running a 3phase MIG welder on a rotary converter setup - doable? impractical? impossible?

Question

moving OUT of my shop and back into my garage at home. shop has three phase. I want to buy a used MIG, but lots of the ones I see are three phase. anybody here ever run their MIG (or any other three-phase welder, for that matter) on a "rotary converter setup"?

would running a welder on a rotary converter setup be 'ill-advised'? I already have a rotary converter rated "max single motor three hp, max total hp 12 hp", but it's not clear to me how that relates to using it with a welder...or if it's even 'doable'?

thanks in advance for educating me on this, guys :-)

toolie

== ps-replies by e-mail, if any, please remove the weirdstuff from my address before you click 'send' - thanks ==

john · Accepted Answer

Welders run fine on rotary converters. You have no motor startup current to contend with as you would with a motor, and unless its one of the latest ones that's all electornic it will use just about any power you feed it, in fact you could just hook up a bank of caps to generate the third phase on the old ones and not even bother with a rotary generator.

John

dave wrote:

Ignoramus28822 · Answer

I run a TIG off a phase converter.

I am not sure what are its ratings, but for many welders, it does not sound like it has nearly enough capacity.

For your information, my current phase converter has 17.5 HP of idler capacity. The previous 10 hp phase converter was straining considerably when I tried welding at 200 amps.

Making phase converters is easy and inexpensive.

i

wayne mak · Answer

I have been told (ot done so) that it will work on single phase just derate the output.

john · Answer

Some will but you have to watch out for anything with three phase fans in it.  Also the contactors and control ckts have to be hooked to the active phase for them to operate.John

running a 3phase MIG welder on a rotary converter setup - doable? impractical? impossible?

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