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Congrats Hesh. Great timing. I just bought a new house too and will close about 5 weeks. Its new to me, but not so new...1926. It has a great 35x35 bare basement that I get to put a shop into. I'll have to do some wiring as well. I cant wait.

My electrician friend pointed out to me one day that GFCI circuits work only with tools that have a ground wire. All those tools that only have two prongs are not protected.

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Rich S

"The inconvenience of poor quality will linger long after the thrill of a bargain has been forgotten"

Hesh--

Congrats on the new digs!! Having that space is going to be sweet! You've gotten some fine advice above. The only thing that I can add is that it may be worth going to Borders or Barnes and Noble and picking up a couple of pubs from Fine Woodworking; 'Workshop Solutions' and 'Tools and Shops'. More generic, but some great ideas on laying out dust collection and general wiring. Grumpy's suggestion to maintain flexibility is quite important! One of the things we do best on the production floor where I work is move furniture.

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Jim Howell
Charlotte, NC

Congratulations on the new home Hesh,
Two questions, first how much of the basement below grade and second how high is the ceiling?

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Rich S

"The inconvenience of poor quality will linger long after the thrill of a bargain has been forgotten"

Hesh,

Congrats on the new house. Here's some advice from Bruce Dickey from an old post (that I can't find in the archives for some reason).

GregH
Fot Wuth

Electrical Requirements of a typical Guitarmaker's Shop

Consult a licensed electrician in your local area, NEC codes are prevalent across the United States, but local codes sometimes take precedence over national codes, go figure. Also note: many local codes require conduit for commercial applications such as a guitarmaker's workshop. I run Romex or NM sheathed cable only if it is protected from the workspace in a covered situation. In a new shop it is great. Remodelling type situations may force you to use EMT or PVC conduit and fittings.

Typical Workshop 200 Amp Distribution Box, 30 Spaces, 220 Volt

12- 20 Amp 110V. Circuits for items like this:
6 inch Jointer
4 inch Tabletop Sander
6 inch Floor model 6 x 48 Belt Sander
Router Table with Router
Floor model Grinder
Drill Press, floor model
14 inch Bandsaw
Dehumidifier
Humidifier
And in my shop, 9 light switches
Ceiling drop corded outlets are nice

NEC rates each 110 Volt duplex receptacle at 1.5 amps. Each breaker is rated at 80% of it's face value. So your 20 amp single pole breaker is good for 16 amps or ten receptacles. But remember, you are in a near commercial environment so you have to look at power consumption. Anything you plan to have on a circuit, such as lights, use up power on that circuit, so dropping your bandsaw on there, might be too much, just add up the amps and if you are over 80 percent of the breaker's rating, well, it's time for another circuit. And, just because you don't have a tool in a corner today, plan on it being there someday, especially if you are wiring a new shop and it's easily run now where later you may have to run conduit.

4- 20 Amp 220 V. Circuits for items like this:
18 inch Bandsaw
25 inch Dual Drum Sander
2HP Dust Collector
1HP Buffer

While the most efficient, 220 devices may eat up box space, each device requires two poles. So here is where box space may disappear on you when running 220 machines.

40- Amp 220 V. Circuit
Heating Unit with emergency heat strips

30 Amp 220 V. Circuit
Air Conditioning Heat Pump Condensing Unit

Six spaces of the original 30 remain for future expansion
It make sense to plan for future expansion, beyond even the box you currently use.
I have a basement area under my shop which eventually will become my spray booth.
It will require power for a compressor, booth fan, lighting, nitro hot-water bath, etc.
So It'll get a small 12 space subpanel in that area, the wiring already exists from my subpanel.

For Wire sizes of cables, refer to the National Electrical Code Book, revised every three years. It is put out by the NFPA, the National Fire Protection Agency. In many areas code allows individuals to do their own wiring, when working on their own property, it's called a Grandfather Clause. In some municipalities you must hire a licensed electrical contractor, so you have to check, just to see if it is legal to do your own work.
Of course, you leave yourself liable by doing the work yourself. Outside receptacles should be GFCI protected. Sinks in a shop with receptacles within 6 feet are also required to have GFCI protection, either a GFCI breaker or receptacle.

