Juiced - What a Luxury!

[Bill Grumbine]

Greetings all

As things have been changing for the better in the shop, in some ways they changed for the worse. Over the past eight months, I added two Mini Max machines, a combo machine which took the place of my table saw, jointer, planer, and a bandsaw. The combo also contains a shaper and a slot mortiser, tools I have never owned before but which are seeing good use.

However, there was a price to pay, and that was more wiring. When I started with this shop, I put in a 200 amp panel just for whatever might come down the line. But when the new combo machine came, I only had one 220v outlet, and that was plugged into the lathe. No problem says I, I can't saw boards and turn wood at the same time. It turned into a problem though just because it was a hassle moving the stupid plug around from machine to machine. In April when the MM 20 came to live in the shop, the problem got even worse, especially since the lathe and the bandsaw get used together often.

Today that all changed, and I feel like the shop is a new place again. A buddy of mine came over and we wired in three outlets on three circuits, all with shiny new conduit. I can run all three machines at the same time now (not that that is likely), but I no longer have to do the plug dance, weaving the stupid cord around from machine to machine. As an added bonus, I will shortly have a 110v outlet on the one wall where before there was none except in the very corners. I won't know what to do with all the time saved moving extension cords around!

It takes so little to make me happy.

Bill

[Michael Ballent]

Moving cords around is such a drag. Glad to hear that you were able to add those circuits to your shop. Unfortunately for me I will be stuck with the extension cord shuffle for sometime :(

[Cecil Arnold]

I would think that and a cold malted beverage would make anyone happy.

[Jim Becker]

'Hope you remembered the circuit for the Gorilla, Bill!! ;)

Seriously, the cost of the extra circuits will be offset nicely over time in time...and you can keep cords organized a little better, too, for safety, something important in your shop, not only for your own efforts but for those who come in as students. Congrats on a great shop upgrade!

[Larry Heflin]

So which combo did you get? And where are the pics?


Larry

[Bruce Page]

Nice upgrade Bill, but I’m jealous! My lathe & mill are hard wired into their own breakers but my TS, BS & planner all have to be plugged into my single 220 outlet – one at a time of course.:(

[Von Bickley]

Bill,
Sounds like you're moving on up... I know the new receptacles will make your life a lot easier. :)

[Michael Perata]

You are going to have a lot of fun with the 300. If I can offer any usage suggestions drop me a note.

[Brad Schmid]

I feel your (previous) back pain :( I have 2 220v outlets I have to share between jointer/compressor/lathe/bandsaw. One of these days I'll stop everything else I'm doing and make my life easier like you just did. There just always seems to be something higher on the priority list :) But for now, I'll just have 'lectron envy of all you folks livin' the good life ;)
Cheers,
Brad

[Frank Pellow]

I will bet now that you wonder why you did not get the rewiring done a long time ago.

Thanks in large part to advice from the folks here at Saw Mill Creek, my shop has 6 240 volt receptacles. In addition, there are 4 junction boxes with a two metre loop of 10 gauge wire buried behind them for possible future outlets.

[lou sansone]

it seems that you never have enough outlets. glad to see you got the upgrade

lou

[Jeff Sudmeier]

I am still using the extension cords and doing the "dance". I have finally convinced myself that it is worth the extra 30 seconds to route the cords so they are out of the way :)

Congrats on the new outlets, sounds like they were much needed.

[Steve Cox]

I just had the final inspection on my electrical service yesterday. 100A sub panel, 8 220V outlets, 10 115V outlets, dedicated light circuit, and a new heater. It makes my life much easier. Congrats Bill, I know from experience how nice it is.

[Kelly C. Hanna]

Congrats on the new wiring, I know how that feels!

My new shop is already wired, but has no 220's...I have to add four of them as well as another light circuit. The existing lights are on their own circuit already...:D

I measured the square footage yesterday during the inspection and I'll have 640 sq.ft. !!

That's 240 more than I do now and there will be no WD or car/lawn tools sharing the space! I will have my fridge out there though...:D

[Bill Grumbine]

Hi guys

This morning saw a little bit of finish work to get a 110 outlet wired in, and luxury of luxuries, a remote on/off switch that mounts on the slider of the combo machine! No more crawling on my hands and knees to turn the saw on when a sheet of plywood is strapped to the table.

Jim, the Gorilla has its own circuit waiting for it. When I got rid of my unisaw, I had a 12 ga wire running across the shop with nothing plugged into it. I switched the breaker from a double pole to a single pole, and wired it into my current cyclone. The Gorilla is going in the same place for now. In the long term I would like to move it outside.

Larry, I bought a Mini Max CU 300 Smart last November, or more accurately, I bought it in Nov of '03 and picked it up in Nov '04. I posted some pics of it about that time, but things have changed a lot in the shop. I will see about getting some that are a little more current.

Michael, thanks for the offer. I have had this thing (the 300) since November, and I am just now starting to not hate the slider. It has given me some real fits getting it adjusted to the way I want it, but I think the end is in sight. I do know what its potential is, which is why I forked out for the 8 1/2 foot version. It has been a real learning curve though.

Frank, I don't have to wonder at all. Around here, we say I had the itch, but not the scratch to get it done. Besides, a long time ago is only back to November.

But the final icing on the cake was the remote box on the slider. This machine can take a full sheet of plywood in either direction. But, once it is loaded up, I need an arm about 6' long to reach the on button. I bought a remote switch from a friend of mine who no longer needed it on his CU 300, so now I have an on/off button within easy reach regardless of what kind of wood is on the saw!

I will try to get some pictures in the next few days.

Thanks to all of you who took the time to respond.

Bill