Page 1 of 2 12 LastLast
Results 1 to 15 of 19

Thread: Two tools one circuit?

  1. #1

    Two tools one circuit?

    Fixing to start wiring my shop.Only have three tools that would require 220.. Ridgid TS 3650 ,Grizzly G0555 bandsaw ,and a 3 hp duct collector .Do I need to run dedicated circuits for each or can I wire it in such a way that i can use two tools e.i TS and DC or BS and DC together on one circuit?
    Any of the combos would not exceed 20 but would come close.Should I go to 10 gauge wire and 30 amp breaker or will 12 guage wire and 20 amp breaker?

  2. #2
    I wired every outlet in my shop with 10 gauge. 2 reasons:

    1) I only had to buy one gauge of wire
    2) I can convert any outlet in my shop to 120V-20A/240-20A/240-30A by doing nothing more than changing the outlet and re-terminating in the box.

    I would personally ask your inspector about the multiple machines on one circuit thing. Regardless of code or anything else, he's the one that's going to pass you or give you a headache. Generally, I think it's a bad idea. Even if both machines running steady state won't trip the breaker, one machine running + the in-rush from starting another motor could trip it.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Feb 2010
    Location
    Lakes Region of NH
    Posts
    187
    The way I wired my shop was to decide that the DC would always be on its own circuit, so I wired in a dedicated 110 (12/2 and 12/3) and 220 (10/3) circuit so I can run it on either one without rewiring the circuits if I upgrade. For my shop outlets, I wired everything with 12/2, one circuit for one side of the shop, separate circuit for the other side of the shop.

    I also have a separate shop tools 220 circuit. Since the DC is on its own circuit, I can run any of my other shop tools on another circuit with no worries. The question is how many you will be running at once, if you will only have your dc and one tool running together, you may be able to get by with everything on one circuit, but I like the way I wired it with the DC on its own. My wiring for the DC is such that I used 3 and 4 way switches throughout the shop so I can flip on my remote dc without moving away from my work area.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Jun 2007
    Location
    Wichita, Kansas
    Posts
    1,795
    Quote Originally Posted by Jesse Hoover View Post
    Fixing to start wiring my shop.Only have three tools that would require 220.. Ridgid TS 3650 ,Grizzly G0555 bandsaw ,and a 3 hp duct collector .Do I need to run dedicated circuits for each or can I wire it in such a way that i can use two tools e.i TS and DC or BS and DC together on one circuit?...
    Assuming it's a one man shop, the TS and BS won't be running at the same time. One 240v/20a branch circuit will handle both machines, individually, up to about 3HP per machine. If you think you'll be going larger than that at some point, go for 30 amp circuits. If not, you're wasting your money putting in a 30 amp circuit.

    The dust collector will be running simultaneously with the other machines and calls for a dedicated circuit sized for the unit (+ any upgrade you think you might want to do in the future.

    So, I'm seeing 1 240/20 circuit for the tablesaw and bandsaw (up to 3HP) and another 240/20 circuit for the dust collector (again up to about 3HP) or 240/30 circuits if you envision going larger than 3HP in the future.
    Tom Veatch
    Wichita, KS
    USA

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Jun 2009
    Location
    Salt Lake City
    Posts
    1,506
    Can I assume that to meet code you will have to "branch" the circuit downstream from the wall outlet?

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Sep 2009
    Location
    Atlanta, GA
    Posts
    6,393
    Quote Originally Posted by Jesse Hoover View Post
    Fixing to...........wire it in such a way that i can use two tools e.i TS and DC or BS and DC together on one circuit?
    .............Should I go to 10 gauge wire and 30 amp breaker or will 12 guage wire and 20 amp breaker?
    "Fixing to" - y'all must be from down this way - 'cept its spelled "fixna".

    That's exactly what I did with jointer, TS, Planer and DC. One 240v circuit supplying all 4, except there is never more than DC + 1 on at a time, since there is only 1 of me. 10ga + 30a, because you just never know what's coming next.

    I also ran 3+1 10 ga, so I could wire dual-voltage duplex receptacles (photo). The 240 gear doesn't roam around, but I never know when a 120 critter is going to show up in the vicinity of the receptacle. Very glad I did this.

