Quote Originally Posted by Brian Ski View Post
14 ga is for 15 amp
12 ga is for 20 amp
10 ga is for 30 amp

The problem you will run into, is if you go by the code book you need 10 gauge 3 wire plus ground. You more than likely do not have the 3 wire let alone the 10 ga wire. So you are back to running a new wire.

At the same time I would upgrade the little box into something nicer... Sounds good but the cost keeps going up.
Even if I run new wire into the garage, put in the 220v service and receptacle, I would probably need a 25 - 30 foot extension cable to get it outside where I would want to weld. I'll go 50 foot from the dryer receptacle and call it a day. Learned a lot and that pretty much galvanizes the decision with no second thoughts!