outlet

[SGKent]

Have a tight 4' deep workbench area that is a PITA to reach behind it to plug in a drill etc. Was thinking about adding an outlet to the inside of the left side workbench leg and just running NM-B 12/2 w/ground under the workbench side to a plug and leave it plugged in to make power access at the workbench easier. The outlets on the wall are GFI outlets but it is always a 4' reach over projects to plug something in, or get an extension cord from another part of the garage. Typical things I might plug in are a drill, dremel, battery charger, laptop etc.. The vacuum and other things like car buffers have long cords and or extensions so I don't see them getting plugged in there. Its for quick jobs like soldering a wire, drill one hole, charge a drill battery etc.. Unfortunately the vise is in that area also and sometimes I file, or cut metal things with a hack saw. Trying to decide if a piece of plastic or vinyl upholstery stapled to hang over the outlet when not in use is enough protection for the outlet from falling filings, or if I need to rethink where it is going to go. The other side is the dryer and I'd rather not have it around where people are throwing wet clothes into the dryer. The middle is in my way. There is no space on either side of the workbench. Maybe move it 12" - 14" off center. I'll try to post a photo. Right now it is trial mounted on the front but it would be slightly recessed if moved to the left leg.

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Arrow shows where it will plug in. I put that there on a dedicated 20 amp circuit back in the 1990's when the prior workbench was not as deep.

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[mm08822]

How about a 6' plug strip mounted on the wall above the parts bin. Plug it right in to the existing recept.

 

[SGKent]

How about a 6' plug strip mounted on the wall above the parts bin. Plug it right in to the existing recept.

could do a plug strip on the top side of the workbench. The wall is too clumsy a reach over the workbench. I have some spare ones, I'll see - would be easier maybe also but I would give up a little space. Not a bad idea.

 

[ez-duzit]

A power strip under the overhang is handy.

 

[californiaHank]

Whether you do a power strip or a box, recess it so it doesn't stick out beyond the bench top. Ez-duzit has it right - you can't accidentally damage his outlet strip or plugs because they're safely protected by the bench top overhang.

 

[sberry]

The cable you are using g isn't designed for a plug, a power strip is good.

 

[Outlander]

A power strip under the overhang is handy.

This works. Just make sure you position it such that liquids don't leak through from above. My primary bench has a sacrificial top so the power bar needs to be off to the side.

 

[SGKent]

thank you

 

[ez-duzit]

When I switch that power strip on the lights over that work area come on. I have all my shop lights setup that way so I can conserve energy.

 

[Bretny]

Where you have that box my the vise now i see it getting broke. Use a metal box at least. Can you put it more towards the center or cut out the box shape in the bench?

I find my self reaching over my bench alot for my outlet too. I might try one of those HF long power strips. A shop never had to many outlets.

 

[SGKent]

until I get a chance to do something else. The connections are solid and the outlet is GFI protected. When I have time I will get a metal outlet strip to mount somewhere else. All I need do now is put some more staples in for the romex. I'll probably staple a piece of thick plastic drop cloth in front of it to be 100% sure no filings get into it. . Thank you all.

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[fourjeepin]

I have two power strips mounted to my bench. One on the center leg and one on the opposite end from then vise. Works out well and I don’t have to unplug a tool to plug in another.

 

[Norcal]

Attachment plugs are NOT made for solid wire, nor is NM cable ''Romex®" made to be used as a extension cord, a better choice would have been a 4X4 metal box with a raised cover for either 1 or 2 duplex receptacles, and a suitable length of 14/3 cord plus a connector to secure the cord to the box.

 

[sberry]

It might need to be 12 if is going to feed multiple recepts. Power strips use 14 but there is additional breaker. This job screamed duplex with a strip or 2 plugged in.
Most all this is gone now. Simply removed strips. Cant really see 1 strip but 21 outlets in this little spot.

 

[NUTTSGT]

The area of my work bench where I do dirty work, like cutting and grinding, I mounted the box and outlet underneath the bench. I have to look underneath the bench to plug stuff in but it keeps the **** out of the outlet.

 

[alfredeneuman]

Power Strips are listed by UL as "Relocatable Power Taps", and can't be daisy chained, have to be plugged into permanent receptacles, and have to be removable without the use of tools (that's why the keyhole shaped mounting holes)
https://www.uidaho.edu/-/media/UIda...Occupational-Safety/electric/0712-region2.pdf

 

[sberry]

Hmm never knew or considered they couldn't be chained. I understand those keyhole that ain't worth squat. I do understand about perm recepts as it would be possible to use it on a cord too light. User could put multiple recepts on 16 cord.
Perm recepts being min of 15A would provide ocp for multiple recepts.