    When I started woodworking, I didn't know squat. I have progressed in 30 years - now I do know squat.

  7. #7
    Quote Originally Posted by Kent A Bathurst View Post
    "Fixing to" - y'all must be from down this way - 'cept its spelled "fixna".
    "You need to get a" = 'getchewa'

    Charmingly eloquent conservation of energy.
    .
    "I love the smell of sawdust in the morning".
    Robert Duval in "Apileachips Now". - almost.


    Laserpro Spirit 60W laser, Corel X3
    Missionfurnishings, Mitchell Andrus Studios, NC

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Mar 2009
    Location
    Aurora, Colorado (Saddle Rock)
    Posts
    514
    You will have to run a dedicated circuit for your DC. The other two machines can share a circuit as long as you do not run them at the same time.

    However, the cost of doing dedicated lines is minimal. I say make them all dedicated. In my shop, I regularly run my cyclone, my TS and my jointer at the same time. Everything is 3HP and on its own line. My planer, however, shares a line with my jointer. Therefore, I cannot run both of them at the same time.

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Mar 2006
    Location
    SoCal
    Posts
    22,494
    Blog Entries
    1
    Generally finding the path is the hard part. Running 3 instead of 1 would be the least of the problem for me. I have separate breakers and wiring for each 220v. I did make a properly gauged 15' extension cord that came in handy while I was getting over being lazy and ran another circuit for a new jointer ;-)
    "A hen is only an egg's way of making another egg".


    – Samuel Butler

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Jun 2007
    Location
    Wichita, Kansas
    Posts
    1,795
    Quote Originally Posted by Zach England View Post
    Can I assume that to meet code you will have to "branch" the circuit downstream from the wall outlet?
    Wired just like any other "branch" circuit except it's 240v instead of 120v and has NEMA 6 (or L6) receptacles instead of NEMA 5 (or L5)
    Tom Veatch
    Wichita, KS
    USA

  11. #11
    Join Date
    Sep 2009
    Location
    Atlanta, GA
    Posts
    6,393
    Quote Originally Posted by Philip Rodriquez View Post
    ........You will have to run a dedicated circuit for your DC...........
    Why?





    101010
    When I started woodworking, I didn't know squat. I have progressed in 30 years - now I do know squat.

  12. #12
    Join Date
    Sep 2009
    Location
    Atlanta, GA
    Posts
    6,393
    Quote Originally Posted by Mitchell Andrus View Post
    "You need to get a" = 'getchewa'..........

    I stand corrected. You are right. I am personally a recent Yankeee transplant (7 years), although my Yankeee antecedents have occupied this piece of ground on the north side of Peachtree Creek since July 17, 1864.
    When I started woodworking, I didn't know squat. I have progressed in 30 years - now I do know squat.

  13. #13
    Join Date
    Dec 2006
    Location
    Toronto Ontario
    Posts
    11,248
    Quote Originally Posted by Mitchell Andrus View Post
    "You need to get a" = 'getchewa'

    Charmingly eloquent conservation of energy.
    .

    I had to read that several times before the pronunciation and meaning popped into my head.

    As you said, charming..............Regards, Rod.

  14. #14
    Join Date
    Mar 2009
    Location
    Aurora, Colorado (Saddle Rock)
    Posts
    514
    As I said, I am not an expert. However, I would think that he would run the risk of blowing the breaker when he tries to run two tools on it.

    I'm not sure what everyone else does, but I like to run my DC when I'm using my tools. After all, it is a really small expense.

  15. Quote Originally Posted by Jesse Hoover View Post
    Fixing to start wiring my shop.Only have three tools that would require 220.. Ridgid TS 3650 ,Grizzly G0555 bandsaw ,and a 3 hp duct collector .Do I need to run dedicated circuits for each or can I wire it in such a way that i can use two tools e.i TS and DC or BS and DC together on one circuit?
    Any of the combos would not exceed 20 but would come close.Should I go to 10 gauge wire and 30 amp breaker or will 12 guage wire and 20 amp breaker?
    Seems to me that you're probably not capable of using both the table saw and the band saw at the same time.

    But of course, you commonly use one of them (or the other) at the same time as the dust collector.

    So, put the windbag on it's own circuit. Put the 2 saws on a circuit together.

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •