I’m new to wiring and could really use help from someone with more experience for this project.
I’m designing and building a flip top tool cart for my home woodshop and I’d like to incorporate power with cord management, similar to how the Fisher’s design on YouTube runs a power strip through the axle into the tabletop. https://youtu.be/WXQ707IvutI?si=F6xleT2NX08zyZ5f my design will be different than his, but the principle is still the same.
With that said, one of the tools I want to put on this cart is a Dewalt DW735 thickness planer, and I’ve got a Lux Cut III helical cutterhead installed in it. As per Snekker’s tests with the comparable Byrd SHelix head, this planer with an aftermarket helical cutterhead winds up pulling well over its specified 15 Amps- in his tests he found it pulled like 32. https://youtu.be/47PyY4K47KU?si=CRE3EhZZbS85pzBK . In my own testing with a 15A surge protector power strip I had lying around, the planer trips the switch within 5 seconds of being turned on. This clearly prevents me from using any of the power strips that have a circuit breaker switch built into them. But on the other hand, a Rockler 30’ retractable extension cord had no issue powering it- which has 12AWG cord.
The other detail is that I’d like to get the iGaging 35-607 DRO for this planer so I can make more accurate cuts. That DRO can be run off a USB port. http://www.igaging.com/ip54-ez-planer-precision-dro.html So pair the planer which will likely be drawing 30 ish amps with the 1 or 2 amps the DRO will be drawing, and I could be drawing as much as 35A when that machine is in use.
Considering I want to mount the integrated power inside the tabletop, I’d like to be able to use one of the power strips that has those little L brackets on the ends for screwing into a wall, as opposed to the alternative being a heavy duty extension cord with the wedge shaped head that splits to three outlets.
However, whereas the heavy duty extension cord solution has 12AWG wiring, the mountable power strip is only rated to 12A and from the photos, it’s clear the cord is a significantly lower gauge. I’d be nervous to have a problem with melting if I tried running 30 amps through such a dainty cord.
One inevitable part of the stand’s design is that because the wire is routed through the tabletop axle, you need to cut off the plug to route it, and then attach a new plug end once it’s been snaked through. Considering I would need to do that either way, what I’m curious about is whether I could take apart the mountable box and run a thicker cord in place of the 6.5’ flat plug cord it comes with.
So my question for electricians: were I able to successfully replace that thin cord with 12AWG, could that make it safe to run the planer off the mountable box? Or is it likely that there will still be points of failure within the mountable box itself? Could those points of failure also be rewired with a thicker gauge?
It seems like I will end up needing to use the wedge shaped solution but that is not ideal for the wood design of the tabletop, so I’m hoping it would actually be possible to rewire the mountable box to be safe? Even just the fact that it has USB ports so I wouldn’t need to use a USB wall plug would make the project that much sleeker. But obviously, I don’t want to set myself up to experience a fire- the stand won’t be plugged in when it’s not in use, but I don’t want it melting when running.
There is more than just the power cord that is "light duty" inside a power strip.
GIven your application, I'd run a 12 AWG cord into a "four square" surface mount outlet box. If you are up to it, you can just screw the box to where ever and install two duplex wall style outlets with a metal cover plate. The cord can be run into the box (cut of the socket on the end) through a proper cord-to-box coupler. This will give you four outlets at a cost that will probably be cheaper than any other method.
Also, check out Ross's flip top cart for some neat ideas.
Personally, I didn't bother to run a power cord through the axle of my flip top cart. I unplug it when it is not in use anyway and just coil the cord up. Really not that big of a deal. Just get yourself a really heavy duty extension cord and plug it in when you want to use it. If you want an onboard outlet, you could make your own as Spintergroup recommends and use a 20 amp receptacle to insure that it can handle the extra strain that the 735 with Shelix might put on it. You can cut the receptacle end off of a heavy duty extension (10/3) cord and wire that into the surface mounted box. Of course it would be better if you have a 20 amp circuit you can plug it into.
Note that I have used this retractable cord for years with my 735 without problems, including after upgrading with a Shelix. I've never noticed the cord heating up during use and it has never tripped its built in breaker. I have had other tools trip the breaker, though it turned out it had problems. Of course it was much cheaper when I bought it about 10 years ago.
--Nathan, TX. Hire the lazy man. He may not do as much work but that's because he will find a better way.
12 awg is a little light for that much of a draw. I have a 2 gang receptacle box running off a 30 amp breaker with 10 awg wire. I’m not an electrician either
There are 20A rated power strips with 12/3 wire. I'm not clear on whether you're anticipating continuous loads of 30+ amps or that's just your start up current? What size breaker is in your service panel where this will be plugged in? I don't have a shelix head but I can run my 735 planer and dust collector at the same time on a 20A circuit with no issues. It seems unlikely that the shelix head causes that much of an increase in current draw?