 

[alfredeneuman]

I understand those keyhole that ain't worth squat.

They're designed that way to discourage the buyers from screwing them down tight.
They do a pretty good job of that, don't you agree?

 

[sberry]

I usually.got them with a zip tie. I was at a buds place a while back, he is a spark type and I look at his tv/av. 34 devices plugged in to a circuit.

 

[alfredeneuman]

I was at a buds place a while back, he is a spark type and I look at his tv/av. 34 devices plugged in to a circuit.

It doesn't matter the number of devices plugged in. It's the amount being used at one time.
I rent a place, so I can't any make modifications. I have about 30 "devices" plugged into one circuit, including a microwave, toaster, coffee pot along with 4 computers, and a 55" TV. I've never tripped the breaker, because I don't use them all at once.
What's all that got to do with power strips anyway?

 

[sberry]

It's just nonsense in this thread, yes, I do understand applied load and it really wasn't intended to educate you. My helper can pretty much live his life on a single circuit too, he has a lot of **** plugged in.
Yes, my other bud with 34 items said he metered with about everything he could turn on, 4.1 A or something like that. There were no major appliances on it.

 

[sberry]

I got about 200 circuits or so on 1 service, most of them see 1 load at a time cept for a couple got office equipment and chargers on them.

 

[wanderer]

Attachment plugs are NOT made for solid wire, nor is NM cable ''Romex®" made to be used as a extension cord, a better choice would have been a 4X4 metal box with a raised cover for either 1 or 2 duplex receptacles, and a suitable length of 14/3 cord plus a connector to secure the cord to the box.

This is exactly what I have done in the past and it works very well for me.

 

[sberry]

I am going to mention this again. And I ain't talking to masters, they can do it any way they want. We know that the cord isn't sposed to be part of permanent wire and the cable isn't meant for temp but there is another fundamental principle here. I am guilty,,, some pieces old and under my or pro control so to speak.
The 14 cord is good if it is to an appliance, or single end like a common cord has on a 15 circuit. This is why power strips are ok, they have an additional breaker for adding additional outlets. A 3 way with no fuse is sposed to be to a permanent outlet or designed with 12 wire so it passes 20A,, like a gfci and other devices, pass thru 20.
I got a fan got a duplex on.it, has 16 wire but it has 10a breaker.
This is still ony bucket list, I been fixing them and have a couple to go. Places I wired on ready made 16 whips to equipment I connected cord and plug. Mostly switched stuff and not general likely to be overloaded. Example, take a 4x4 , put beam clamp on it and cover with switch and duplex. Basically a made power strip but in reality the wrong wire or lacking additional ocpd.

 

[sberry]

I used to think I had to make everything custom and use every fitting ever invented. I fix some of it by simply removing old work and replacing it with a UL strip. Pre wired, even has switch. Parts cost 2x as much, all that has its place.
I look at my benches, one has 16 cord, they all got some 14 to duplex. Some is fine provided it's on a 15 like it is.
I did it cause of wire I used and to lower the short circuit threshold a bit where we plug in so much different stuff, mostly 16 cord tools. But, the last bench we make for my tech we do correctly and use all 12 cord and wire for use on 20 circuits.
It's on wheels, could be moved.

 

[Norcal]

This is exactly what I have done in the past and it works very well for me.

Many say the same about using zip cord in the wall to add a receptacle.

 

[sberry]

Ha,,, I took a kitchen fixture apart in an old house apart a while back. I believe it was to a single Edison base, maybe 2 but the installer had used a lamp cord for a switch loop. I was curious and trying to decide if the installer did or did not fundamentally understand it, did he do it on sheer mechanical reasoning? Knew that the fixture he was installing wouldn't overheat the wire?

 

[sberry]

Many say the same about using zip cord in the wall to add a receptacle.

I saw another a while back had an orange 16 cord half asset surface piped on wall oposite in next room thru it and fished in to a box for bathroom counter top. I should have got a pic, didn't think of it but the kicker was the Genova plummin and elbows part of this . It would have been about 1/2 as much work to run a new wire for this scheme.
She had spent a bunch on paint and some other remodeling that she wasn't gonna take anymore. I told her a day to straighten the place out, run a couple new wires and it would have tidied it up some and eliminate the potential overloads.

 

[theoldwizard1]

Right now it is trial mounted on the front but it would be slightly recessed if moved to the left leg.

Recess it like you said and use a double box (2 duplex outlets). You night want to consider using a metal box because the mounting bracket is the only support.

 

[Bill vonSteuben]

In a lab where I worked there was a 6 x 6 table. I located a receptacle on a drop cord over the table and found it very convenient.