Re: Welder ballast

["Tesla list" <tesla-at-pupman-dot-com>]

Original poster: dhmccauley-at-spacecatlighting-dot-com 


Steve,

To ballast from 3 to 5kVA, you simply need to use the "Poor Man's Ballast."

For about a 3kVA ballast using 240VAC, you can simply use two spools of
500FT 12AWG wire (Home Depot etc...) and wire them
in series.  This will limit current to about 12-13A.

For about 6kVA at 240VAC, just use a single 500FT AWG 12 roll in series.

Although these will get hot after long run times, for short run times (<15
minutes total runtime per session etc...), they are perfect and cheap!!!!
Terry Blake, my friend Bill Shepard, and myself all use these with great
success!

Dan



 > I broke down and bought a 225A stick welder to ballast my 10KVA pig with.
 > I thought it would be the simplest way. Problem is, on the lowest setting,
in
 > series with my pig it draws 54 amps. That's more than I was hoping for.
I'm
 > not quite sure how to figure out how much of this power is being put into
 > the pig.
 > I would like to get down to about 3-5KVA.
 >
 > I would appreciate any help or suggestions that anyone might have.
 >
 > Steve Vance
 >
 >
 >
 >
 >