Please feel free to make other recommendations, we may add it to this or incorporate it into this article.

Bruce Dickey

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GregH
Fot Wuth

Many municipalities have rejected the 2008 NEC and have rolled back to the 2005 where Arc Fault are not required. The National Electrical Code is written and published through the NFPA every three years. The National Fire Protection Agency is interested in safe operation of electrical systems. So, some times, it's two steps forward, three steps back.

Reading a copy of the NEC is like reading a bible in a language other than your own. Unless skilled in technical jargon of the electrical engineers, it's best left to the licensed electrician, and it's even tough for them. I doubt Hesh could purchase enough insurance on his new home, if the company knew he was rolling his own electrical work. That said, here in Arkansas at least, Joe homeowner can do whatever he pleases in electrical mods to his home. (It's called the grandfather clause) He just can't resell it for two years, legally.

Good luck Hesh, great looking workspace.

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http://www.dickeyguitars.com

Hesh,
My shop is 12' x 30' and I started from bare walls similar to your new place. Over the past 3 years I learned one very important planning lesson which is no mater how well you plan today you will reorganize your shop several times before you get it right. Reorganizing of the shop doesn't seem to affect my 120V outlets but more of an issue for the 220V circuits. For several of my 220V circuits I installed outlets (twist lock type) on the ceiling with a 10' pigtail extensions as a drop. This has served me well for my Unisaw and a few other machines that I tend to roll around the shop often. I have also found that it is important to know which machines will run at the same time when sizing your subpanel. In my case I have a 50 amp sub panel (which is too small) but if I added up all my machines I would need a subpanel that might be over 100 amps which isn't required. One side note...when I started my shop I didn't have a single 220v machine. Now I have a table saw, drum sander, edge sander, band saw, motorized dish sander, and dust collector that run 220V. I found that if I can run 220V I will run 220V since it uses half the amps. This is something I would have planned better for if I were starting over.

You may also find as you get a bigger shop you may get some larger machines with mobile bases. In case you haven't figured it out, mobile bases don't work well on carpet.

Best of luck!

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Brad
Avon, OH

Hesh,
Congrats on the new digs!

Only things I can add to what's been suggested.

Build for more than you think you need.

Factor in dust collection - cyclone outside perhaps? Check out Paul's shop (Sprockett) at Patriot Guitars.

Have that egress window as part of your shop. You want at least two ways to get out of there in case of fire (my bro-in-law talkin' here).

Have fun!

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now known around here as Pat Foster
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http://www.patfosterguitars.com

Hesh,

As you know I've been doing the house reno thing for a couple years now. In Australia all household wiring has to be done by a licensed electrician (at least in this state), and we have different voltages (all 240V, 50hz - mostly 10amp) so I can't really comment on what you need other than lots of circuits and a kill switch near the door that you can flick on your way out. And don't forget a decent smoke alarm (hardwired in) too.

First thing you do is call all your mates to find out who has a mate that happens to be an electrician. Then you can probably get mates rates, this might just mean you pay for materials and pay for their time in booze. Or you can just get cheaper rates without Mr Taxman having to know about it. So get him in for a quick consult and tell him what you propose to do - he might see a problem or two that can be worked around now before the walls go up. Also, while you've got them on the phone, ask your mates to see if any of them have the tools you'll need for framing up a couple walls.

Then frame up your stud walls. Then get the sparky back in to run the wire. You can save money (and his time) by having a decent drill with a speed borer at hand. While he's mucking about with wires you can be drilling holes in wall studs so he can run the wire (you don't want to pay some tradesman an hourly rate to be drilling holes now do you?). Give him a marker and tell him to mark where he wants the holes. He's more likely to not mind this if he's a mate, or a mate of a mate.

