Color Code Your Outlets To Eliminate Fuse Blowing Frustrations

For years Ive dealt with the frustration of running every power tool (& the lights) in my shop off of a single 15A outlet on a circuit shared with the hall in the house. This has meant that I faced constant mid-cut circuit popping. Because I do most work in the shop at night, Ive also had to learn to find my circuit breaker by feel when the lights go out.

My sorry old original 15A outlet.

Thankfully the new 110V electric for the shop has just been finished. There are now three (3) 20A circuits dedicated to the shop alone. This has meant fewer extension cords, much less unplugging & re-plugging, the ability to use multiple tools at once (table saw, shop vac, air filter & lights!) and most importantly - no blown fuses. I chose to install 20A circuits in the garage so that it would be near impossible to blow a fuse with a single tool. However, running multiple tools (such as my planer & dust collector) simultaneously on the same circuit could still exceed 20A. In order to avoid this, I used a two (2) step process.

First, I wired the shop so that the three (3) circuits were each equally distributed around the shop (or at least the wall I wired so far). While its not quite an A, B, C, A, B, C, A, B, C . . . pattern, it is close. From anywere on the wall at least two (and often all 3) circuits are easily reachable.

Outlets. So many outlets.

The second thing I did to avoid overloading any single circuit was to color code the outlet covers. I left one (1) circuit white and used the Rust-Oleum spray paint for plastic to paint the outlet cover plates for the second circuit blue and for the third, green. I dont expect the paint to look pristine for long, but as long as theres some trace of color, I should be OK. I had initially intended to buy outlets in multiple colors, but buying so many 20A outlets in non-standard colors proved prohibitively expensive. I think Ive managed to achieve the same effect for much less with spray paint.

White, Green & Blue. One color per circuit.

Because the outlets are all color coded, I can now easily avoid over using the same outlet. I simply plug the second tool into a different colored outlet.

Its now super easy to tell which circuit Im plugged into.

Ive not yet been able to build a full project with the new electric, though I have milled up a piece of 8/4 oak with no blown fuses. Running off my old, single 15A outlet, this would have been an exercise in frustration.

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Jumat, 19 Februari 2016

WIA11 The Maloof Leg to Seat Joint w Charles Brock

I had the intention of writing up every class I attended at WIA. Though that didnt quite happen, I did manage half of a class description for the first class I took. This is a quick review I wrote while in the class.

Charles Brock describes how to make the cut on the table saw.

Charles began by addressing the issue of Maloof inspired. Hes right when he says hes continuing a tradition and creating his own (beautiful) interpretations.
The focus of this class is how Charles joins the legs to the seats. He uses a rabbeted notch joint. Its a similar point to Maloof, with Charless own choice of making the splay.

The class was lively and Charles is a warm and friendly Southern Gentlemen. The class served as a good primer to this useful chair joint. If you know the joint already, the class is a bit repetitive.
And no, he doesnt sell the hat.

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Kamis, 11 Februari 2016

An Update on the Shop

Well, my friends, Ive been a little light on the blogging lately. Besides the normal rush of activity associated with my Twins birthdays and Christmas, Ive spent every free minute in the shop, trying to make progress on phase 1 of my shop renovations. Phase 1 consists of re-wiring, insulating and sheathing the North, East & South walls.
Working on the shop so much lately (and probably the new year too) has made me reflect on how far the shop has come in the 3-1/2 years since we  bought the house. Heres a video I just found. I shot it that first summer in the house, 2008.  Its not the best quality, but it does capture the clutter and disarray of the that first setup.

Now, here is a shop tour from November of 2011. Watch it carefully and I promise that though it may at first look just as cluttered as 2008, it is much more organized. Once phase 1 of the renovations are complete, I expect the the shop to be very organized.

Thanks for checking out the shop and stopping by the Blog. This is actually my 100th post, and the experience has been so much nicer than I could have imagined. Thanks.
Now, please, go occupy your shop.
And . . . yes. I know I cant spell. Even a degree in English couldnt cure me of that.

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Jumat, 05 Februari 2016

A Seat Carved with a Table Saw

Ive been interested in sculpted furniture for a while. One of the projects Ive been obsessed with and gearing up for is a chair. The design Ive been kicking around in my head for my first chair juxtaposes a very square frame with a sculpted seat and back (hopefully well).
Over the years Ive picked up Kutzall carving disc, an Arbortech Turbo Plane and a Foredam rotary tool. Ive played with them all a bit. Theyve got a bit of learning curve, but theyre really fun to play with. I havent mastered them yet, and Im still a bit nervous about shaping a chair seat.
I may not need to though. This video (and the accompanying article in Popular Woodworking) show how Mario Rodriquez shapes seats using a relatively simple table saw jig.

This is a very cool technique, which I definitely want to try. Im not sure Ill leave the seats like this (I think the flat bottom could use a bit more shaping), but its certainly a quick choice to make a nice, carved seat.

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