What do you think about an Electrical SubForum?

[Jason Roehl]

I dunno...I was thinking that, based on some of the electrical threads I've read in the past that electrical topics should get lumped with politics and religion--i.e., VERBOTEN.

Forum, no forum...I use "New Posts", so I don't even notice when there is a new forum created.

[Jack Briggs]

I think we have too many forums already.
18 forums not counting the manufacturing forums.

Bruce,

If you think we here at SMC have a lot of forums, check out cnczone.com




I think an electrical subforum would be a good idea, based upon the number of threads in that area. Maybe with a disclaimer attached........

[Jim Becker]

Folks, Keith has indicated that a separate Electrical forum could be possible. But keep in mind that will also require one or more individuals to become moderators...a high paying, fast paced way to become completely endeared to almost 30,000 people and simultaneously disqualify yourself from Free Stuff Drawings at the same time. More forums mean more work, in other words...

Jim
SMC Moderator

[Von Bickley]

I was a certified electrician for over 35 years. I did residential electrical work and industrial electrical & instrumentation. I have worked with single phase systems and three phase systems. I have wired 3 phase motors that were 480 volts and 4160 volts.

I have made a decision not to get involved with any electrical questions on this woodworking forum. There ar too many DIY'ers that appear to know more about electrical work than I do.

I'm going to be like the boy that fell out of the wagon, " I ain't in it."

[Steve Mellott]

I've posted several electrical questions on woodworking websites and have received several different (and sometimes incorrect) answers. Last year, when I built a workshop, I posted all my electrical questions on an "electrical website" which is staffed by licensed electricians. I received some great advice and think electrical questions should be directed to that type of website, not a woodworking website.

[Rob Will]

A lot of electrical questions and answers posted here require a specific knowledge of WW machines.

My shop has dedicated circuits for several motors up to 20 hp in size. Often times, electricians who only do residential electrical are not familiar with the requirements of a serious wood shop or motor control circuits. Around here (SMC)there are several "industrial" electricians and PE's that also happen to be interested in woodworking. It is good practice to ask these folks for a second opinion.

As a homeowner, I do only my own work and have no need to obtain a license. I do however keep a current NEC and a UGLY book on my desk. There is a SqaureD motor circuit guide hanging on the wall in my shop. I reguarly get invited to classes held by our local electrical inspectors (in two different states). I don't need the credits but I go to thier classes anyway. I hang out at the local electric motor shop where they do mostly industrial work and everyone there is a licensed Master Electrician. I buy all of my motor control components (Cutler Hammer) from this shop and sit with these same guys when class rolls around. SMC is just one of the places that I get electrical information. When combined with NEC regulations and professional advice, a woodworker's forum can also be a good resource for electrical info.

Rob

[Eric Haycraft]

I vote yes.. You could also post a sticky at the top stating that all advice should be verified against the NEC (and the link to it) and/or your local Inspector.

[Peter Quadarella]

Personally, since this is a woodworking forum I don't think electrical questions need a seperate forum (it seems off topic to me except for the occasional question).

The question of safety is a non-starter though in my opinions. There are plenty of possibly dangerous hobbies out there that have forums and people should generally know to be careful of information gleaned on the internet. I have been active in several reloading forums which if done wrong can easily be as dangerous as miswiring something. This has allowed me to be more safe, not less. And, there is no such thing as a licensed reloader (in the U.S.).

[Greg Funk]

What would the benefit of a new electrical forum be?

I sort of understand the dynamics behind having a forum for turners where you have a place for people with similar interests to share their work and questions. I can see a wood turner exclusively looking at posts on their forum and ignoring everything else. For this purpose a separate forum allows people to effectively filter out posts they don't really care about.

I can't really see anyone going exclusively to an electrical forum on a woodworking site. If someone was really interested in electrical issues there are, as others have mentioned, dedicated forums better suited for this.

