Ring or radial please?

[Retired]

Hi,

Thanks for asking Murdoch; the simple answer is I possibly don't need all the items or even any I've bought but I've been caught out so many times having to break off from a project to visit Screwfix; this time I've got plenty of stock which if aren't used now will be to hand for future use; I'm not on a tight budget so it isn't a problem.

I've just been checking sockets in the kitchen only two are on the ring the others are spurs so as you rightly say time to re-connect at the sockets with a proper ring; I'm aware of a few junction boxes under the floor and want to get rid of these. One reason I bought the Wago items is that I thought the cables would be too short to connect to the new CU; six of these cables disappeared through the ceiling and felt tight; I've since pulled up a floor board and found there is enough slack to pull through; I'm slowly getting there.

The actual electrical work isn't any problem the main problem is having the electricity off in a working home; washing/drying; cleaning and meal times etc plus I'm fed up of the weather as I keep visiting the garage where the CU is located. It all adds to the fun. Time to have a roll around under the bungalow and Identify the cables.

Kind regards, Colin. 

 

[apprentice87]

Hi Col,

I can assure you, and i think i can safely say i speak for the others, you do not ramble on at all. I for one, really enjoy reading your posts...

john..

 

[Lurch]

I can assure you, and i think i can safely say i speak for the others, you do not ramble on at all.

I'd hate to see what you think rambling on is! He most definitely does ramble on, not saying this is a bad thing, everyone else here does, but no point trying to pretend he doesn't.

 

[apprentice87]

No, but what i meant is that it is interesting rambling!!!

john...

 

[Sidewinder]

Live Rambling On!

Of the best kind...

 

[OnOff]

Hi,

Thanks Murdoch for your Hager JB information. I've just been browsing the web for installation details on these Hager JB's and also on YouTube but its taking quite a bit of time so I'll have another look tonight; I did find details on YouTube about Debox SL with FREE Screwless Terminal Block; as I say though I'm learning all the time and its interesting to see what is now available; the Hager has cable clamp screws and "fits nicely in the hand" ? I like the look of the Hager JB's though they look a nice bit of kit. I bought ten WAGOBOXES and plenty of WAGO 221 connectors so I'll see how I get along with these; this forum though is brilliant as you experts know about all the up to date materials and methods whilst being generous and most helpful with your information and suggestions. 

Thanks Andy; I think I'm pretty safe using 2.5mm T&E for power rings and 1.5mm T&E for lighting; I'll check the cooker cable to ensure its all in at least 6mm T&E. I could spend a great deal of time just reading rather than getting on with the job but I'm keen to do both as I want to be absolutely sure everything is safe and complies with regulations.

Thanks Evans Electric; I did wonder what the older cable was so its nice to know its 7/.029; I'll double check to be safe though. I've spent many hours browsing the web for up to date information and this is how I ended up choosing Wago products because some of the JB's will not be easily accessible once installed. No I'll not spend a lot of money on test instruments just for this one off job; I'm pretty sure the equipment I already have is sufficient considering when 25 years ago when I installed our current CU I hadn't a clue what a DMM was and I think 25 years trouble free service indicates nothing too much wrong; my new Kewtech Loopcheck 107 also reads "Good". I've never used my Megger though on household wiring so it's going to be new to me hooking up to the three ring mains; garage; main bungalow and kitchen.My first thoughts are to obviously isolate the power then for simplicity of connecting the Megger use a 13A plug but leave the cap off and hook the Megger onto the terminals then crank up? I'll unplug and isolate anything from the circuits because 1,000V injected will be searching.

I fully appreciate the need for safety when it comes to electricity regarding shock and fire risk but how far is this safety going to go; I'm only speaking from work I do myself so its not a case of someone on a new housing estate is going to cut through a cable or bang a nail through a cable; I'm working entirely on my own and I've managed to repair much more complex electrical kit like vintage radio/TV without introducing shorts or faults of any kind; I can't help thinking all this testing is fire fighting rather than having the skill to to the job correctly in the first place? I'm not trying to provoke discussion on this subject of testing but I've been in industry for a lifetime and I see the difference between those who are idiots and those who are genuinely skilled; are we heading to installing a single conductor between two terminals then having to fully test that all is well in case we've been careless and nicked the insulation or failed to nip up a screw? Years ago Bron and I were watching a TV program where apprentice electricians were let loose on a new build; we were appalled by what we saw; bare conductors and two nails through a cable and the two apprentices thought it was funny; had I done anything like this in the pit I would have been beaten up by the engineers who made absolutely certain all my work was up to scratch. Once final testing is carried out then everything is perfect until the new home owner does something silly; however safe something is made it will never be idiot proof.

