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My New Shop's Electrical System - What do you think?

3K views 46 replies 21 participants last post by  helluvawreck 
#1 · (Edited by Moderator)
After I get my 30' x 30' shop dried in I plan on sheeting the inside with plywood. I like to be able to use nails and screws to hang stuff where ever I want to. I'm planning on installing a 200 AMP service (not 3 phase) to the shop that is completely separate of the house. I will mount the box on the surface of the interior plywood sheeting. I want to run all of my wiring through EMT conduit that is exposed and on the surface of the plywood sheeting of the walls and ceiling. I like this approach better because I will know exactly where the electrical wiring is and it will also be easier to modify the system and add to it. Plus since there will be no wiring inside the walls I will not have to worry about damaging any wiring hidden inside the walls buy driving in nails and screws. I will most likely put a coat of white paint on the plywood sheeting before the conduit, lights, outlets, etc. is installed. This will make the shop brighter and spread the light efficiently. I will try to plan my space carefully so that I can put some conduit into the concrete floor going to the equipment away from the walls - especially the table saws, planer, and joiner. Running conduit along the walls and ceiling to the machinery near the walls will obviously not be a problem.

BTW, the electrical system will be done according to the code by a professional licensed electrician. I have not talked to an electrician yet so some of this will change when he puts his input into it. I will not jeopardize my insurance by doing the electrical myself.

What do you folks think about this approach? Thanks in advance for your ideas.

helluvawreck aka Charles
http://woodworkingexpo.wordpress.com
 
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#2 · (Edited by Moderator)
I like having white walls in my shop, helps with lighting. As for having an electrician do the job, yes. However seeing you are exposing the wires, why not just install the outlets yourself and save a $$. In fact, I'd just have the electrician mount the box and hook it up. I'd do it all from there.
 
#3 ·
well Charles i think it sounds like a good plan, i like it for the same reasons you do, and im really excited to see this come about, when will this project start, and im sure you will do blogs of its progress…it makes me remember when i built my shop, it was one of the most exciting events in my life, as for the last 16 years, my shop has given so much joy…i cant wait to see you in your new shop making saw dust…im sure your going to get to the point where you start to make money from what you make in there…do you have any idea yet where your focus will be…cant wait to this this start…enjoy it..i sure did mine…grizz
 
#4 ·
Russell, the wires will not be exposed. The wires will be inside electrical conduit (EMT) that is mounted on the walls and ceiling. EMT is used inside most industrial plants and is perfectly safe. Yes, the white walls will brighten it up, lift your spirit, spread the light and even make the shop look bigger.

helluvawreck aka Charles
http://woodworkingexpo.wordpress.com
 
#5 ·
charles its no big deal running your own wire and doing your boxes, you could save yourself a good chunk of change by doing it yourself…i did my own house, and ive never had a problem…but its your shop, so be happy with what you have..
 
#6 ·
Hi Charles. Everybodys needs and preferences are different. Personally I don't like having the wiring conduit exposed just for looks and future painting and upkeep, and it is a dust catcher. You could always make a mark on the ceiling or near the floor to indicate the presence of wiring. This will also allow you to have shelves and other storage pieces tight against the wall wherever you want. I guess any advantage always has some disadvantages. I installed 4 socket outlets in several places and even on the ceiling over my tablesaw and vacuum. this has worked out very well because I have an outlet available anywhere in the shop and I use all of them a lot too. That said, you have a lot of experience with working in a shop, so I say do what you think is best and what will work best for you.
 
#7 ·
Grizz, thanks for the kind words. We will move to the property on the 22nd of February and start the shop about then or a little before and I will do a blog about it. I hope that I can clear whatever Social Security will allow because I will have to supplement my SS somehow. I might as well be doing something that I enjoy.

helluvawreck aka Charles
http://woodworkingexpo.wordpress.com
 
#8 · (Edited by Moderator)
Grizz, I've ran conduit and wiring ever since I was 20 years old. The insurance people are becoming very strict and I will not take chances with my insurance. Perhaps I will work with the electrician under his guidance. I've done that before as well.

helluvawreck aka Charles
http://woodworkingexpo.wordpress.com
 
#9 · (Edited by Moderator)
Charles, just remember to keep outlets at least 18" above the floor and run that EMT either low or high so you can mount shelving. If you plan to have a wood storage rack on your wall, don't drywall that area, just plywood over the studs and make sure they are in good shape. In fact it's a good idea to replace any studs that are not in good shape. Also it's a good time to add studs and or bracing for future needs. One piece of advice, don't over do the outlets, you'll find a 20A retractable cord at Rockler that works great. I use it for machines on the other end of my shop where the garage doors are and if I need to work outside on a nice day. I like to keep as many plugs on the ceiling as possible so I can see the cords and not trip or get them tangled up.

