In my basement, I have a 240 volt 100 amp electrical service panel for my house. Where I weld, in one of my attached garage bays, there is a 50 amp welder receptacle fed by #10 wire from a 30 amp breaker in my electrical service panel . This works well for my 30 amp draw welder - Lincoln MIG Pak 15.
However, this set up is shy of power for operating at full output either my Lincoln AC/DC 225/125 (plated for max input of 50 amps @ 230 volts) or my Linde 250 AC/DC (plated for max input of 76 amps @ 230 volts).
What I had in mind was this. My current 100 amp electrical service panel has only 32 breaker slots and I'm using them all. I need more breaker space anyway... before weighing in with welder considerations in the garage. Upgrading to a 200 amp service and a new 64 breaker-space panel would be perfect but would cost real big $.
On the cheaper Kijiji road, I acquired another identical 100 amp service panel (with 100 amp main breaker), several 15, 20, 30 and 40 amp single and double breakers plus 1 double 50 and 1 double 70 amp breaker.
I want to use the second electrical panel as a sub-panel. Just the way the house/garage is built, it's far easier to feed all house and most all garage circuits from the basement location. e.g. A sub-panel is the garage bay sounds great but the reality is... running wires out of that garage bay location would be far more difficult (concrete walls) and the wire/cable runs longer than from the existing panel location in the basement.
So....
My thinking is to install the second 100 amp panel beside the first panel in the basement.
Install the 70 amp double breaker in panel #1 and use it to feed panel.#2.
The breakers and wires removed from panel #1 (for 70A breaker) would be put in panel #2.
Any additional future breakers & wiring (e.g. for wiring the basement, etc.) would also be installed in panel #2.
The welder options...
a) use a junction box between panel #1 and #2. In that box, I would spice into the wires coming from the 70 amp breaker in panel #1 and route appropriate size wiring (power and ground) from that junction box direct to the garage bay to feed the welder(s) - likely using a 50 amp receptacle for the Lincoln and/or direct (junction box) wire for the Linde. This means that the welder circuit is protected by two breakers: the 70 amp breaker in panel #1 and the main 100 amp breaker in panel #1.
OR
b) Install the double 50 amp breaker in panel #2; come off that breaker with appropriate size wiring (power and ground) to the garage bay to feed the welder(s) using a 50 amp receptacle. This would allow use of the Lincoln at full power (50 amps in) and the Linde at reduced power (50 amps in instead of 76 amps). This means that this welder circuit would be protected by four breakers! 
Am I missing anything here? Are there other... better options?
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