At almost 70 years of age I've been around the block a few times and looking back over this thread I'd like to stress I'm not encouraging novices to play around with electricity which would be highly reckless of me; neither am I criticizing testing but this electrical testing is becoming increasingly complex involving expensive test instruments and endless ever changing regulations; how many tests does it take before a circuit is considered safe? On our current CU if a light bulb blows it knocks out the lighting circuit; this is an improvement over the original wired fuse boxes I replaced but now I'm upgrading once again to a split load CU with a pair of RCD's.

Below are pictures of our current Wylex 6 way CU; our new BG 16 way CU with mains tails pre-installed and a project I did years ago installing my own 3 phase 415V into the garage; the method I used for winding on the coils is entirely my own idea it being a long wooden shuttle which I could thread through the lamination's making for a very neat winding; I bought 3 x instructional DVD's from Unique3phase in America and although I've not received any electrical training I successfully installed 3 phase costing just under £120 at the time; Douglas Arndt the creator of Unique3phase now kindly credits me with the shuttle winding method. 240V in 415V out  (third phase 600V to compensate for capacitor drop) and once my machines were phase balanced to this transformer they ran at full power and I could run a single or multiple machines up to the transformer output limit; the transformer weighs around 75kg anyway I've just added this because I think I'm competent to work on our household electrics but I'm in no way complacent hence I do a lot of research up front and is why I added this thread. I'm not a casual DIY'er having just designed and built a 4 HP saw bench which is the reason I'm upgrading the electrics and CU. Many thanks moderators for not jumping on me; I tend to ramble on and go off topic but hopefully its interesting and in a way all this is related.

I think its stopped raining so time to get something done.

Kind regards, Col. 

View attachment 8118

View attachment 8119

View attachment 8120

Loving it!

Hi Col,

I can assure you, and i think i can safely say i speak for the others, you do not ramble on at all. I for one, really enjoy reading your posts...

john..

DIY 3P.....He's not your Dad is he?  

 

[Retired]

Hi,

Thanks guys; it looks like I've now got a theme tune as well? It's great to have something to smile about because each time I switch our TV on I feel suicidal its all so depressing.

Here's the reason shown below why I decided to upgrade the bungalow electrics; at 3 KW the saw bench likes tripping the "B" type mcb; if it trips I switch on again immediately and it fires up; no soft start so its a bit of a beast and not a saw to poke with a stick. I love doing this kind of project and can make machines to suit my needs. I've bought "C" type mcb's for the saw and welder the workshop ring will still be on 32A "B" type mcb.

Below also is a picture of the completed 3 phase transformer which served me well for a long time but I've sold my big industrial 3 phase kit so sold the transformer to a friend who won't electrocute himself; this transformer is very rare it having single phase 240V in and 3 phase 415V out; I used to impress visitors with it by switching on my big Startrite Volant 24" bandsaw and whilst this was still running walk over and fire up my big home made dust extractor; I'm barking mad tackling some of the strange projects I tackle but I'm never ever bored.

Installation of my new CU is going to be slow because I'm unwell with a dermatitis flare up which has now taken a liking to the backs of my knees making kneeling or crouching uncomfortable so I'm really enjoying working beneath the bungalow. 

Kind regards, Colin.

 

[steptoe]

Tell you what I want to see,

And I will be well impressed

@apprentice87  @Retired

without taking away any if what yous have done,,,,

Is a 3p steam powered generator,

Now,

That would be worth a

HONK HONK,,,,,

Did tha like that,?

 

[Lurch]

Here's the reason shown below why I decided to upgrade the bungalow electrics; at 3 KW the saw bench likes tripping the "B" type mcb; if it trips I switch on again immediately and it fires up; no soft start so its a bit of a beast and not a saw to poke with a stick. I love doing this kind of project and can make machines to suit my needs. I've bought "C" type mcb's for the saw and welder the workshop ring will still be on 32A "B" type mcb.

It's not tripping because it is 3kW, or not directly anyway. I'd stick it on a C16/C20 on its own radial. Nothing stopping you rewiring your kitchen as well, but you seem to be going way OTT just to get a 3kW saw running!

 

[Retired]

Hi,

You sure do bring back memories steptoe in mentioning steam power; I was brought up with steam power and line shafts etc in the pit over 50 years ago; pity I haven't the space for a Lancashire boiler or a blacksmiths forge.