By exposed, I mean not inside the wall.
 
#11 ·
I think it's a good idea for others to remember when building their shop either in an existing structure or a new dedicated structure that it's a good idea to keep the wiring on the outside of the wall where you can see it.
Of course never hide a connection of any kind behind a wall without an inspection plate that is well marked. I will also mark the wall and the outlet with whatever AMP rating it is as well. Don't want to run DC on a 15A breaker.
 
#12 ·
Thanks, Russell. All of the walls and ceiling will be plywood not any drywall at all. Plywood is good and tough and I can hang stuff where ever I want to with screws and nails. I will work with the electrician closely and will look for his guidance and forthought. I also will take into consideration any advice I get here on LJs and will appreciate it. I'm going to put time into planning my shop. I know that it is important. I will have only one chance to get it as close to being right as I can.

helluvawreck aka Charles
http://woodworkingexpo.wordpress.com
 
#14 · (Edited by Moderator)
if you are doing concrete floor
you might consider having 'canals' in the floor
for all interior tool electric/air/vacuum
maybe with ply or steel sheet covers
(make a ledge to keep them flush)
that way you won't have lines coming across the floor
or down from the ceiling
to keep from banging into them
or moving them to roll things around

all the services can be put where the tools will be
and the covers make it easier to add or change later

as far as paint goes
wal-mart has the cheapest
in off white or white semi or gloss
5 gallons for about $100
( the can pictured is just one gallon)
roll it on straight
and forget the primer

Tin Aluminum can Paint Tin can Drink
 

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#15 ·
Charles…EMT is an acceptable ground on its own so the $$$ you pay for the material gets offset somewhat by losing the ground wire, plus you can use single strand wires rather than Romex. I ran 3/4" all around my shop using 4" sq boxes…2 separate 120v circuits in each box plus wiring for 240v. I hated to cut the stuff because it leaves a burr that can cut your wire insulation as you pull it, so other than bends to turn a corner or sneak under a window, they are 10' apart. I like the fact that the boxes are exposed so if I ever wanted to add to anything it would be pretty easy. And I think the exposed EMT looks kind of nice (2 man job though with 10' sticks to keep it level for a professional look).

As for your walls, my experience is that drywall is cheaper up front but shops are shops…it doesn't take long before you become a drywall patching expert (and with time you become a pro at patching drywall patches). Whatever you do, buy a few gallons of brilliant high gloss white paint before you hang anything on it. The difference in lighting is amazing.
 
#16 ·
Seems like those are good ideas. Get a good electrician and that conduit work will look nice in the shop, otherwise it might look like spaghetti on the walls. My preference is for counter top height receptacles all around the shop. Lots of dedicated circuit receptacle too. Remember to plan for stubbing a conduit up near any island workbenches or assembly tables for power to those too. Carefully planning so the conduit is installed neatly and will not interfere with wall cabinets, shelves, dust collection piping…
 
#17 · (Edited by Moderator)
Except for framing and sheet-rock I built my 24×30x10 shop myself.
I believe that as long as your permits are in order the insurance has nothing to say about you doing your won electricity.
I did my own electricity, 200amp panel, and in fact second the the building itself this was the most expensive part of the building. I did not use conduit only Romex all the way round.

" All of the walls and ceiling will be plywood not any drywall at all" in Taylorsville Utah you cannot do that,this is against fire code. this is is huge fire hazard.
Sorry but I think that this is a very bad idea.
 
#18 ·
teejk, the EMT does help in grounding the electrical system but you can't do without the ground wire. All of the ends of the EMT are suppose to have the burrs removed before joining the EMT fittings. All of the neutral wires are suppose to be put in as needed as well. For all of these things I will be relying on a professional electrician. I'm determined that the whole job will be done strictly according to code. Thanks for your input.

helluvawreck aka Charles
http://woodworkingexpo.wordpress.com
 
#19 · (Edited by Moderator)
Sounds good to me Charles. I know there are lots of DYIers who do pretty good on their own electrical, but I have seen too many that should be just torn out and redone!

I recommend stubbing up rigid conduit near your "tool islands". EMT may be legal and PVC surely is, but I'd still use rigid through the slab.