HokieKen- if you watch the video I linked you’ll see for yourself. The planer is listed as being 15A. But even with the OEM cutter head, during passes, Snekker recorded amp draws around 27A iirc. Might not be a 100% continuous draw at that level, but would reach that level every time you did a cut, not just at the very startup. It ties into continuous draw vs peak current as it pertains to tripping a breaker, and I don’t know enough about electrical breaker safety features to understand why it still works without tripping the breaker (not the one in a power strip but like the one in a home’s breaker box)
Responding to SplinterGroup- your comment “there is more than just the power cord that is light duty in a power strip” that’s what I figured, thanks for confirming. Also, I hadn’t seen Ross Leidy’s design. It’s super different from others that I’ve noticed, so definitely worth seeing. With that said, I think I’m going to try to devise my own solution and it’s slightly different than his.
So as for the wiring- just like Ross mentioned and as can be seen in other flip top cart builds on YouTube https://youtu.be/WXQ707IvutI?si=n7iDHm7tjYUKc-cq and https://youtu.be/NNMK-MdnLec?si=YfhwZFpKuWW2Wfa6 I’m going to need to cut off the plug if I want to route the wiring through the tube. Then reinstall a different plug end. As per Corelz125 ‘s recommendation, I might as well look at using a 10AWG cord instead of a 12AWG one, just to give me a little more peace of mind given the current. That poses the question of which replacement plug to order. All of the ones I’ve seen thus far that maintain the normal USA three prong outlet configuration are only rated to 15A. But I don’t have much choice in the matter given that the machine runs off those regular outlets as it is. So I guess at a bare minimum, I need to find one that will accept the added diameter of 10AWG wire in its opening. Any recommendations?
20 amp 125v plugs have a different prong configuration than 15 amp plugs/receptacles (one is turned 90°) so unless you have a 20amp receptacle to plug it into, you will have to simply use a standard 15 amp plug. I would still use a 10 gauge cord because a smaller gauge wire could add resistance that can cause a trip too. Keep the length to the minimum you need to reach where you may have it sitting when you use it.
Note that on the power strip that Kenny linked to, the receptacles on the strip can handle both 15 and 20 amp plugs but the strip's plug is just a 15amp one. Not quite sure what the point of THAT is.
BTW, don't get confused between a 125v 20amp plug and a 240v 20amp plug. They look very similar but are not interchangeable. The 240v version (5-20P) has the opposite prong rotated 90° than the 125v version (6-20P).
--Nathan, TX. Hire the lazy man. He may not do as much work but that's because he will find a better way.
One question though: I had initially been looking at using a pipe with a 0.5” ID for the axle of the flip top. When I took a pair of calipers to the 12AWG extension cord I had lying around, they read as like 0.425” give or take. That’s a relatively tight fit in the tube, probably doable but definetly pushing it. But im guessing a 10AWG is likely to not fit through that hole?
As it is, I’m looking at designing my table in a way where I’d maybe use a cutout slot instead of the T junction that Fisher’s design uses to route the wire into the tabletop. In a smaller ID pipe, that would mean cutting away a larger portion of the circumference and thus weakening the pipe more. So I’m thinking of either switching to the T junction solution he used, or going 12AWG wire in the 0.75” ID hole so that I’m removing only about 35% of the circumference to make an opening, as opposed to nearly 50%
I have an extension cord that is 10 AWG and it is slightly larger than 1/2" in diameter. The sheath and insulation is probably pretty think on a heavy duty cord like that. You would probably have to use a 3/4" pipe if you want to run the cord through it.
I don't think that you need to worry too much about weakening the pipe by cutting it. all of the weight is probably supported at the ends near where it pivots so you could probably just have a few inches of pipe on each end acting as short axles and be fine. You may have mentioned this but the way the Fischer enclosed the power strip inside the flip top is probably not a great idea. If the breaker on it trips, you have to dismount your tool and remove one side of the top. You really want access to the plug.
As I mentioned before, I don't really find it to be an inconvenience to plug it in each time I use it. If you don't want the cord dangling you can simply add a cleat to wrap each tool's cord around when you want to flip it over. Because I didn't go the route of running the cord through the axle, I just used a steel stake instead of a pipe and I can simply use an unaltered extension cord to plug it in. You could even add a cleat or hanger on the side of the cart to store the extension cord. BTW, The stakes were a little cheaper than iron rods (or pipe) and I think that they were a little beefier too.
--Nathan, TX. Hire the lazy man. He may not do as much work but that's because he will find a better way.
