My (vapourware) workshop

[EddieM]

Eventually I hope to have my own workshop, around the 50x30 ft mark. It will probably have to be built but will be of solid insulated construction. I know it's a bit of a piece of string question but what sort of considerations should I be looking at power wise..... It will need a lot of power I would have thought.

 

[deadshort]

Go on, give us a clue, what will you be doing in this shed ? Mistic Megs off on holiday to-day

The future looks gloomy ……. DS

 

[EddieM]

Ok fair point.. its a wood working shop. Big table saw, bandsaw, radial arm saw, mitre saw, will need extraction etc etc... just think of it as a big big man cave (it doesn't exist at the moment) sadly for my other half a good few of the tools do

 

[Taylortwocities]

Untitled

• Taylortwocities
• 5 Jan 2010
• 1

How on earth would we know?
What will you DO in there?
Pottery = kiln,
car repairs = engine hoist, compressors
beauty parlour = lots of heat, sun beds, sauna, steam room.
Workshop = welders, lathes, metal press, laser cutters.

Or, will you just have a chair in the corner, a wood burning stove and one candle and just sit there, Scrooge-like, counting your gold coins with only a pair of fingerless gloves to keep yer pingies from freezing? = no electricity at all.

 

[EddieM]

Hopefully last answer should help a little... sorry initial post was well vague.. Apologies.

 

[deadshort]

OK. The first thing is do you have a 3 phase supply or are you talking about a single phase domestic supply @ around a 100a ?

Thanks,

DS

 

[deadshort]

TTC , beauty parlour

DS

 

[EddieM]

Well an excellent question... its vapour ware ie doesn't exist.... I feel maybe a 3 phase supply might be needed but I do understand there are many cost considerations for this. So let's say single phase for now.. A fair few of said tools pull more than 16A

 

[deadshort]

Well an excellent question... its vapour ware ie doesn't exist.... I feel maybe a 3 phase supply might be needed but I do understand there are many cost considerations for this. So let's say single phase for now.. A fair few of said tools pull more than 16A

Great 16a x ? =?

DS

 

[EddieM]

Well an excellent question... its vapour ware ie doesn't exist.... I feel maybe a 3 phase supply might be needed but I do understand there are many cost considerations for this. So let's say single phase for now.. A fair few of said tools pull more than 16A

Great 16a x ? =

DS

6.25?

 

[Robin0577]

Well an excellent question... its vapour ware ie doesn't exist.... I feel maybe a 3 phase supply might be needed but I do understand there are many cost considerations for this. So let's say single phase for now.. A fair few of said tools pull more than 16A

Great 16a x ? =?

DS

Well, if it's a private workshop for the OPs sole use, more than one such tool at a time seems unlikely, unless they are machines that can be left running unattended. I would have thought 1 tool (the most powerful one of course for calculation purposes) plus dust extraction plus lighting and possibly heating would be the maximum demand.

 

[deadshort]

There will be more than one tool in the shed.

DS

 

[plugwash]

My gut feeling is that 50A is about where you want to be for a single phase supply. Thats enough to run a couple (one for you one for a friend) of reasonablly big single phase tools at the same time and still have enough left over for lighting, battery charging etc. If you want more than that it's almost certainly time to go three-phase.

Maybe consider putting in a 4-core cable big enough for a 50A three phase supply but initially wiring it up as single phase (with the conductors doubled up to minimise volt drop).

 

[securespark]

Ok fair point.. its a wood working shop. Big table saw, bandsaw, radial arm saw, mitre saw, will need extraction etc etc... just think of it as a big big man cave (it doesn't exist at the moment) sadly for my other half a good few of the tools do

Will you be using all this gear at the same time?

I don't mean, "have you suddenly sprouted several arms and heads", I mean, "will others be working in there the same time as you?"

If not, just count the (electrically) largest woodworking tool (Ohh, Matron!).

If you have rotatey equipment, you will need flu lighting with HF control gear.

Don't forget to allow for the spa pool and heating for the changing area for the dancing girls.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Ok fair point.. its a wood working shop. Big table saw, bandsaw, radial arm saw, mitre saw, will need extraction etc etc... just think of it as a big big man cave (it doesn't exist at the moment) sadly for my other half a good few of the tools do

The first one of those alone could need a 3ph supply.