> No help on what size wires you can get through the conduit, but you
> NEVER want to have the ground wire smaller than the hot wires - larger
> is okay, but never smaller.
I agree with that, but the post I just made is assuming that you have (or
will have) a new grounding rod at the shop, appropriately wired. That's not
only legal, it's preferable.
> I'd say pretty much the same thing for the
> neutral too.
I'm not absolutely certain on the current state of the NEC regarding this.
For a 3-wire single phase circuit (like household 220v circuits), the
neutral only has to carry any unbalanced portion of the load. For certain
types of load (like computer power supplies), the neutral current can be
even higher than the side currents. But for most other things (lights,
motors, welders, heat, etc.), the neutral current is very small and a
smaller conductor can be used. I believe the code used to allow the neutral
to be one or two AWG smaller for a 220v circuit, in some circumstances.
Randall
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