Any electricians out there?
 

Just bought a welder for home use. 220v 170 amp. Want to make an ext cord to run from the cellar. maybe 50ft or so. Best plan if possible would be to drop it down from 4 wire dryer plug to 3 wire welder outlet. Can I do this? I`ve read that the neutral wire is basicly 110 for lights and stuff like that.

The dryer plug has 2 load wires, a neutral and a ground(black red white green/bare). The welder needs the 2 load wires and a ground only(black red green/bare). Keep in mind, the longer you go, the heavier the wire needs to be. For your welder, a 10-3 cabtire is probably what you need.

EDIT: Come to think of it, 12-3 would probably work as well, I think it's less than 20 amps for a 170.

So I could use a dryer plug end and a welder outlet on the other end just cap the white wire?. Why this way? I still want to use our dryer LOL

you wouldnt be able to run both of them at the same time. you could unplug your dryer, use the welder, then plug the dryer back in. unless you are going to start punching holes in walls and stuff to actually run the cable to put in an actual plug. and if you are going to be doing that, you might want to do some more research and look at putting in a new breaker and all that and run it straight from the breaker box.

What Twip said. Haha

Nope the plan is to unplug and plug in. Bought the stuff tonight

You could use 12-3 I suppose. Then you can put a junction box just before your welder and put a receptical in for a grinder. White to black, or white to red would give you 120v. Just have to turn your welder off before running the grinder.

Flux capacitor. That is all you need.. I have lead. This person I know, knows someone, who knows someone, who also knows someone, who can find them through someone.

I'd still check your breaker to see what you can pull from your dryer branch. 170A on 240V is quite a bit of juice.

A dryer breaker is supposed to be 30a 240v iir. The 170a is the peak welding current at about 15 volts. The draw on the line will be around 20 amps at 240v.