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Shin

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Ramblings from a South Central Texas Wood Butcher #5: Cap'n, We Need More Power! (Electrical Woes, in The "Wood Shop"

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This is part 5 in a 29 part series: Ramblings from a South Central Texas Wood Butcher

My “Wood Shop” is housed in the old hangar, that we built in 2008. It’s not really old, but I call it old, as I’m not able to fly anymore. Any way, when I was having electricity run to it, I told the electrician that I only wanted a 8’ florescent light and one outlet, as I already had a shop and didn’t intend to work in the hangar.

Fast forward, I don’t do woodworking in the Shop, as that’s where I’m working on two ’66 Mustangs and keep three antique motorcycles, so I do my nasty metal and woodworking in the hangar.

Yeah, I should have looked to the future and had more circuits run, as I can’t run the heater on cold days, and run power tools. :-( Gonna have to run, at least, one more outlet circuit.

So, if you’re gonna build a shop, or retrofit a building, make sure you have enough “power.”

Keith "Shin" Schindler

shop electrical power circuit

9 Comments

Thorreain commented almost 10 years ago

More power Scotty, give me everything she’s got. I cannno geve ye any moo cap’n she’s breakin up.

CHRIS, Charlottetown PEI Canada. Anytime you can repurpose, reuse, or recycle, everyone wins!

Shin commented almost 10 years ago

Yep, that’s really the way it goes. I got my Trek stuff mixed up. :-)

Keith "Shin" Schindler

Jeff Vandenberg commented almost 10 years ago

I ran 100 amp service panel (20 breakers) to my 20 × 20 shop and with all my 220 equipment some 120 20 amp outlets and one circuit breaker for lights, my panel is 100% full. So yes if you’re planning to add, add big. Never can have enough outlets. I ran all 20 amp that way I had the capability to run anything larger than 15 amp if need anywhere.

Jeff Vandenberg aka "Woodsconsin"

Kelly commented almost 10 years ago

I’d like to help you, but I’m a Chevy man.

Brian commented almost 10 years ago

I assume the wire is buried. Maybe you can pull a feeder through the existing conduit?

Losing fingers since 1969

Wolf (& Rabbit!) commented almost 10 years ago

Try realigning the matter-antimatter injectors and re-route the power through the main deflector. That always worked on Star Trek…failing that there’s always the tachyon beam generator which not only supplies more energy than Hoover Dam but has the added benefit of occasionally tossing you into the future when all the work is done and you’re just smiling at the new table you built.

-- Alec (Friends call me Wolf, no idea why)

Shin commented almost 10 years ago

The hangar feed is buried, and over 100 feet from the pole, so pulling additional feed would not be easy. I’m going to pull the breaker cover, to see what gauge wire had been run. With that, and the distance, I should be able to figure out that amperage capacity of the feed. As I don’t run more than lights, table saw or planer, with the dust collector, maybe cordless charger, I shouldn’t need a lot. I’ll have to calculate the draw of the dust collector and the “hungriest” of the table saw and planer. All of my equipment is 110/120v.

Might have to change the panel out, but I’m hoping that I can run at least one more circuit of outlets.

Keith "Shin" Schindler

Brian commented almost 10 years ago

Yeah that should be fine. All I have is lights and 20A for power. Just 2 circuits. I should have added one more for power but it’s pretty rare to blow a breaker. Of course, my DC is just a shop vac.

Losing fingers since 1969

Shin commented almost 10 years ago

Yesterday I pulled the cover from the breaker box and discovered that I have an unused circuit. Didn’t even notice the break away blank in the cover.

Need to figure my run of conduit and outlets. Thinking of relocating my light switch, but that’s probably more work and cost than needed. What I really need, is some lighting, along the Metal Lathe wall.

Keith "Shin" Schindler

More from Shin

Ramblings from a South Central Texas Wood Butcher #29: Hot in South Central Texas, but Making Some Sawdust and Shavings Ramblings from a South Central Texas Wood Butcher #28: Soggy South Central Texas, but Making Shavings and Writing Again Ramblings from a South Central Texas Wood Butcher #27: Soggy South Central Texas, but Making Shavings and Writing Again Ramblings from a South Central Texas Wood Butcher #26: Back in the "Wood Shop," Puzzled and Swinging Ramblings from a South Central Texas Wood Butcher #25: Whoot, Whoot! Back to making chips, shavings, and Dust!
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