Shop wiring and lighting

[Bob La Londe]

My air compressor can trip on anytime that one of the mills is running. After I program them and press the start button I don't just stand there and watch them run... Even 6 or 7 years ago I would never have thought I would own a mill much less a CNC mill or a couple of them, a CNC router, and have plans to both buy and build more. I can easily see my CNC router, my mini mill, and my big mill all running at the same time with the compressor tripping on and off as needed for oilers, brakes, etc. To be honest I am not likely to be using the 220V RAS, but I can see my wanting to weld something or do a quick cut on the table saw....

A couple extra 220V circuits or atleast the ability to tie them in quickly and easily if needed can't hurt. You aren't going to find to many 5HP motors designed to run on 110V.

I do have my RAS wired into the same circuit for my air compressor, but only because the RAS will be rarely used.

Also, remember that anyplace you have 240 and a neutral you also have 120V.

[Bob La Londe]

Is there? LOL. I know. I know. I am a freak running so much CNC stuff in my one man shop.

[basilisk]

You got me there Bob, not having any CNC, I tend not to think in those terms.

basilisk

[woodchucker]

Ah, so you are like the typical man, we can't color co-ordinate unless we have that female gene.

[krw]

Yes, that's why I said one has to consider how one is using the tools. Few of us have CNC machines, and fewer need 240V for them. However, I think we can all use more 120V outlets.

I'm not likely to find many 5HP motors in my basement without knowing about them some time before they're needed, either. ;-)

As I said, the number of breaker slots is usually limited. Sure, one can put subs in but unless they're needed it's a lot of bother and expense.

I wouldn't even do that but I would wire it into the same circuit as the table saw or band saw (if it were 240V, which it's not).

The key phrase is "and a neutral". I never run neutrals. -3 wire is about 2x the cost of -2 and it's a pain. No need.

[Bob La Londe]

Anyway, my point was that I never had any intention of running a CNC shop

8/9 years ago when I started building the shop, and even 5 years ago +/- when I bought my first small CNC machine I never thought I would want more power for more and bigger machines. Even my 110V machines are getting 220V spindles. I even plan to retrofit my drill presses and manual mill drill to 220V 3 phase motors so I can speed control them with a VFD. I didn't even know how to do stuff like that not that many years ago.

Its not big deal if your shop stays open to add wire and outlets, but if you plan to have workbenches along all the walls with racks and pegboards above all the way around like I do then it's a little more of a pain. If you are sure of your usage then its no big deal anyway.

[basilisk]

I do run a neutral on some 240 runs, I'm doing it in conduit and already have $1.35 or so a foot invested so another 20 cents a foot is no big deal, if there is possibility it will ever be used.

Not going to do it in romex just for the heck of it.

basilisk

[krw]

No need for conduit, either. ;-) If you added the cost of the conduit, you're paying a lot more than that.

Prezactly.

[Lew Hodgett]

---------------------------------------------- "Ed Pawlowski" wrote:

------------------------------------------------------

"Lew Hodgett" wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------- An update:

4 tube high efficiency fluorescent luminaires are available in a 1 x 4 tube configuration used in "troffer" fixtures for office lighting in a 24" x 48" luminaire and a 2 x 2 tube configuration used for industrial lighting in a 12" x 96" luminaire.

Either luminaire has 4 lamps and 2 ballasts in a single unit.

My choice would be the 12" x 96" luminaire laid end to end to form a row for a shop.

Using 2 circuits, you can wire alternate lamps on a circuit providing a 50% and 100% lighting for the whole shop.

Have fun.

Lew

[woodchucker]

Yea, wish I had run 2 ckts to my 4 bulb t8 fixtures. There are times I want less light. I have 2 ckts, but it's to different units. Would have made sense to make it 2 or 4 bulbs.