Pulling a ground conductor is a great move. I have seen too many issues with conduit grounds in the last 45 years. The worst was a lose lock nut causing sparks in a gas station. There was a defective motor trying to start and the protective device was auto resetting. Every time it tried to start, there would be a shower of sparks from the bottom of the panel. Thankfully, they didn't have any gas spills that day ;-))
 
#20 · (Edited by Moderator)
The only thing I can add is make sure to run bigger conduit for your main around the shop than what you think you'll need. At least 1" and maybe even 1 1/4". This will allow your electrician to pull additional circuits in the future if needed. You've run a big shop so you know the drill. You know what a bunch of 20 or 30 amp 220v runs can take up.
Don't let your electrician talk you into conduit that is "good enough for now" then he'll want to hit you again in the future to run more conduit because the existing is maxed out. Work in plenty of junction boxes to pull off of for your equipment as teejk said. But you're right about the ground. EMT does not qualify as a proper ground even though it does need to grounded itself.
Have fun getting your new shop "off the ground"...

Edit..I see Topa is around…there's the man to talk to…
 
#21 ·
Charles, you write that you want to do everything by code and to not have problem with your insurance.
Before putting plywood every where on your walls,you better check your fire code and your insurance about what they think about your idea.
I bet you that they will not like it very much.
 
#22 ·
Well, bigger isn't necessarily better ;-(( When you start adding more circuits, you have to derate the amp rating of the wire. In most cases, you will end up running more conduits with few circuits in each as the most economical way to do it.
 
#23 ·
You might be able to work out a deal with the electrician that you run the emt and install the boxes and that he will then come in and run the wires and do the connections. (My grandfather was a electrical contractor in the 30s through 60s and he routinely hired unskilled labor to do the setup work - in this case the emt and boxes.)

I always suggest you consider running 10-3 with ground to each box. 10 gauge will handle up to 30 amps so your tools should never overheat the wire. 3 conductor plus ground allows you to switch any box from 120 volts to 220 volts without having to pull new wire. The incremental cost of the 10 gauge and 3 conductor (plus ground) will be offset the first time you need to replace a 20 amp 120 volt circuit with a 220 volt 30 amp circuit. Simply change out the receptacle and the breaker. National code will allow the red wire to be unused if it is taped at both ends.

You might consider splitting your electrical panels. have the 220 come into one panel and feed off that non-tool items (lights, alarms, frig., etc.) then go through a disconnect and feed a second panel with all of your tools on it. That way you can "pull" the disconnect when you leave the shop and know that no one can start any of the tools without engaging the disconnect. This could be a compelling argument against liability if some person were to get into your shop and hurt themselves.
 
#24 ·
Congrats on the new shop start there Charles, You have incorporated alot of ideas that i am using in my new shop that will be under construction in the second quarter of this year.
I found that plywood interrior walls was a great idea but costly, so I opted to use OSB sheathing on the inside too.
Then I will rent an airless spray rig and shoot it all white.
As for the wiring, NESC (National Electrical Safety Code) requires any exposed wiring that can be bumped or pierced to be in EMT so, you are on the right track there. Also there is a small metal plate that is placed on the wall stud that protects wires from being nailed by the sheetrockers, I will be using these on all wall wire runs … Then I will photo all of the walls for future reference as to where the wires, pipes, and air handling ducts are.
I will be placing two ducts in the slab for the DC, one for the table saw and one for an access point for other tools … with exterior cleanouts of course …
I'm really anxous to see your Blog and watch your new shop evolve … and a bit envyous that you are getting an earlier start.
 
#25 ·
Charles,

Its awesome you get to build your owe shop. Very exciting. I invested in every "shop" book I could find by Tautons or anyone else. It helps to see what others have done and what is and what isn't working. I particularly liked Scott Landis' book "The Workshop Book", but Sandor Nagyszalanczy books have also been very valuable. Jim Tolpins bood the New Traditional Woodworker is also a very good book, full of some very helpful insights.

Before you pull the trigger, I really suggest investing in these materials. You will not regret it. You will be living with your shop for the rest of your life, theoretically. It is worth the time and effort.

In the end, it is about what makes you happy.

This is my opinion on the plywood and electrical coming from all my reading, research and just being me:).

The plywood will make your shop louder as the sound waves from the…shoot I have to run but I will finish up when I get back.

Very Respectfully,

Nate
 
#26 ·
I have seen a lot of "unskilled" conduit work. If it is on the surface to be seen for ever and ever, you might want to use a skilled person ;-)) Even doing underground, the unskilled often scoop it full of rocks. It gets spendy when you have to dig it up for a redo!
 
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