Educate me on 3 phase power converters

[Rich Engelhardt]

1. The townhouse is rented, adding 240v to the garage is a fair option, but not a great one, as it would be $$ out of my pocket.
2. Running a custom "extension" cord from either the dryer outlet or range outlet. Access to the townhouse from the garage is through the laundry room, which is adjacent to the kitchen, so max length of run would be 50' from the range, 40' or so from the dryer.

Speaking as a landlord.....

I'd be very open to splitting the cost of a qualified electrician running a line to the garage. That's cheaper for me than having an electrician come out after the fact and tear out anything not done by an electrician.

I'm split about how I'd treat someone running an extension cord like that on an ongoing basis.
I'm really leaning towards the side that says I'd have to give you a written warning to cease.
It's a fire/safety hazard & it opens me as the property owner up to liability issues.

I hate to come across as a jerk or anything & that's not my intention.
It's just that, as the owner of rental property, my hands are really tied as far as what the insurance company feels is a liability.
We've been cancelled three times for things the insurance company felt were a liability & there's no discussion with them over it.
You either correct the situation or they cancel you.

I'd hate to see someone drop a decent chunk of money on something and not be able to use it.

[george newbury]

Snipping for brevity

What are the valuable characteristics of a 3 phase converter from the perspective of a home woodshop, and what features would simply be overkill and/or counterproductive?

A RPC opens you to a wide range of "industrial" tools often sold by factories and institutions for a fraction of their cost.

So, an update:

IF I go down this path, I will take the extension cord route. I'm figuring I'll make up or buy a 50' 8 gauge cord using SOOW cable. Overkill? Perhaps, but it insures that my breaker is "sized to the wire" w/o downsizing the breaker, and I can trample/coil the cord without worry.

You can buy one for about $150, welders use them. I would balance this against the cost of an electrician and the potential insurance issues.

I am torn... the saw is actually physically bigger than I was thinking of getting in my present and forseeable circumstances, i.e. I consider moving with the beast in the future with some trepidation.

Make sure you can move it. My comparatively little 20" Powermatic is a bear at about 700lbs.

The lathe is going to need some cleanup, and the RPC may not be useful for me (I just don't know enough about them...), the plug that it currently has on it is wired for a 50amp circuit. On the flip side, it IS an Italian stallion that humbles my Big Box 14" Delta. 48" of spindle turning length would be a big upgrade from my current Jet Mini-Lathe, and if the RPC will do the trick, all I'll need is the big extension cord...

Any input would be appreciated...

from my reading experience a 15HP RPC should be good for most 10hp motors for woodworking, but may require 50 amps. Smaller HP RPC's like a 10HP would weigh a lot less and require fewer amps.

It reads like the saw will be the elephant in the room. Big and powerful. The RPC the same. You mention moving - I've moved a lot of relatively big stuff. If you've the tools to do it - no problem. If not - problem.

I see you put a price for the whole shebang in and I can't comment on the lathe but the RPC can be cobbled together off eBay for about $500 or bought new for up to about $1500. So that's a chunk of the cost.

If you plan on getting a lot more big equipment it sounds like a decent buy.

[Matt Day]

I just went through a similar situation - I was excited to buy a big bandsaw but then was very nervous about both moving a big saw (915 pounds) and getting the three phase motor running.

I got through the moving part and am now waiting on my VFD to arrive. III's considered an RPC quite a bit, but thought the VFD would be the simplest and easiest.

PM me if you have any questions about moving it.

PS, before I bought the house we are in now, I was renting. I ran 12 gauge Romex from the dryer outlet to the shop and just plugged it in while I was working, and plugged the dryer back in while I was not. 8 gauge seems way overkill IMO. Are you going to be rolling it up everyday or can you leave it in place while you rent?

[John Sanford]

PS, before I bought the house we are in now, I was renting. I ran 12 gauge Romex from the dryer outlet to the shop and just plugged it in while I was working, and plugged the dryer back in while I was not. 8 gauge seems way overkill IMO. Are you going to be rolling it up everyday or can you leave it in place while you rent?

Rolling it up. With winter coming on, I'd rather not leave the door between the garage and house open.