YOU SAID;
I'm moving my wood-shop (hobby) into a detached garage. The room is 18'x23' with 9' ceilings. Anyone have any advice on light types (for both overhead general lighting and workbench task lighting), how much lighting to use (maybe there's a formula or some code guidance?).
REPLY;
There is no rules in the NEC that demand layout of floor lighting in a garage. One porcelean keyless light will meet the demand of floor lighting in a garage per the NEC. Concerning smart design concerning floor lighitng in a garage you need to think out your planned work operation in your garage. A lot of the lighting design depends on what you palen to do and where. For example if you have a garage the size you mentioned and you were working mechanically on a large pick up truck then you would not want to install a row of lights down the center of that garage or you would have dark areas where you can not see on the sides and ends of that truck especially under the hood. Most likely you would want in that work design not to center one row of light or even three rows of lights running perpendicular to the veihicle planned position during work proceedures. The most common light placement in this work design would be to place a row of lights contrary to even spacing but mounted so that the lights would shine around the sides and ends of hte planned position of the truck being worked on. This way the lighting would shine on the sides, into and even under the hood of that truck being worked on. Many mechanic garages even mount flourescent lights with wire guards to protect from damage along the baseboard parallel to the long demension of the truck so those light would shine under the truck where much of the work would be done.
In a wood shop you have a size limitation for running servaral wood tools in that garage concerning the machin and the type wood you are working on. If you are using routers and making wood trim for a house you have long pieces of wood that dictates the position of that router table so that the long wood could pass from one end of the router table through that router to the other end of the router table.
You need to sit down and draw out a work plan of the type wood work and materials you are using to work with. If it is all small items carried in one hand you can line the walls with your machines side by side. If you plan on working with long wood then you need to plan ahead so that wood can be handled even if you have to install doggy doors on outside walls on opposite end of the garage to pass the would into the shop through the machine then out the wall through the doggy door onto a roller conveyor outside the building. YOu may even want your machines on roller supports that will lift up on the wheels move the machine to the center of the room then set back down on rubber feet. Then do your work and then move that machine out of the way and move to the center the next machine to be used.
Just plan ahead your work plan. Then decide on needed locations of
machines. Think light output shadows around the work area. Remember to consider light blockage due to you body as you work creating your shadow over your work blocking the light output.
You also have options of retactable lights on reels hanging from the
ceiling pulled down and clamped to stratigic light need area then retacted back to the ceiling when done.
Only you know how you plan to production design your work ethics on the project. Then plan your lighitng needs to match you planned work activities placing the permenant lighting where it will shine unblocked on your work product.
YOU SAID;
I'm trying to put electrical outlets in smart places. Right now I plan on duplex outlets every 4 feet that are 4 feet up from the floor.
REPLY;
Here concerning receptacles again you need to draw a map of your work proceedure plan while doing your type wood work. Where are your machines going to be placed that best sets up best production activities. You wouldn't want step one machine on the east wall and step two machine on the west wall then step three machine back to the east wall where you just came from. Kind of like putting the dishwasher next to the kitchen sink instead of nest to the fridge not related to dishwasher work when cleaning up.
You are placing plugs 4' arpart. The cords of hand tools are only 6'. Chances are even if your had receptalces placed one foot apart you still would use extension cords to have enough cord to perform your work. YOu money would be better spent if you placed your receptacles within 5' of any pemenantly set machines then for convenience receptacle placement place receptacles about two per outside wall. Then spend that extra money you would have spent adding all the extra receptacle on placing a few ceiling receptacles in with hooks. Then obtain retractable cord reels to hang from those hooks and plug into the ceiling receptacle. These cord reels in the ceiling would give you better work flexibility and saturation of hte garage for convenience for hand tools. Also remember most often you will be working in one location piling all your electric tools in one spot. Decide how many people will be working at a time in one given location. If you have team work happening the those receptacles would benefit being double duplex possibly each duplex receptacle being on two different circuits. this would provide 40 amps capacity of conveinence receptacles and any given location.
If only one person is working at a time in that shop then you couild use two branch circuits to serve alternating receptacles giving 40 amps power on each wall area. Just think out your work activity plan and adjust you wiring design while planning ahead considering placement and need for light and power matching the type tools being used.
YOU SAID;
I'm putting them at 2' spacing over the work-bench area. Does anyone use outlets in the ceiling over their stationary machines to keep cords out from under foot?
REPLY;
The 2' spacing is fine or you might consider a continuous plug molding. Either way you should think of what work you are doing on that bench. If you are drilling or sawing you might want to place these receptacles high about you head on the wall so the cords are not laying on the bench yet still allowing you to swing your hand tool from side to side. If you plan on tools to plug in but is an assigned location on the bench such as a table sander or grinder then you might want to drill holes in you work bench using plastic grommets that will close or open as you find on todays office desk the place your receptacles under the work bench pugging in you permenantly assiged tools on teh bench under the bench keeping excess or your cords out of the way and under the desk. Again if you plan more than one person working that bench then wire alternating circuits allowing 40 amps of power at any given location on that work bench. Again just plan out your work activity plan and adjust your wiring to match your plan and needs.
YOU SAID;
I'm also curious if anyone has a wall-covering they like better than dry-wall for a shop. If anyone has any shop floor plan/layout/machine position advice or a good source/book that deals with it I'm all ears.
REPLY;
Depending on you constuction type if this is a pole barn then you might want to install inner stud walls between the support posts placing that inner studding so the posts become the same surface as the face of the studs to make a flat wall affect. Then insulate the walls within and behind that inner stud wall. Then attach a solid bisquine sheet off of a roll to create a vapor barrier yet allowing your building to breath moisture out of the inside of the walls to the outside. Then you might consider 1/2 CD plywood that is more moisture resistant from obsorbtion or peg board if you wish that type wanting to use hooks to hang tools etc or even both the plywood and peg board with slats creating a separation for hook insertion yet strengh to support from the plywood through the peg board when needed.
There are more different thoughts to design of garages and work shops. It matters not what others do. I matters you production work plan adapting your electrical system to the needs of your personal work needs and design.
Kind of like I put my pants on sitting down and others put there pants on while running down the hall toward the door. All depends to each person's habit or plan. I get up half hour earlier to get ready for work the next guy woke up already 10 minutes late from being at work. To each his own work plan and electrical design matched to that personal work design, habits, and needs.
The ceiling power source has options there is even box connectors that are made as a chinese finger allowing your to place a 4x4 junction box on the ceiling then installing two or there chinese finger box connectors sliding rubber cords through the chinese fingers into the box. Then wire nutting to the house wires within that box. Then placing a mulit plug or plug mathing the machine or hand tool that you plan to use in the middle of hte floor area. This design can have a rubber strap or spring or even a trolley to move
that cord auto matically above your head when not in use then pulled down for use just to return above your head when not in use. This cord may be supported by that chinese finger box connector haning down to a machine and plugging in that machine. Often times this is not compatible with your work plan because the cord would be in the way. Then you may opt to install rigid conduit in the cement floor before you pour or build up the floor with treated floor joist so you have avenue to bring power from below and placed on pedistals above the floor or even floor receptacles. All this paragraph wiring suggestions can be done in any amp rating or voltage rating or even single phase or three phase.
Next part of your wiring plan is do you have three phase machines needing static phase converters or rotophase converters or start stop buttons and overload or motor control boxes?
Just think ahead make your plan. Spend as much time thinking out you work plan as you do wiring your shop.
Hope this helps
Wg
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