with buying off the spool. The problem I face is that the wires from the switch to the motor is 14 AWG, and the connectors at the switch where the wire would come in from the power switch (from the ends of the OEM power cord are also 14 AWG. What method would you use to adopt 12AWG? The connectors are small.

[Colin Tanner]

They are female flag connectors.

[Bradley Gray]

Put a short 14 gauge cord on the saw and use your 12 gauge cord as is.

[Jim Becker]

Put a short 14 gauge cord on the saw and use your 12 gauge cord as is.

Agree with this. In fact, it's my normal way of doing things...a pigtail on the tool and an appropriate length "extension" cord to the wall.

[Colin Tanner]

Put a short 14 gauge cord on the saw and use your 12 gauge cord as is.

Can you please expand? Short 14 from where to where? 12 AWG cord attached where?

[Jim Becker]

Can you please expand? Short 14 from where to where? 12 AWG cord attached where?

The existing cord is cut off close to the saw and re-terminated with a 240v plug. You then use a 240v extension cord with the same connector type(s) to extend to the outlet.

[Charles Lent]

If your existing power cord on your saw isn't damaged you can just replace the plug with the twist lock male plug, however, you should keep in mind that going with twist locks will make your saw unusable anywhere else but where you have installed the twist lock receptacles. Why not just use the standard 240 volt three prong straight pin 20 amp plugs and receptacles instead of the twist lock (for 240 volts the pins are the same size, but sideways. They won't unplug from gravity. I have both 120 and 240 receptacles on the ceiling of my shop and the mating plugs never all out, unless they are pulled out. BTW, the code requires the use of Kellums grips at your ceiling box and at your pendant receptacle on the hanging pendant power cord. A Kellums grip is a kind of metal version of a Chinese finger trap and it grips the power cable better than the two screw grips on both ends of the power cable hanging down from the ceiling (it's called a pendant in the code book). This piece of cable is part of the building wiring, so the code fully applies. For the plug on the saw, it's considered temporary and does not require the Kellums grip, but I would add one if you remove the existing molded on plug and replace it with a 240 volt 3 straight prong or twist lock plug because the normal clamps don't hold well in a constant vertical pulling direction.

If you don't fully understand this you need to hire an electrician or find a friend who knows the NEC (National Electric Code) and can follow it. You are risking a shop fire or electrocution if you don't do this right.

Charley

[Colin Tanner]

Got it. Thanks everyone for your suggestions.

[Bill Dufour]

Before you go out and buy any 240 volt plugs or receptacles you should really decide on a standard for your shop. They are fairly expensive and with so many non-compatable styles it is best to chose one or maybe two types and stick with that so tools can be moved around and plugged into other outlets. All my 240 tools and outlets are 30 amp twist lock except my 50 amp welder.
I have bought some used ones off ebay over the years and find them cheap at yard sales and habitat for humanity.
I have some oddball ones that I have used as motor disconnects inside the base of some power tools just to make motor changeouts easier if needed for bearings etc. When. I am rebuilding a used tool that I bought it is little extra work to add one while the motor or switch gear is being pulled anyway for painting or bearings etc.

[Jim Becker]

I agree with Bill about "standardization". I personally chose the twist-lock route because that's what I'm more comfortable with, although I use 20 amp for 20 amp tools and circuits and 30 amp for 30 amp tools and circuits.

[Colin Tanner]

I started with the twist locks, like them, and am sticking with them. My basement ceiling is open right now so I am getting all my electrical work done now. Tablesaw, air cleaner, and dust collector all have their own separate dedicated circuits. I will have 3 separate 120V 20A circuits for tools- one on the outside wall, one at the workbench area, and 1 circuit for the ceiling- twist lock receptacles so I can plug in anywhere. I’m going to put in another 240V circuit in for expansion, but I can’t decide where at the moment. Lighting is also on it’s own separate circuit, I just need to get some once I decide on them. I know I should draw a layout of my shop on my computer in CAD, I’m still trying to organize my basement and throw out all the garbage from the last 17 years at the same time. Today I took home my father-in-law’s 24” throat Rockwell scroll saw and Craftsman 103 .0303 bench drill press, so I am very busy. Good busy.