Thanks Lurch; yes I fully agree with you this all seems an overkill just to power my saw bench and welder but it's these two plus my previous big 3 phase transformer which has prompted the update; there's never any half measures with me though; once I start a job it goes right back to basics and I won't quit until the job is fully completed; it's the way I was trained and it's stuck with me. In readiness for the new CU installation I bought a pair of 32A "C" type mcb's these are BG to suit the BG CU; its the "inrush" which is tripping the "B" type mcb and as you correctly say not the actual power of the kit involved; 3kW on soft start wouldn't be a problem at all with a "B" type mcb; it's not tripping every time but I'm not happy with any tripping at all which to me spells danger. I've also been looking at the bungalow wiring and there are hanging junction boxes beneath the bungalow plus for some unknown reason a single double socket in the kitchen is taken right back to the CU in the garage whilst other sockets are on the ring main; most strange; the bathroom fan heater is coupled (spur) to the cooker cable so I've turned it into a big project to sort the lot out. I'm also installing a mains supply to CU isolator; other work keeps getting in the way though; I'm cooling down after a heavy session in our rear garden cutting back lots of bracken and laurels etc; our rear garden is steeply sloping and like a mini park which is well established so after a downpour of rain then a bit of sun its like Triffid day; I feel worn out before the day has begun; I'm just having a brew before a trip to the tip then the rest of today I'm shredding all the brash; it would be nice to start a decent project and see it through without constant interruptions but a big bungalow and gardens are demanding weather permitting. I'm still grafting as hard as ever; I did wonder though what retirement would be like and I'm still wondering 16 years after retiring; it's better than being bored though.

Yesterday I ran a cable for one end of the kitchen new ring main; running the cable wasn't difficult but gaining access was because I can get full length under the bungalow and this is my stores area. Today I'm attacking the corner of our rear garden; I did masses of shredding and tree felling last year but still lots to do; last week I dropped a big holly tree and disposed of it; this is how I go about sorting the electrics out; pity I need to eat and sleep? Time now for an enjoyable trip to the tip (NOT).

Kind regards, Colin.

 

[roys]

Think you have a motor fetish, think I count about 14 motors in your pic,

Luck you worked for a motor manufacturer to help feed your habit.

By the way I phoned up Brooks about 20 years ago and got a site visit for myself and my mate, very interesting and was made most welcome, also got a load of training material from them to teach my apprentices.

 

[Tony S]

Brook have always been helpful, their little red bible still gets the occasional airing.

 

[roys]

Brook have always been helpful, their little red bible still gets the occasional airing.

Yip still got my wee red book from them.

 

[Retired]

Hi,

Thanks roys; the biggest perk working for Brooks was free range to raid all the skips plus many free motors; after Brooks developed the "W" series motor  the prototypes of which there were many started to go to the scrap man; these motors had gone through research and load test departments and were now of no use; I obtained permission to take quite a few of these motors home on the understanding I would never sell any of them and to this day I've kept my promise; I've rebuilt lots of old machinery over the years and converted many to single phase from 3 phase so quite a few of the motors in the rack are the original motors from the machines; although these are 3 phase I can reconnect in Delta and add a couple of capacitors allowing these motors to be run from our single phase 240V supply but at a reduced power; I have more motors kicking around and yes I like motors. Another perk was being allowed to bring home steel bar stock from the shaft department; these were the bar ends of useful size to me and there were always two bins awaiting the scrap man; one bin mild steel the other stainless of assorted diameters; I was well known for my workshop activities and the central stores guys after stocktaking would dispose of thousands of set screws and washers of sizes no longer required; there was steel shelving located outside the stores and anything on the top shelf was mine; colleagues would tip me off if anything useful was being scrapped; I've got inverter rated motors and one with an inverter still attached these being immaculate demonstration motors; I've also bought machinery at scrap value including a lovely Colchester Triumph lathe and Clarkson tool and cutter grinder but these have since been replaced. I started at Brooks in 1977 as a wagon loader in No5 Home Trade Despatch at a time when 1,000 motors per day were loaded by four of us; two teams of two and also around 300 motors went for export; as the years passed by Brooks headquarters Empress Works where I worked became a central despatch hub for another six factories plus we transported repaired motors and motors with inverters or gearboxes fitted; all manner of motors came through  despatch; the big motors came over from Guiseley and these were so big and heavy many times they were loaded from Export because of the big fork trucks and 5 ton overhead crane. 

