Man, the "I wont overcomplicate with BS that you won't understand because I don't understand either" quote is sticking with me.

Yep that's the main thing don't let it scare you. I have never heard a better explanation in my life and my Dad was a Journeyman electrician and he couldn't explain it so I could understand it.

I've been a journeyman electrician for close to 20 years. This is a concept I learned in school, but have only dealt with 2x in my career. It's very unusual in my area for a facility to have 3 phase equipment, with no 3 phase available. I had to check your video to confirm a few things for a service call I got today. It was a head scratcher for sure. Great explanation though. Thanks

I would put a 3 phase magnetic contactor switch on it with the phantom leg energizing it. This way if you loose a leg you don't single phase a motor on your machine and burn it up. Learned that after replacing a Bridgeport motor, I built a self starting and balanced 10 HP converter with capacitors and it will start a 10 HP motor, but if you have trouble starting a big motor start and idle a smaller motor and then start the larger motor this makes the phantom leg stronger. Also the contactor was thermal overload blades to prevent damage if you overload it. Hope I didn't just complicate your great explanation.

I saw a rotary converter one time, the guy had a Briggs & Stratton recoil on the end of the motor. He pulled it a few times to run it up to speed, and hit the switch and it took off. Funny dang thing to watch, but it worked swell.

Cool video man,I ran several good pieces of three phase equipment over the scales when I was a little younger,simply because I didn't think i would ever be able to power them!

You did a great job explaining this Jonathan! 👍🏻 Thank for sharing!

That is scary, because I understood it! You explained it very simply and it made perfect sense. I knew you could make 3 phase power with a motor, but didn't know how. Thank you! Maybe you could show it working with the pony motor? I think you've shown a pony motor before, but can't remember when. Thanks!

You remind me how glad I am to have brought 3 phase to my shop years ago when it was easy and cheap. What a gift! Trouble is all those tools will need 3 phase if I move and here I am reminding myself what a pain in the ass it is to generate it.

I've always wondered how you accomplish this. Thanks for explaining it so I could understand

The best build description I have seen. Thank you very much for sharing.

I built a fancier one once. It used some "start" capacitors to give the motor a 'kick' to get it spinning and they would drop out of the circuit once it was up to speed. Worked really well.

If I see more than two parallel lines on a sheet of paper (world's simplest wiring diagram) I get nervous, but this seems pretty straightforward. Thanks JW!!

Fyi with this arranges of a "phase converter" -- it's not a true phase converter - you won't get full power on the third leg (T3) to the load motor , t3 has only enough power to start the load motor. you can confirm by measuring each of the phase individually preferably with a load or work in the machine. T3 will have a much lower ampacity . so, the 3-phase Machine Tools in your shop may not be performing as good as they could. A true face converter will have a motor that runs a 3-phase generator which is then connected to the Machine Tool motor . hope this helps, I enjoy all your videos!!! oh, you won't need a vfd for each tool you can run one large vfd for the shop 3 phase . depending on the size Vfd you can run more than one tool at once. And depending on how far apart your tools are you may not need an engineered matched cable between the vfd and the tools. I know they are expensive but the price is coming down all the time . I know a lot of guys complain about vfds in their machine shop but VFDs run the world.

Great video! Awesome tutorial, clear and simple!

Always information Jonathan! Newk from Kentucky

Thanks for the explanation. My south bend lathe was 1/2hp 3 phase when I bought it but I had a single phase 1/2hp reversible motor laying around I swapped in. But If I ever get my mill I may keep it 3 phase and do it this way.

thanks for the info Jonathan

Thank you so much for making this video, you saved me alot of anguish!

Zippo sent me over , love your videos.

@Jonathan W Has a very good video on where your wires should be. I used capacitors instead of his phase box but you just just all 3 phases to even the voltage.

Excellent work Thanks. Check temperature of L3 and all windings Will get warm if heavy continuous load is applied.

Great great video. Love this.

Clear as mud

Thanks for the video! Is it the same formula for a static converter as a rotary converter for motor horsepower? I want to run an 8 hp 3 phase motor.

OK, first great video. Second I have a couple of static boxes that have 220 single phase in and 220 3 phase out. I also have a 5 hp 3 pase motor but no markings on the wires comming out? Do you know of a simple way to figure out which wire is which comming out of the motor? Also can my static box be hooked up the way you've shown? I've enjoyed your videos for years, especially the wrecker stuff. I'm an old heavy recovery specialist, I even have a '76 Dodge with an old Homes 480 on that I still use around my property. Thanks for any answers you may have and thanks for the video!

Will the phase a matic start a larger motor than its rated to run under load I wonder? I have a 4-8 hp static and a 20 hp idler motor I’d like to start with it.

Jw there ain’t nothing you can’t fix my friend. Really enjoy your videos

Haha, rope-starting something that's electric instead of fuel-powered! That's pretty funny! I can just see you adapting the recoiler from a Briggs or Tecumseh, etc. engine onto the shaft and housing of a motor!

Excellent explanation i finally get it, thank you for a great video.

Hell yea I love how much I learn from you Jonathan your full of sooo much knowledge!!!!!!! 👍👍👍👍👍👍

What a Great Video , thankyou very much , Greetings from Costa Rica Central America Blessings

Mr. Jonathan, great info.. could you please do a video on how the converter "works"? where you wire it in to your system; to run your machines? i did not understand. it would help me to see this motor in action. obviously, many shops can profit from 3-phase motors; please explain a little more. many thanks for your great videos! best to you and yours, walt

Hey Johnathan, thx for the info! Are the motors expensive? Where do we get one ?? Thanks again

so the 3 phase goes to the machine motor in your drawing? what powers the motor in the video? and what does the phase a Matic do or is that your caps?

For those not familiar with static box. This item “ makes” a temporary 3rd phase, through a timer within, like up to 8 seconds, to provide the initial start of a 3 phase motor load. Remember, most 3 phase motors will run on 2 phases, but not start with 2 phases. They will run at a reduced power. The static box mentioned, are purchased rated usually higher than the motor they will be driving. They are not as popular anymore since the frequency drives have become prolific, and user friendly along with some smaller ones available nowadays

More power is always more efficient I had 110 running my well always burning out the points in the pressure switch about every 2 months so I switched it over to 220 3 years ago haven't touched the points or the pressure switch sense I I switched that over

Outstanding explanation of this setup; very well laid out. Question: what do u do when it is an air compressor that goes on/off as ur outsource motor?

i have an idealarc 250 lincoln stick welder and can only run it in 220v which is its low setting. i want to run it on its high side which is 440v will this motor power the welder alone?

Appreciate your video. If I was to hook up a gas motor shaft to a 3 phase motor shaft, and took the 3 phase motor to a 3 ph welder, I'd basically have a welder/generator. Correct? I'm trying to figure out how much of a motor I'd need to output enough current for welding. I don't think I'd have to deal with losses, since the gas power would be converted directly into 3ph power.

Best explanation Ive heard so far, im wondering would it be safe to assume that only 208 volts 3 phase is available since you are inputing 220 volts into it?

Great video Johnathon ! one question , when you run the third wire on the opposite side of the block does it make that a constant power or ???

What size motor would I need to run a 200amp 3 phase welder?

Thanks a lot, that’s the best way to make it very simple, we appreciate your efforts to make this way,

Dude... I completely agree... I treat it like dark magic, very dangerous and nothing to toy with. Electricity that is (dark magic)

J.W. i guess "clear as mud" is me too. how does this get wired in; to make your 3-phase motors run your machines. help vid. please. walt

I'm a little old and slow but could you show me how to do it with a rope start up with the rope does it still need 220 to the motor ?

Great video! Couple questions thou. Does it matter which direction you spin the motor? And does this eat a lot more electricity?

Just a note: When reversing the 3 phase, it is the 2 wires next to each other (side by side). Ex: T1 and T2 or T2 and T3. If you switched T1 with T3, it would run the same as if you did nothing. Love the videos always learning something I did not know about.

i would recommend the rotary phase converter to Bus Grease Monkey for his new planned shop in Tenneessee as something in addition to his 200 amp service he be getting there.

Thank you very much for the very helpful information.

Thank for sharing your knowledge, I have a question @9:00 min when you mention the 2nd 3 phase wire, is that from the static box?

How do you choose static phase converter to attach to it?

will this work on a 3 phase plasma cutter

Makes sense but the voltage will be imbalanced as drawn. My understanding is that you need capacitors to balance them.

Towing, Wrenching, Fabricating, Welding, Machining, and now Hi-Lo Volt AC Motors - no challenge seems to Phase you!

