Why do the simplest of things take so darn long...

[John Cavanaugh]

This is a bit more of a rant than a rhetorical question...

So Ive been working on shop improvement project over the last week which was to build a folding outfeed table for my tablesaw.

I made sure I bought what I thought were all the necessary supplies in advance. I had the melamine, the hardwood, piano hinge, conformat screws etc. All set, or so I thought...

Building the frame etc was pretty straightforward which I accomplished during this last week working at night. Cutting down the large 4x8 3/4 inch melamine on the tablesaw (without an outfeed table remember...) was not pleasant and didnt produce a clean cut so I decided I would fix that over the weekend.

Saturday arrives and begin my work. Ok. Ill trim just hair off of this melamine to clean up the cut and make it a good fit for the frame. Cool, I can use my new trim saw (Skil 5.5" refurb) and rockler cutting guide.

Whoops, no blade in the saw. I guess since I havent used this saw and since it was a refurb I probably should spend some time checking out all the pieces to make sure its safe. Err, the blade included doesnt look like a good match for melamine. Ok. Maybe Ill get lucky and it wont look to bad. Install the blade, grab the cutting guide, Im ready to rock.

Err no. With the blade on the left the motor actually bumps into the cutting guide rather than smoothly sliding against the saw face. Ok, Ill improvise something here. Whoops that didnt work, ok Ill try something else. Hmm, a few more different attempts later Im cutting. Great, just great, I tell myself, the blade produces a fair amount of chipping on the melamine.

Now ive just traded one problem, a wavy cut, for a different problem, a cut with a fair amount of chip out. Ok lets change the blade (im thinking how smart I was to have another blade in case i needed it...) and try again. Great, this blade is just as bad. Argh!!! Finally I tell myself that I can live with the chip out. Its only an outfeed table, its not like this is fine furniture.

Net net here. I just spent over an hour here to get one cut that still isnt a good cut.


Later that night after mounting the tabletop Im looking at one of the support pieces and it doesnt line up appropriately. No problem. Ill just take that off, run it over the jointer (keep in mind my planer hasnt arrived yet, so Im sort of improvising) to thin it down by 1/16 and it will fit perfectly.

Im excited because this is the first chance to actually use my new jointer on project rather than just "test wood". Ok. So I decided I should hook up the shop vac. That means I need to do the 4" to 2.5" convertor piping etc. No problems, Ive got the parts. Ok that is finally hooked up, Im ready to make sawdust.

Err no... So I turn my jointer on (its plugged into my fein vac with autostart) and it churns for a few secs then it just stops. Hmm. This isnt good. I quickly determine I blew a breaker. Im nervous here because Im thinking the vac is taking 7amps and the jointer 15amps which puts me over 20 amps. Never had any problems with my TS & vac at same time, so it must be that the jointer is taking a full 15 amps and my saw was only taking 12-13.

I go upstairs to the subpanel and look at the breaker I was expecting to see tripped. You know, the one labeled "Garage GFCI 20 AMP". Nope. No breakers tripped at all. Ok, outside to the main panel. Thats odd, the breaker marked "Hallway, bathroom 15 AMP" is tripped. Ok, that sort of makes sense, the wall where I was plugged in was on the wall where the hallway is. Ill just reset this breaker and plug into a different outlet in the garage and things will be ok.

Er no... So I end up trying every single outlet in the garage. They are ALL on this "Hallway, bathroom 15 AMP" circuit, with the exception of the garage door opener outlet, that of course is connected to the wonderfully well documented "Master bedroom, closet 15 AMP" circuit.

Where the heck is this phantom Garage 20AMP circuit that was listed on the subpanel?? Well obviously it must be one of the outlets in the KITCHEN. So now Im completely stunned as to how my wife has three, count them three 20 amp circuits in the kitchen, two circuits completely dedicated for outlets. And me, Im stuck with one 15 amp covering the 3 car garage & hallway & bathroom. What kind of an idiot wired this house?? Argh...

Net net. It took me well over an hour to make that one cut on the jointer that I needed. And in the end Ive found that I cant run my jointer & shop vac at the same time on my measly 15 amp circuit.


Oh well, I hope next weekend goes more smoothly...

--
John Cavanaugh

[Dale Rodabaugh]

Some days you get the bear,and some days the bear gets you. Facts of life.Usually when things start going like that I lock up the shop and go back another day.

[Tony Falotico]

Sounds like a typical day John !

BTW: When trimming Melamine I use a router, straight edge and 3/4 inch straight bit. Perfect edge with no chip out.

[John Miliunas]

LOL! NOT laughing at you, John, but with you! You've described so many of my days, it would almost seem I'm living in a parallel universe! Ahhh...Shake it off. Don't worry..It'll get worse!

[Kelly C. Hanna]

Bummer about your shop circuits....sounds like the electrician was on a beer break when he wired the house. It shouldn't be too hard to straighten that out.

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Been there! Done that! EARNED the t-shirt. As Dale suggested...on those days I lock up the shop and go do something that won't hurt anything including myself!

[Jim Becker]

Bummer about your shop circuits....sounds like the electrician was on a beer break when he wired the house.

Not really...this is pretty much status quo. Garages and the outlets in them are very often just for "convenience" and get attached to whatever circuit is most "convenient"...and that doesn't mean "your convenience". A dedicated circuit to the garage is unusual, although if there is one or more, it's a good sign that the house was built by a woodworker!

John, all those kitchen circuits are dictated by code. And there is never any logic to what circuits go where...or everywhere.

[Tim Farrell]

Welcome to the "Spinning your wheels" club. The funny thing is that we have exactly the same amount of memebers as SMC!!!!

[Steve Cox]

Days like that are why my garage/shop now has all the pre-existing outlets blanked off, a new sub-panel installed, and proper 115v and 220v circuits run everywhere so now when I run my Performax I don't have to worry that my wife will turn on her haidryer!

[Steve Aiken]

Mr. Murphy was a grand gentleman, eh?

I've developed a little saying in my shop and around my home..."Nothing's ever easy, eh!"

Thanks for the chuckle, I needed that. And truly sorry for your pain.

Steve

[John Cavanaugh]

Sounds like a typical day John !

BTW: When trimming Melamine I use a router, straight edge and 3/4 inch straight bit. Perfect edge with no chip out.

Thanks for the tip, Ill definitely try that next time!! At least I can say I learned something out of my adventure.

--
John Cavanaugh

[Bill Lewis]

Not really...this is pretty much status quo. Garages and the outlets in them are very often just for "convenience" and get attached to whatever circuit is most "convenient"...and that doesn't mean "your convenience". A dedicated circuit to the garage is unusual, although if there is one or more, it's a good sign that the house was built by a woodworker!

When we built our house, I had the electrician put in a separate circuit for the just the garage outlets. I got 7 or 8 outlets on that single circuit. Even though this isn't my WW shop it still isn't enough (3 door, 24'x34' space). I've expanded it a bit by adding a drop cord reel from one of the door opener outlets. I probably use that one the most and will probably add another.