Official Luthiers Forum!

John

As I'm sure you know it the UK our electricity supply is 220V - 240V , so when we use 110v tools we have to use a step down tranformer, in this country it is the law that when you work on a construction site you have to use 110V tools, so the fittings are designed to be splash and dust proof, so that yellow thing is the plug that goes into the transformer.

Interesting Russell. I knew that 220 was the voltage there, had some issues with that once with an adaptor that did not really adapt. What is really interesting is that on construction sites 110 volts is the law.   I suppose that is to help protect the user against grounding out his own tool.

John

The principle I think is you can run the same ampage but lower voltage, so hence less risk, all of the transformers also have an RCD built in.

We have a third system for large industrial machine, which is called 3 Phase it is 415V and has as the name suggests 3 Live circuits, the principle being you can make large motors etc, run smoother as you have 3 seperate coils rather than one thus making them run smoother.

Do you have 3 Phase in the US ?

What Russel Said; the main 'difference' between 110 here and over there is the frequency (50hz over here, 60hz in the US...or was it the other way around?), but in practice, that's pretty much a non-issue for things like heat blankets and even routers (it's within the acceptable norms, apparently). I've actually got three transformers (2 x 2000 watts, 20 euros each, 1 x 1600 watts, also around 20 euros) with US-style plugs on them, all surplus, all work fine, nice and cheap.

Most bandsaws in the resaw size range over here (ie, the ones Lagauna and Co rebadge) run on Tri-Phase, 380-415V circuits, so I often wonder if the 220V motors for those are specially made for the US market.

I'll go in on a group buy if there is a discount. Otherwise I'll make do with the older one for a while - it hasn't let me down yet.

Jim Kirby

_________________
Jim Kirby
kirby@udel.edu

[QUOTE=John Kinnaird] Looks good Colin, And that new dremmel looks good too. But what in the world is that yellow plug like device on the end of the cord?[/QUOTE]

As Russell said that's the industrial 110V plug for use with UK transformers. Seriously heavy duty and locks into the transformer.

I use all three voltages in my shop 110V, US tools generally, for hand work. The Dremel for instance is the 400XPR from Stew Mac, but I also use US bought DeWalt laminate trimmers and sanders and one of John's 110V blankets. My bench tools are 220-240V, drill press, saw bench, linisher, small bandsaw. My big band saw is 410V 3-phase and runs incredibly smoothly with a lot of grunt. Cuts anything like butter, especially butter!

Colin

_________________
I don't believe in anything, I simply make use of a set of reasonable working hypotheses.

Yes we have 3 phase over here. I personally do not have 3 phase in my house, but that is a matter of wiring I suppose. Normally 220 or 110 in the home shop. Typically for a particular power output, the voltage can be high and the amperage low, or the voltage low and the amperage high. Power is a product of those two numbers. But high amperage develops more heat in transmission so for efficiency's sake it is best to have higher voltage and lower amperage. Our voltage is pretty high till it get to the transformer on the pole outside the home. (arrrggghh... enough physics speak, I am supposed to be retired.)

As a rule we don't have three phase instalations in the home here either, usually just in industrial buildings, but you can get a device (which name escapes me) that you can plug in to convert 240V to three phase.

You are right I am sure about the ampage verse voltage thing, I can't work out in my head if low voltage, high ampage is safer, than high voltage low ampage. I was always told that the 110V on site voltage was for safety, but maybe it is just the quality of the fittings and the RCD protection that makes them safer.

[QUOTE=RussellR] As a rule we don't have three phase instalations in the home here either, usually just in industrial buildings, but you can get a device (which name escapes me) that you can plug in to convert 240V to three phase.

You are right I am sure about the ampage verse voltage thing, I can't work out in my head if low voltage, high ampage is safer, than high voltage low ampage. I was always told that the 110V on site voltage was for safety, but maybe it is just the quality of the fittings and the RCD protection that makes them safer.[/QUOTE]

Current is more dangerous than voltage; witness tasers, running at several thousand volts, which are painful but not lethal, at least not most of the time.

Mattia is right. If I recall my first aid training correctly, something like 20mA across the heart will stop it. So the thing to watch for is current.

_________________
53% of all statistics are made up on the spot
http://driftwoodguitars.blogspot.com/

Quite true. If you get a static shock from sliding out of your car in the winter and touching something grounded, that could be several thousand volts of electricity, with very low amperage.
It takes about 10,000 volts charge to make a spark jump about a half inch in dry air. I've seen sparks fly from the tip of my finger over an inch long when I had one hand on a van de Graff generator and I am still here to tell the tale.