Once the wires are in you can sheet up the walls (you can hire a panel lift to hold up the drywall sheets - makes doing a good job by yourself acheivable). Then the sparky comes back to put the switches in. If you've already cut out the plaster board where the switches are going to go (and pulled the wires through), you won't have to pay him to do it. All he has to do is wire em up.

I've just about finished rewiring the whole house, I've ripped out old walls and framed up new ones. I've saved a bunch by doing it all this way, and got exactly what I wanted. Sometimes it ain't what you know, it's who you know.

Bruce,
Many states are setting aside the arc fault requirement until the manufacturers have caught up(Oregon set it aside till October, even though they adopted the 2008 code April 1st). This is normal, and actually provisions are written into the code, but most states set these things aside to avoid confusion. The Arc fault requirement will be adopted, it is a good code. Now if you want to talk about selective coordination, that is a change of one word (one of those should to shall things) that should never have been adopted. Shoot even UL recommended not to make that change .

A couple comments;


As far as the calculation information. Residential calculations are not handled quite the same as commercial, but your recommendation for branch circuit loading is good for general purpose receptacles in a non dwelling(where no spacing requirements apply throughout the space). The 80% loading relates to a non-continuous full rating vs a continous rating of 80% on most circuit breakers(although some expensive breakers do carry a 100% continus rating). Many loads do not run for 3 hours or more(meaning they are not continous loads), but we mix general purpose circuit loads such as lighting and receptacles (which we can't predict what will be connected)so it is a good rule of thumb. Most all these recommendations are good, but diversity in a residential situation is certainly reasonable vs a commercial environment(look at the usage). If you added up the connected load of each piece of equipment and then allow 80% loading you are probably going a little overboard(although, barring cost it wouldn't hurt anything). Really not all of that equipment will be used at the same time in a home shop situation, and I think a regular residential calculation(standard or optional) would still be reasonable with consideration given to actual use. The residential optional calculation is viewed by many electricians as being too low, but the engineers I have dealt with at our local utilities have shown me historic information(what they will use to size your service irregardless of what size panel and breaker you put in) that places residential demand at close to half of what the NEC's optional calc amounts to. I have learned you do not look at the panel to figure out what the utility has provided for (they will feed you what they figure you will use).

Also it would be worth adding the GFCI requirement to all general use receptacles in an unfinished basement. Seems like an area many of us wind up setting up shop.

I also believe using 220 for any motor rated 2 HP or more is a really good idea. It requires smaller wire, decreased voltage drop which is really important when trying to start a motor (lower starting starting is tuff on motors). I recall a parking garage project I worked on once. We had a 120 volt air compressor for the fire suppression system we had to start. The circuit had to run a long distance (something like 400'+). I tried to calculate how much I would have had to size the conductors up to start that motor at that distance and still remain within the low range of allowable voltage. The conductors would have been close to 500 KCMIL Cu.. 120 volt lighting is another area that throughs up flags in commercial applications. Even though we could load many 20 amp 120v lighting branch circuits to 16 amps, we never load them that high. 8 or 9 amps is usually workable without having voltage drop issues(again a rule of thumb only).

Rich

HESH!

What were you thinking? You're gonna have to move in 3-5 years! Next house, you'll need an outside egress to truck in your 25" dual drum sander, etc.

Hesh, you might want to consider running some of your wiring on the outside of the walls in conduit. Much easier to change or move receptacles. Only after you have things set up do you realize where you want some of the receptacles and switches. Does this mean that we'll actually see sawdust in your new shop?

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A higher purpose for wood.
Rich Smith
Issaquah, WA

200 amps seems pretty huge (considering you can run 3-4 Fadals off of that!) but I'd get that much if I were building new. I'd say 100 amps would be a minimum smart amount to set aside for a shop without unattended tools in it, I've seen a cabinet shop on 60 though they were cutting it really close all the time.

External wiring, as Mario mentioned, is absolutely a great idea for every reason except cosmetics; and my shop isn't there to look pretty!

Set up your dust collector either centrally where it can be betwixt all the dust-creators or against a wall where you can run one straight duct to all of the tools (with blast gates to each to maximize the suck). Air tools and air drops everywhere are great if you can cough up for a good compressor...two-stage will save you having to wear three sets of overlapping ear protection

I'm looking forward to a new shop as well, because 20x50 is awfully cramped if you stick a full office, anodizing setup, woodworking shop, and a certain machine the size of a van in it...the Fadal + compressor + dust collector + clearance all around easily eats up 400-500 square feet.

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Bob Garrish
Former Canonized Purveyor of Fine CNC Luthier Services

Another thing, small detail, Hesh. Along the wall where I store plywood, my receptacles are high enough off the floor so that a 4 x 8 sheet on its side doesn't cover them up.

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now known around here as Pat Foster
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http://www.patfosterguitars.com

Hesh,

Congratulations on the new house and shop. I'm a little late to this party, but I'll throw in my two cents.

Electrical work in not hard. Reading up on the code will help you get past inspection with the details but running wire and putting in outlets is just work. Planning and laying out the circuits requires some knowledge, but perhaps less so in a simple shop.

Once you start hooking up wires you should have a pretty good idea of what you're doing. The consequences of making a mistake include burning down your house and possibly your family with it.

While I'm not an actual practitioner of the right way to do something like this, it's good advice. My advice is to layout the shop on paper (google sketchup is cool free software that isn't too hard to learn). Cardboard cutouts on the floor help visualization - or tape up cardboard 3-d tools and move them around. Figure out how the layout is going to work for you, write down all the info from your tools power needs, and then hire an electrician. They can help you size everything and they'll put it together safely.

If you want to do it yourself, it's certainly a doable project, but if you really don't know much about electricity, make sure you do your homework.

I second everyone on outlets. You can't have too many. One other thing to keep in mind is keeping your lights on their own circuit. You don't want something to blow your breaker and leave you in the dark with your hands in the jointer.

Miek

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Mike Lindstrom

Many, many thanks everyone!!!! It never ceases to amaze me how very helpful you all are and never once, at least not yet.... , has anyone made fun of me for being clueless about this stuff.

What I have learned so far is that it is probably a good idea for me to design the shop first and then once I have things marked out call in and find an electrician who will let me do some sweat equity under his direction. What I mean is take his/her direction and rough everything in and let the electrician make all of the connections.

I like the idea of running the conduit/trays/etc outside of the walls for easy access and having some drop downs too.

Mind you I like to use minimal tools and don't envision a Cyclone in my future or a CNC set-up but I hear ya that WAS is a never ending thing.

Thanks again everyone!!!!!!! I'll post progress pics after I get some of the outside projects done i.e. lawn, landscaping, driveway, etc.......

Oh and one more question please - when one finishes their own basement do I need to get a building permit?

Don't forget the toilet, shower and sink for old times sake!

Biggest thing, I see is to find out where you want to go with your shop in the near future, machinery, layout, lighting, then everything else electrical falls into place.

Man that's like the perfect basement!

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Billy Dean Thomas
Covina, CA

"Multi famam, conscientiam, pauci verentur."
(Many fear their reputation, few their conscience)

Hesh - I wired my own subpanel for the garage, pulling 100 Amps from the main box, and ran a wiremold around the perimeter with a separate circuit for each receptacle. The 110 lines have GFCI outlets. I have never had any trouble with any of the tools (tablesaw, bandsaw, jointer, 16/32, planer, drill press, hand tools) throwing the GFCI's. I do have one that I think throws itself occasionally - these things can be temperamental.

I was scared to death of wiring before I took this on - now it seems easier to me than some of the woodworking tasks. But I did hire someone to connect the subpanel to the main box, and to inspect the whole thing before he did the connection.

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Jim Kirby
kirby@udel.edu

Hesh, I'm completely jealous! Not just because you have an awesome space to convert into a shop, but you sold your old place and can move! I've had my mausoleum on the market since last August and can't sell it!

Lots of good information on this thread for you to digest. One thing I would strongly recommend is overhead drops to the machines and several outlets in the ceiling with the retractable cords. This keeps all your electrical cords off the floor so you don't trip on them or, heaven forbid, you discover that the basement gets wet at some point...

Good luck with the move!

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Mitch

Just for info for those that may not know. Any power tool that comes supplied with just two prong 120v plug is double insolated with theoretically no way for the current to short to the outer shell even in the case of an inertial direct short. That said the cord its self could be shorted and be a potential electrical hazard.

And please everyone I know this should go with out need of saying, but do not break off the ground prong from a three prong plug. Get and adapter and screw the green dangle clip wire into the socket attachment screw. It aint perfect but is your last chance to stop a short from reaching you.

The electrician who said you have to have an equipment ground or a GFCI will not work is wrong (period). The GFCI monitors current flow between conductors, and reacts to an imbalance(meaning some of the current is following a path outside that circuit). An equipment ground is bonded to the metal parts of tools to allow the circuit breaker to trip. This is done to avoid having a metal part become energized and isolated, thus waiting for you to grab it and some other grounded surface allowing current to flow through you. Tools that are double insulated are not required to have an equipment grounding conductor because they have no exposed metal parts.

GFCI protection is also used on many older electrical installs where no equipment grounding was required. The GFCI is the perfect fit for these applications specifically because it does not need a grounding conductor to function properly.

Congratulations on the new house and new shop potential, Heshie!

Lots of great suggestions so far. Moisture barriors on walls, floor and ceiling are a critical 1st step IMO. It will also give you an opportunity to make it easy on the joints by choosing a comfotrable floor covering.

Let me know how I can help in the execution...the drive just became 30 minutes closer!

BTW... the governor of Indiana just decided to add more National Guard troops to the northern border once he heard of your impending southerly move. I recommended a fence!

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JJ
Napa, CA
http://www.DonohueGuitars.com

Congratulations. Looks great! Is that carpet in there already. That would make things easier. I'd like to have seen the look on the realtors face when you set up hygrometers and moisture meters and made a condition of sale "must have relative humidity below 50%".

You did say you would frame before wiring. That is most wise. 16 slot sub panel is cheap. Locate it central and will probably save you money. You must have the electrical book for dummies at your hardware store. We have one here and it even has pictures. If you can build a guitar you can and should learn to pull a few wires. It's pretty straight forward and if you are setting up a shop you really don't want to be calling an electrician every time you want to make a change or addition. Doing it correctly though is of most importance.

Best of Luck,
Danny

Yeah - good thing that in Indiana "north" means bordering on Ohio.......... Wasn't Dan Quail from Indiana.......

Seriously thanks for the help JJ my friend and I am sure I could benefit from your shop layout expertise as you did for Uncle Bob.

Thanks again everyone I have lots of good ideas now and you all have been an enormous help!!!!

The wiring seems to be settled....

Now, about those windows....

I don't want any natural light in my face while working. On a brigh sunny day, if I'm working near a window, then walk away to a power tool, no matter how well lit my shop is(and it is), it's still dark there for a few minutes, as my eyes don't adapt as quickly as they used to. Also, if you have any unfinished wood or guitar parts on a bench where direct sunlight will hit them, they'll get a suntan before you realize it. Not good...

So, try to set up the shop layout to have the windows at you side or back, or use them to light the machine(large power tools) area, and not the workbenches.

When it comes time to cover the walls, if you go the drywall route, seriously consider having at least 1/4" OSB behind the drywall. This way, you can add a nail or screw anywhere to hang a tool, etc.... I forgot to do this in mine, and kick myself everything I want to hang something on a wall..... OSB is at it's lowest prices in 20 years right now. Use it!