We used to have a night shunt from Electrodrives in the midlands and the motors were unloaded on the Prairie in all weather conditions; certainly most unpleasant running a fork-truck in heavy snow and over rutted ice. Then we had a big extension built as we moved away from loose motors which used to become damaged to palletized motors; the crew sinking the piles for this new shed stood in awe one day as I brought one of the big Guiseley motors up the yard on a fork-truck; this motor was so heavy the rear of the fork-truck kept skipping; as I was passing this crew one guy said who the heck wants a motor that size; I replied this particular one had been ordered by a DIY guy with his own workshop and I was taking it to have a 3/4" Jacobs chuck fitted; they were most impressed and believed every word.

I worked at Brooks for 24 years and in the latter years had been promoted being in charge of Home Trade Despatch; Export Packing and the Timber Department; the stress from the job was immense and I came down with shingles because I simply couldn't switch off; if I was ill or on holiday I would be visited at home because of problems it never ever let up. I'm pleased though roys and Tony S that you still regard Brooks highly; I've shown hundreds of visitors around whilst they were waiting to collect a motor; it was common for me to visit the motor warehouse on a fork-truck to collect a motor whilst the customer waited this by-passed the normal route; I would take the customer's along with me and it meant going through the JIT (Just in time) cells and into the warehouse holding many thousands of motors on very high racks with special fork trucks to reach them; customers were always highly pleased for an insight behind the scenes and it afforded good public relations. I had the run of the factory and was very well known; I lived and breathed Brook Motors until the last year when after more in house problems I simply called it a day and volunteered for redundancy together with a lump sum pension payout in 2000. Unfortunately Brooks went downhill with departments fighting each other and being as awkward as they could also top managers were at each others throats whilst messing around with someone else's wife. The crunch finally came for me after I had attended a very intense Kaizen training course taking a week to complete; back in my departments I was talking to the next guy up the pecking order and he informed me in no uncertain terms Kaizen didn't apply to my three departments and if I persisted he would have words; I left him and came into one of my offices ripped up the Kaizen certificate and gave my Kaizen polo shirt away; I left shortly after wondering why the heck I had remained so loyal to Brooks for so long especially when I had been head hunted twice but I remained loyal. 24 years of hard highly stressful graft; I've not been back since leaving. I was invited with about another dozen into a meeting and looking back this meeting was to assess the feeling of the workforce; those invited were a cross section of rank; not one of us held any praise for the way Brooks was heading and one comment I'll forever remember was " Brooks is like a rosy apple with a rotten core" which summed Brooks up very well indeed. Brooks made a top quality motor let down by both management and shop floor which truly is a shame.

I'm a mechanical engineer so if the moderators don't slap my legs for being cheeky below is a picture of my fully restored Lorch Schmidt  precision engineering lathe which had been sitting in a scrapyard for over twenty years this lathe being very top quality indeed and once restored was found to be little used. Yes its now fitted with a Brook Motor.  I do love all my projects and always do my best to encourage anyone to try something different leaving their own comfort zone. I was taught the old fashioned way and can succeed at anything I attempt; all it takes is patience and determination the hardest part is making a start; I can do absolutely anything around home from furniture making to replacing foul drains; I'm no one special it's just that I was taught to use my head and my hands as an apprentice and its still with me.

I've just had a day in the rear garden and feel tired out as I cool down; so I'm rambling on again. I hope its of interest though because Brook Motors were always and still are highly respected. Pity they are now foreign with Brooks name on them.

Kind regards, Colin.

 

[roys]

Hi Colin, that was interesting, what a pity a once great company like Brooks is no longer in British hands.

i am just in from my workshop, was using my lathe (Colchester Master Mk1 1/2 round top made about 1962) to manufacture an adapter plate to fit an exhaust onto a generator I am mucking about with. I fitted a single to 3 phase converter onto the lathe and it works a treat.

i am sure I have two brand new 1HP 3 phase Brooks motors sitting on my shelf, bought them because they were going very cheap at a blind auction, was hoping for a 3 or 4 HP one as a spare for my lathe as it has one old motor in it and I am not overly confident in the winding condition. I don't take the converter over 50 Hz because of this.