Do you have any 68 dodge trucks for parts ?

So do you actually need the switches?

Thx JW

I’m not sure why. I’m super confused about the second wire that you show coming into the box, where does it come from? Thanks in advance.

Whats the static box for ?

Thanks.

Thanks 👍

Is it true that if you do this and runni it off 1 leg, that the other fields that are simultaneously impress or generated in the other 2 coils, that if the voltage is 240, it actually become 277, so does that mean if you use that it will spin the motor on let's say a lathe l, that much faster.

Can you provide a link to that box you installed? You called it a “Static Box” but that search only brings up capacitor based inverters. Then I watched your video on a large tv and that box IS a phase inverter, so what is the motor needed for?

what is the static phase box for

do you still have the old one?

Dumb question but if I can generate 3 phase without it; whats the purpose of the static box? I have a mill and lathe I'm wanting to powet...but not at the same time

Great video, thanks for posting. So that is considered wye start low voltage? Our first converter used a pony motor to start, and was wired : L1, (1-6-7,) L2 ( 2,4,8,) L3 (3,5,9), which i understand is delta start ??My new panel has start and run capacitors . I'm a little confused.

Does the rpm matter for your pony motor

Just put a start capacitor on t3 with a momentary bottom and your done those static phase boxes are only good for 3 hp

Am I right that you need 220 to convert to 3 phase ? Really enjoy your vids. I check for them daily.

Ive seen the extra motor set up to create the third phase before.Ive never seen the phase converter used with it,what does it do?I know by itself its supposed to convert to three phase.

How does this work with T1 and T2 180 degrees apart, and T3 120 degrees apart from those two?

Ooops, add on to that the static box mentioned makes that temporary 3rd phase with a timer within, through capacitor s.

If you switch T3 and leave T1 and T2 powered up to your equipment you'll run the risk of single-phase the three phase motor in your equipment motor won't you?

Thought you weren't gonna 'complicate' this?! :-)

is this in delta or star?

Is it just running a siglepase powerful motor to spin a 3 phase motor to turn it into a generator

Starting ur rotor phase motor with a single phase motor is the way to go cheapest too

What is the phasomatic doing in this setup? Is it starting the generator motor?

I'm running a 10 hp motor , do I need the equivalent hp and rpm?

I don’t understand why u have to have a static phase converter box after the rotary phase converter? I thought either converts the power from single phase to three phase? Im trying to do this but now real confused.

Wait, the way you have L1 and L2 coming in and hooking directly to T1 and T2 on the lower side of the switch wouldn't they be hot even if you turned the switch off and killed power to the rotary phase converter motor? So that would leave L1 and L2 on the load side going to your piece of equipment hot?????? Wouldn't the equipment need to have L1 and L2 legs on the same side of the switch as the rotary phase motor this way you kill the single phase hot legs to the equipment when you turn off the switch to stop the rotary motor.

Howdy jw

I’m kinda getting it but static box not really clear. I’ve seen capacitor inthem. What about different 3 ph voltage motors. Can someone exsplain this.

Does it matter weather the pony motor is an internally connected We and not a Delta??

if you don't understand it, I won't either. way better to teach someone who is pretty close to what you know, than some expert, talking cosmic mystery theories. what have we learned from ufo drivers, like nothing.

Skip to 2:18 to get to the info about the phase converter

I think your understanding of two windings is wrong if that's a duel voltage motor other wise known as star delta there are three windings one for each phase

🇺🇸👍

I need help on how to use this to run a air compressor,Hope you can help me out! Thanks in advance

were you running the third wire from your phase a matic to the lower side of T3 switch or to the upper side of T3?

Thanks for sharing I bought 3 motors on sale only to realise they are 400 volts I only have 220, what's my solution

Jonathan, I sent you a package a little while back, did you ever receive it? Also, very interesting video!

can you tell me what the static box does please .

Why not just use VFD where needed?

Instead of diagram I like to actually see it. I had a hard time understanding what you actually said. Where do those wires go to or came from that you had it coming from the bottom up to the three phase motor. I had difficulty hearing what you said. two wires ( plus one ground) on the bottom left side and three wires ( plus one ground) on the bottom right side. Noiw where those wires belong to. Are they coming from the circuit breaker? left side 120 V and right side 240 plus 120 or.... ?

I believe you need 230 1 phase to do this, not 115 VAC.

Just fit a inverter