There are two ways to browse a SMC, by either monitoring a few specific forums or, if one has a broader interest range, to check all new posts. If one is checking new posts then the division of forums is irrelevant. So for those who monitor a few specific forums would having another one to check be beneficial? Would someone get better quality answers to their questions if there was a separate forum?

My vote would be to not add an electrical forum. People get reasonable answers now by posting in gww. Often there is benefit in just hearing from someone who has done something similar in their shop even if they aren't an expert. These types of responses would likely be lost if there was a separate forum.

Greg

[Rob Will]

Let's just call it "WOODSHOP ELECTRICAL".

I think the discussion is more relevant when we are all talking about woodworking tools rather than being on another forum where the discussion covers all things electrical.

Case in point: Not long ago Rick and I got in a discussion about 115V vs 230V for a particular 2 hp table saw. The discussion got pretty "interesting" . Well you know what? Rick was right but so was I. Eventually, the discussion led to how electric motor efficiency and service factors greatly impact the amperage requirements of a particular tool. Mike Henderson brought some good information about motor design into the discussion.

Even though Rick and I disagree a little bit about when one should go to 230V, I respect his opinion and try to understand his position. Had this discussion taken place in an "electrical" forum and far removed from the topic of woodworking, would we have had the same opportunity to examine this particular tool? Probably not.

I think "WOODSHOP ELECTRICAL" would be a good home for this.

Rob

[Jason Beam]

The biggest benefit, in my opinion is that people who are woodworkers that post electrical questions here are doing so among similar minded folks. I've been to Mike Holt's forum and honsetly got kind of confused as to where I'd post my woodworking-tool-related question on there. Here, I'd know where to post. And I could pretty well bet that someone else has tackled it before as well, from a woodworker's perspective.

I also see your point about the turners. Turning is kind of a whole separate faction of the woodworking subject as a whole. Well electrical is a pretty small faction in that light and I'd agree with you that a separate forum devoted only to woodworking electrical questions would probably not hold much value.

How about this instead... Shop Setup and Outfitting

In it, you find Dust collection, electrical, tool placement advice ... all those things that are part of the evolution of a shop. It's not much different, then, than a shop tours forum - it isn't quite as restricted as an electrical-only, but it solves one of the biggest problems with electrical questions - they get burried in the GWW forum because it's so dang active. A general Shop Setup forum would be fairly busy, but not so busy that a question asked this morning is 3 pages deep by this evening like can happen in GWW.

Just a thought ...

[Greg Funk]

Jason,

I think a you've got a good idea there and would likely get more visits as building a shop is a never ending exercise. It would also be a good place to include shop tours.

Greg

[Greg Peterson]

Jason, excellent idea. Covers a lot of territory that is germane to just the shop space.

[Rick Christopherson]

By putting electrical discussions into a separate forum, you would effectively be excluding input from people that otherwise have no interest in the topic, but yet still have valuable information.

A simple case in point might be where a woodworker wants to rewire the motor on a specific tool, but the 120/240 diagram is missing from their tool. Another woodworker that actually owns that tool happens to have a photograph of the missing diagram taken from his tool. That person would have clicked on the thread simply because he saw a question about a tool that he owned, but would otherwise never have been interested in an electrical discussion.

That's not a stretch of the imagination; it happens quite often.

[Randall Davis]

I knew I recognized this name, but I haven't seen it in a while, and I had to go look it up. The only time you come out of the woodwork is to criticize others. The last time out, you attacked me, now you are attacking Rob (although not as venomously). You participate in electrical threads, but you never provide any substance to the discussion.

You are the model of the very criticism you just levied. If you know so much, then why don't you substantiate any of the discussions or contraventions that you have claimed?

From my research, you appear to be a well hidden alias for someone else. In either case, you are not beneficial to the forum.

I am a newbie woodworker! I visit this site on ocasion for the woodworking knowledge, my apologiase to any offended by my opinion on the electrical topic. The reason I don't offer electrical advise is for the reasons I have already stated. My advise along with others can not be substantiated here. When it comes to electrical work a person should be talking face to face with a certified person not some name on a computer screen.