Snipping for brevity
Originally Posted by
John Sanford
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.
Originally Posted by
John Sanford
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.
Originally Posted by
John Sanford
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.
Originally Posted by
John Sanford
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.
Setting up a workshop, from standing tree to bookshelves