Polar Bears and 3 phase!!!

[Chippyjoe]

Went into the workshop today and it must be cold in Norfolk because there was a note on the workbench from the resident bears saying it was to cold to stay there any longer. :lol:
Anyway the main reason for this post is to ask some of the residents on here who know about electricity (I know nothing about it,apart from it bites and you cant see it coming) how much work is involved in putting 3 phase into the workshop?
Having seen most of the good machinery on flea bay being 3 phase just wondered if it was a "road worth going down".
Any help on this subject would be appreciated,and apologies if this has been posted before.

Mark.

 

[JonnyD]

It will probably be cheaper to get an inverter to run 3 phase of a single phase supply. I had a quote of 10K to put 3 phase into some unused farm buildings i was going to use as a workshop. It involved putting up 5 -poles so i think you will still be looking at around 2k even if the 3 phase supply is near to your workshop.

Jon

 

[ProShop]

Good luck on the going self employed front, hope it works out.

As to 3 phase, it certainly is worth looking at as the machinery choice is much better, and I suspect in these hard times some real bargains will be found.

In the days when the old electricity boards supplied the power they charged a standard fee to install 3 phase and would put in most places.
However since the privatization of these companies things have changed somewhat. They tend to be very picky where they will install and they charge the total cost of putting in the supply.

They last quote I looked at was for over £7000 and you could see the supply point just across the road.

But it's certainly well worth asking as the benefits are well worth it.

You can now get single to 3 phase digital electronic inverters to power a complete workshop and depending on the power demands this can set you back about £2k to £3k plus as you'll need various line filters etc etc ...........

If your going to power a workshop forget static & rotary inverters been there done that ...................


Hope this helps

 

[Kazsub]

Hello there,

Perishing isn't it! All of a sudden paperwork seems preferable to being in the workshop - am sure that won't last!
Phase converter... I picked up a load of three phase start rite kit and it runs really well from a phase converter plugged into a standard power outlet. I can't really offer you much more advice than that (my knowledge of matters electrical isn't great either). I bought a 3Hp static converter, you set it to suit the Hp of the machine in question, switch it on and away you go. There are both static and rotary types available, as I work alone and am quite happy to carry the converter from one machine to the next, static was fine for me, and the cheapest option. I think rotary is for much bigger workshops where more than one machine is used simultaneously.
One source of advice I found extremely helpful was the transwave web site - their staff were really good over the phone too.
Hope this gives you a direction to look in!
David

 

[9fingers]

Hello Mark,

Three no make that 4 ways to do this without the expense of laying in 3 phase power from the leccy board.

1) change motors on each machine
2) Install a static converter (transwave or similar) rated for the biggest load you have or anticipate.
3) Install a rotary converter also Transwave or similar again rated for the largest load. this type will give better starting and allow the use of machines that have more than one motor eg a spindle moulder with a feed motor
4) Use an electronic inverter on each machine. This type of inverter are very reliable BUT are intolerant of any switching between the machine and the the converter therefore it is no good using 1 big one in the same way as 2 and 3 above.

pros and cons

1) Can be expensive unless you have a ready source of motors and have the ability to modify pulley bores, cut keyways etc or have a pal who can.
but simple and foolproof up to 3HP. Bigger single phase motors are rare and expensive and have very high starting currents.
2) & 3) a relatively high one off expense but once it has been done you can have as many machines as you like for no extra converter cost. If you will ever have someone else in the shop then make sure the converter will run the two biggest machines at once.
4) The most expensive but most versatile option as the inverter will give you variable speed, soft starting and controlled braking. This last feature will help you run older unbraked machinery to meet trade workshop requirements - essential if you are employing anyone that machines come to a stop in less than 10 seconds.
Finally really good for running a dado head at the braking can be programmed to be gentle and reduce the risk of the blade working loose when the machine stops.

So horses for courses and different depth pockets.

HTH

Bob

 

[Chippyjoe]

Thanks for all the help people. Seems that from a cost point of view then stick to single phase!
It's a shame because you dont see many Wadkin or the likes that are single phase.
Just to clear up one point I am not going self-employed and starting up a new business as I am already a self-employed carpenter and the workshop I refer to is my "double garage".
Anyway thanks again for the comments.

Mark.

 

[Stoday]

I built a house a couple of years ago. The quote from EDF for three phase was only £100 or so more than single phase, so it's not always expensive.

 

[beech1948]

I to had 3 phase installed in my garage. I'm a hobbyist also.

Cost from lecky board was £1100. I dug the trench out to the edge of the tarmac pavement ( 8 ft), they installed under pavement and to a consumer unit in the garage, I back filled my trench.

regards
Alan

 

[neilyweely]

I may only have single phase in the WS, but it is now so well insulated I nodded off next to the single bar halogen heater!! :lol: :lol: :lol:

All thanks to Mike G!!

Sorry, couldn't resist!!

Neil

 

[ivan]

I paid £100 for the old 'Lectric Board to pull out single phase and pull through 3 phase via buried alkathene pipe - a run of about 30 yds. Would have to pay full cost now. Worth asking as 3 phase motors are almost vibration free, which is Very Nice. Converters don't have the same effect, as they make something closer to a 2 phase supply.

There's a lot of good stuff in the 2 books on electric motors published in the 'workshop' series - aimed at amateur machinists who have the same trouble with old industrial machines.

 

[9fingers]

I paid £100 for the old 'Lectric Board to pull out single phase and pull through 3 phase via buried alkathene pipe - a run of about 30 yds. Would have to pay full cost now. Worth asking as 3 phase motors are almost vibration free, which is Very Nice. Converters don't have the same effect, as they make something closer to a 2 phase supply.

There's a lot of good stuff in the 2 books on electric motors published in the 'workshop' series - aimed at amateur machinists who have the same trouble with old industrial machines.

However inverters do retain the smoothness and additionally provide soft start, controlled braking and speed control. Even better!
Bob