PS your workshop looks very tidy

 

[Retired]

Hi,

Thanks roys; my Colchester lathe had a duel speed 5hp 3 phase motor installed which was original and an 1/2hp suds motor. I used to run it through a 7.5KW Transwave converter and I grew to dislike this converter with a passion; it had very low starting power if under load and taking a decent cut the converter used to rattle like mad; I was also fed up of having to keep changing the power switch for each machine in the end I let this go with the Colchester over to Ireland; my big Dominion woodturning lathe also found an Irish home. The 3 phase I installed worked perfectly giving full starting power and in the years of use it never let me down other than tripping the mcb sometimes at power up; this big transformer idled at 0.8A. Hang on to your Brook motors they will eventually come in handy.

What converter do you use is it a VFD which sounds likely if you can adjust Hz; I have a VFD on my Graduate; out of curiosity when I bought the VFD I coupled it to one of my Brook  inverter rated 3 phase motors and took the inverter up to maximum which I think was around 400Hz; it virtually turned the motor into a router running at over 10,000 rpm; the motor sounded very sweet indeed sitting on the bench without the slightest vibration.  

Below is a picture of the Lorch Schmidt as bought; it looks rather different now seen above after a lot of TLC and its a very rare lathe; I've browsed the web for hours but can't find another like it; "Lathes" has plenty of information on most machines. The Graduate is also a beauty after a full and comprehensive restoration; the control box above the Graduate is coupled to the VFD at the other side of the wall keeping the VFD dust free because VFD's do not like dust; the Graduate is limited to 3,000 rpm top speed this calibrated with a digital rev counter I bought; just for interest I keep banging on about tackling new things so the third picture shows our front room after the makeover; the new high efficiency gas fire; tiled surround and marble hearth were installed by Corgi fitters but I did all the paneling and I made the wooden fireplace mantle; Bron chose the carpet. The original fireplace was random stone at ten feet long; I retained the stone for possible future use but took 17 heavy bags of rubble to the tip; I also re-plastered the wall; last year I worked extensively giving the bungalow exterior a very comprehensive makeover this took months and I used American Benjamin Moore paint at £75 per US gallon plus P&P needing over 5 gallons; my enthusiasm knows no limits once I get started. 

I would like to crack on with the CU installation but keep having to do other more pressing work around home whilst the weather is a bit kinder. Once the CU is fully installed then I can really enjoy myself with assorted projects. A couple of things worth mentioning are the new Fluke Volt stick which is brilliant; being hopelessly colour blind I can read this very easily indeed although I would never trust my life to one of these; the second is the tone cable tracker; WOW I like this a lot and its so easy to use; both these were bought on members recommendation; the new CK wire strippers too are top quality; I've bought quite a bit of new kit since joining this forum; I'm a tool and machinery junkie anyway; I've got to have a decent hobby because I can't stand sport.

Kind regards, Colin 

 

[roys]

That's an impressive rack of turning tools above the Graduate, do you do bowl turning?

Your paint sounds a bit on the expensive side, I would probably end up accidentally kicking it over if I paid that much  room looks fab though, but I am more a workshop man.

Yip it is a VFD I have on my lathe, by coincidence I used to have it connected to a Transwave Rotary Converter, it was just too noisy, sold it to a bloke in Ireland.

Just been out to close up the workshop but couldn't resist have a look at the two Brook motors on the shelf, turns out my memory fails me a little, they are both 1/2 HP but a nice shiny blue colour

 

[Retired]

Hi,

Thanks roys. The woodturning I do is mostly utility making useful rather than decorative items; furniture components down to tool handles. I have a sister who puts money and possessions above all else; many years ago when Bron and I were struggling to pay our mortgage my sister was showing off and bragging about her Titchmarsh & Goodwin solid oak furniture which of course is top end and we had absolutely no chance of affording. I sent off for Titchmarsh & Goodwin catalogues and studied these at length; on behalf of the company I worked for I knew our local timber yards very well indeed and I used to buy offcuts mainly Meranti; we had a Citroen 2CV and it would cost around £20 a car load; this Meranti was in all sorts of dimensions meaning lots of work to bring it to sizes needed but I'm stubborn and eventually made three coffee tables; I didn't copy exactly the leg style in the catalogue but to this day my sister still doesn't know these tables are home made; the large table with the TV sitting on it had it been T&G many years ago it would have cost around £700; I made the large coffee table and two smaller tables one also seen in the picture; Bron and I have a small table each at the end of the sofa. All three tables are made from offcuts costing extremely little monetary wise; the real benefit though is in the sheer making of these tables which I found most enjoyable; T&G they certainly are not but they are well made and look good even now so many years later. The bookcase is offcuts and the cathedral Philco 84B vintage radio was kindly bought as a Christmas prezzie from Oklahoma by Bron for me it being the roughest radio on eBay at the time and I fully restored it.  I've made lots of furniture both free standing and built in; being cheeky I've added a second picture showing a bedside table and lamp; I duplicated these one for each side of the bed; both tables and lamps are made entirely from offcuts; the wardrobe and wainscot paneling are also my work.

