Team Go Dog, Go! Modified Partial Streamliners

[Seldom Seen Slim]

Bo, my thoughts:  Use the biggest wire/smallest gauge number you can afford.  That is -- if the "book" calls for 14 ga -- 12 ain't much more money and is capable of carrying a higher load.  And 10 ga is bigger still, and if you use a bigger wire you'll have less future hassles with losses from too-small wires, less chance of damage from too much current through the (too small) wires, and you'll suffer one way -- the heavier wire is more difficult to work with - harder to bend/flex, terminate.

But you'll be glad in the long run.  Get the heavier wire.  Same size breakers, but heavier wire.  My two cents' worth. . .  YMMV.

[salt27]

Bo, I do not see a grounding electrode conductor in your panel.

This tells me it is being treated as a subpanel.

Which means that your neutral buss has effectively been turned into a ground buss because of the equipment grounds landed on it.

This is not good because the neutrals carry current and the grounds only carry current in case of a fault.

Unless there is something I am missing in the picture, a ground kit should be installed and the grounds and landed on it.

If you install a ground kit, make sure that the neutral buss is not bonded to the enclosure, this only applies to subpanels.

Hope this helps, Don

[wobblywalrus]

Mike, it looks like there are some infrastructure improvements I need to do and it will be a few months before I invite you down to help me.  I need to install a ground to the shed circuit breaker box and make a well lit work area for welding in the new shed, as well as shingle the roof and finish the other door.

Slim, Peter, and Don, thanks for the advice and what you mentioned will be done.

[salt27]

Bo, A ground kit is nothing more than a terminal block that mounts inside the panel.

The issue I see is that maybe one or two of your grounding conductors may be a bit short.

  Don

[wobblywalrus]

The MIG needs a wind-free welding room so the shielding gas stays over the weld.  The boat shed will be the welding area.  The other door is finished and hung.  Note the most excellent door handles.  They are from a junk shop in Portland.

[wobblywalrus]

Two 5/8 inch copper plated ground rods are sunk 12 feet apart near the shed.  A big thick copper wire runs from them up the shed wall.  It connects to the 'lectrical panel.  Inside the panel the ground kit is installed.  The neutral and ground wires are reconnected to separate busses.  The panel is grounded.  Progress is being made.   

[WOODY@DDLLC]

Note the most excellent door handles.  They are from a junk shop in Portland.

Soooo, we call them junk shops now! 
Nice door knobs W²!

[Ron Gibson]

You have to press the four little buttons on the front to get them to open

Ron

[manta22]

Ron;

Someone's been pushing them already-- see how shiny they are? 

Regards, Neil  Tucson, AZ

[wobblywalrus]

Those handles seem great from the male viewpoint.  The females around here have a much different perspective.  My butt got reamed.  The woman's mind is a mystery to me. 

[salt27]

Those handles seem great from the male viewpoint.  The females around here have a much different perspective.  My butt got reamed.  The woman's mind is a mystery to me.  

Bo, if they need to go to keep peace in the family I'll store them for you.

Always trying to help a fellow racer, Don  
Oh yeah, much better on the electrical panel.   

[wobblywalrus]

There is not enough room in the bike shed for serious welding.  There is some room in the boat shed for a welding area.  Four #8 wires leave the sub panel in the bike shed.  They go out through the wall and up about 18 inches.  Then, they go back through the wall, across the bike shed under the attic, through the wall, across the ceiling in the boat shed, along the wall, and to a future panel box.  Two more ground rods are installed beyond the boat shed and the ground will tie into the boat shed panel box.  It took all weekend to figure this convoluted route and to install the ground bars, conduit, and wires.  Welding up these pipes is a major project and I have not even started yet. 

[wobblywalrus]

The wires coming out in the boat shed.  The floor under the boat will be poured this summer and the shingles put on the roof. 

[Peter Jack]

While you're planning Bo, figure on a proper welding table with good lighting above it. You'll definitely appreciate it once you have it.

Pete

[wobblywalrus]

Someone stole my lights when I had only one door on the shed.  Fortunately they were some of those Taiwan LED lights and it was no big loss.

A dedicated 220V 50A breaker and circuit will be wired in for the welder.  The other breaker will be 110V 15A for the lights and 110V 20A for the other outlets.  Is there a situation where using 110V is preferred?  I can wire up a dedicated circuit for the welder in that capacity if it will be useful later on.