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Bridgeport Wiring (Wire Gauge)

ETRem1

Plastic
Joined
Dec 22, 2018
Hi Everyone,

This is my first post.

I am working on a complete restoration of a Bridgeport Series 1 2HP (3phase).

I bought a static phase converter from Grizzly for the time being as i will be feeding it from 220v - i have a friend that runs his off of it and it works fine. I will likely convert this over to a VFD at some point but wanted to get going.

What gauge wire is needed to run between the static converter and the milling machine switch / motor?? Is it 3 wire or 4 wire? Any recommendations on manufacture or link would be awesome.
 
I wouldn't wire it with less and 14 ga wire. Industrial standards would say 12 ga min but for this that would be overkill. Always use a safety grounding conductor, normally green or bare. This wire is not intended to carry current, its there to place all electrical equipment at ground potential. In addition, you will need the three wires for power.

Tom
 
I have run mine for 20 years with 14/4 SOOW cord. SJ cord works too, just a little thinner insulation.

Depending on what switch you have, using 12 GA wire might be a tight fit.

Bill
 
I would be remiss if I didn't tell you to use VFD cable. Proper VFD cable has 3 symmetrically spaced wires and 3 symmetrical grounds with an overall shield. You bond the shield at both the drive and motor.

I know that a ton of people say they use regular cable and get away with it, but for many reasons this is the correct approach. This cable is not perfect (does not match all the criteria) but has good wire insulation and is shielded and is affordable.

VFDC-14-4B-1 | VFD Cable: 14 AWG, overall foil and braid shielded, cut to length (PN# VFDC-14-4B-1) | AutomationDirect
 








 
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