So many old skills are dying out with more and more visiting stores just handing money over for anything they want; I'm a dying breed who still makes things from scratch from furniture to machines; the satisfaction I derive is immense and I feel a deep sense of pride as I complete each project. Its amazing what can be made using a few tools. Money is no longer a problem and it would be very easy and a lot less work to get a sparky in to sort out our electrics but old habits die hard and by doing the work myself I buy kit with the money I save on labour; over the last 40 years Bron and I have saved a fortune doing everything ourselves in fact had we needed to pay tradespeople we could never have afforded this our dream bungalow; we even replaced the entire roofs of the main bungalow and two roomed extension ourselves.

Gas and electricity though are not to be messed around with by novices because any mistake could have serious consequences; I've acquired lots of skills by starting off with small projects and working up to more complex projects but I'm very methodical and picky in that I want everything just right; compromise or its near enough doesn't sit at all well with me.

Yes the paint is expensive but the bigger picture means it works out quite cheap; why spend days in prepping then slap on cheap paint which only lasts until the sun or the next downpour of rain hits it; this Benjamin Moore paint is the paint extensively used in America on their clapboard houses and it must be good because I doubt the American's will want to have such extensive paintwork carried out on regular intervals; the paint is water based and looks wonderful; a real bonus is its rapid drying time; I used to paint in oil based gloss and no sooner the last brushful was applied the rain comes down to ruin it; no problem at all with this Benjamin Moore paint which is now available here in the UK. Apply the best and apply it once? Hardly on topic but as we all live in homes which require painting the picture below shows our bungalow after months of remodeling last year when I replaced lots of cladding and even removed all the gutters etc to do the best job I possibly could; the gutters are now colour matched and all our window frames and doors are the original softwood still in perfect condition; I also made the new steel decking. The new pathway used to have nine steps but I dug out by hand up the bungalow side and right across the rear of the bungalow removing tons of wet sticky clay in order to lay the big flags. Bron and I dislike plastic not wanting to live in a Lego home.

I can understand your problems using the rotary converter roys; it never makes sense to me to have to run two motors when only one motor is needed; the transformer I made and used really was the business and it was so silent I added a warning lamp to indicate when it was powered up otherwise I was worried about not switching it off. VFD's though are now so cheap and pretty reliable. You can't go wrong with a Brooks motor they are top quality and highly respected.

As usual I've wandered off topic but it worries me to see the way things are going these days with people no longer making or even doing anything; sport seems the only thing which matters and what people get really passionate about; Bron; our bungalow and workshop are my life; I can always find something of interest to keep me fully occupied and without spending lots of money. We are all different though.

I'm about to sort out the single socket in the kitchen which is supplied directly from the CU; I'll chop the cable back in readiness to connect it into the new ring main for the kitchen then all sockets will be supplied from one mcb for safety; I shudder to think how dangerous this single socket could prove it be being on a different circuit just waiting to catch someone out who thinks its been isolated? All my projects and jobs are interlinked in some way; this wiring upgrade is linked to my welder and home made saw bench; all the exterior work I carried out last year is linked to my machinery which I've either made or restored; life is good indeed and I'm not hurting or offending anyone during my activities whilst constantly improving our lot at little cost.

Kind regards, Colin. 

 

[Sidewinder]

Col,

I would not necessarily worry about a single socket on a spur from the origin.

Its not a massive issue, and you might want to think about having perhaps one socket in the house fed from perhaps the garage supply.

That way, you can isolate the house & still have one working socket indoors ...

 

[roys]

Hi Col, enjoying reading your little stories, it is true what you say about people losing skills and rather than repairing / making things they would rather just buy new or pay someone to come in and fix for them.  I often have this conversation with a few of my like minded friends who are also "sorters" not "reporters". I remember in the 70's every 2nd house or so had a garage or shed at the bottom of the garden with dad making something and young son standing at side learning the tools, I was that son like many on here, indeed a dying breed, sheds and garages now tend to house lots of little used mountain bikes.

Also good that this thread has gone mostly of track But as Phil on here said that is the art of conversation.

Nice pieces of furniture you are turning out, it is great having a good well equipped personal workshop.

Are you worried about your posties eye sight Only kidding.