Thread: Fletty's new shed WIP ....or is it a retrospective??

Originally Posted by GraemeCook

Good Morning Ian

Thanks for such an incredibly detailed and thorough posting. I need time to study it and absorb the detail before I reply........

Thanks Ian

I have now had time to digest your most detailed posting, and have also had a lengthy discussion with my sparky - only cost a bottle of red - and "why didn't you ask me earlier?"

Chris, thanks for the suggestion of electricity plugs on the ceiling, makes everything so flexible.

Fletty, thanks for source of LED panels - sparky says they are cheaper than he can source!

Distilled concensus is two continuous rows of light panels down the length of the workshop controlled by two or three switches (for economy). The workshop is 7.6 x 4.1 m so each row of lights will have six 1200 panels. My existing six panels is inadequate, so I will be doubling and repositioning.

I basically have two choices of light panels:

• LED panels as suggested by Fletty - 12 x $65 = $780, or
• Sparky says he is constantly replacing good 1200 mm fluoros and sending them to the tip; so they are FREE.
• Long time before electricity savings will cover higher capital costs of LED's, plus LED prices are still falling rapidly ....

He also suggested that I initially install the lights on the 3 m ceiling (easiest) and that lighting may initially appear a little bright. As/when my eyesight dims then we can suspend a beam at 2.4 m and move the lights onto that.

He also suggested that we install at least four overhead powerpoints suspended at 2.1 metres above the workbench and the 2 assembly benches and sawbench.

It seems a big step going from 6 to 12 fluoro panels, but 25 years ago I thought 2 panels were luxurious.

All good advice; do it once and do it properly!



Thanks and Cheers

Graeme

Originally Posted by GraemeCook

Distilled concensus is two continuous rows of light panels down the length of the workshop controlled by two or three switches (for economy). The workshop is 7.6 x 4.1 m so each row of lights will have six 1200 panels. My existing six panels is inadequate, so I will be doubling and repositioning.

Both the LED fixtures I have have "chain pull" switches incorporated within the fixture.
In terms of switching, I could switch them all via one or two circuits, and then use the pull switches to activate the ones over the power saw / jointer etc. as I need to use that tool.

Originally Posted by ian

Both the LED fixtures I have have "chain pull" switches incorporated within the fixture.
In terms of switching, I could switch them all via one or two circuits, and then use the pull switches to activate the ones over the power saw / jointer etc. as I need to use that tool.

Hi Ian

Correct me if I have misunderstood, but I think the result will be similar.

Sparky's idea was to have three light zones in the shed with 3 switches.

• Northern End - 4 light panels covering table saw, router table, drill press, thicknesser and an assembly table all adjacent to a 3 m roller door.
• Centre Section - 4 light panels supplemented by large skylight (2 x 1 m) covering woodwork bench.
• Southern End (darkest corner) - 4 light panels covering second assembly bench and storage.

At any time I will be able to have any or all three zones lit.

For really detailed work, I presently use an angelpoise or architects light that fits into a doghole. This will remain available, if needed.


Cheers

Graeme

I was thinking along the lines of generalised lighting supplemented by specific task lighting.
so you would use a pull switch to turn on the light over the table saw or router table, or thicknesser, and then turn that light off when you finished using the machine. (Of course I don't know how your machines and benches are arranged, so the foregoing is just a concept.)

So "turning the lights on" would energise 1/3 or 1/2 of the fixtures, with the balance turned on individually when using the particular machine or work surface.

Originally Posted by ian

I was thinking along the lines of generalised lighting supplemented by specific task lighting.
so you would use a pull switch to turn on the light over the table saw or router table, or thicknesser, and then turn that light off when you finished using the machine. (Of course I don't know how your machines and benches are arranged, so the foregoing is just a concept.)

So "turning the lights on" would energise 1/3 or 1/2 of the fixtures, with the balance turned on individually when using the particular machine or work surface.

This is what I do. I've got an LED floodlight above my tablesaw and one above my router table. Both hooked up to bluetooth power outlets. I just carry the small remote in my pocket and press a button to very brightly light up where I'm working. I love it.

Great News Fletty.
I find the blurring of vision a positive however, as it make all female forms attractive from a distance.
I reach my allotted 'three score plus ten' this year and after a few weeks in the bush, my regular trips to Sydney benefit from this roadside attraction, though not sure if it assists my driving.
Look forward to catching up at the Wood Show in June, we can test your eyes on some fiddleback.
Regards

Greg

I finally installed the light panel above my lathe, I even did some flat work, straight and square . . .

LED installed low res.jpg

The frame is suspended from the purlin.

As we all know, our sheds are not static, they change and morph with us and reflect how we work and what we make. Some of these changes require us to say good bye to old friends and today I have done just that.....

6B965360-1619-4B37-BBD9-DFC03B747A49.jpg

.... the ‘dunny chain’ blast gates have been retired!

A couple of blokes on the forum are developing a completely automated dust collection system and, because I helped design the gates, I’m getting to trial the prototype system
Basically, there was a need for a cheap way for Australian woodworkers to network all of the elements of dust collection and, at that time, there was nothing available so these forumites decided to do it themselves?
I was happy with my system but, due to inherent slackness, I still didn’t use my DC ALL of the time? I justified it to myself that it “is only a small job” or “it’s too far to walk” to close the open gate somewhere else in the shed. Even the best system is useless if you don’t use it?
As of today, I now have the first couple of powered gates installed that automatically open when their related machines are turned on AND close after the machine is turned off. Also, IF the DC is not on, the act of starting the machine will start the DC!
Most of it is intuitive to me but the electronics are the voodoo bits, there’s no dunny chains anywhere, and so I’m very pleased that it has been designed and trialled as plug-and-play.
Ill post more as the system trials continue but, so far, I’m very optimistic!

Yes, I have observed much of the progress from the sideline, and it looks and sounds terrific. Very keen to see how it all pans out, on several fronts

Originally Posted by fletty

6B965360-1619-4B37-BBD9-DFC03B747A49.jpg.... the ‘dunny chain’ blast gates have been retired!

It looks suspiciously like you are about to treat the whole thing as a dunny....

The first water cut gate components were picked up today

A9DA0A2B-85A6-4ADA-B6A5-DF8F7C87824A.jpg

I took 2 different half sheets for the trial cuts...

• 16mm thick melamine laminated pine board AND
• 9 mm thick marine ply

and I was hoping that, across those 2 different materials, I would get some idea how the proposed 12mm thick melamine coated marine plywood would go?
Unfortunately a few errors have snuck in but they are only incorrect diameter mounting holes and can be corrected for these few. I was pleasantly surprised to note that, with automatic nesting, we could cut all of the components for 2+ gates from a half sheet and hence 5+ from a full sheet. This certainly enhances the economics!
I’ll assemble these 4 tomorrow ( 2 x 100mm and 2 x 150mm) having spent today wiring/rewiring the shed ready to extend the trial to replace all current dust collector gates.
This is getting serious

Looking good!

(a little voice says) Cutting marine ply with water? Maybe. I s'pose so. He said it did.
Cutting chipboard with water?

Please explain? Would you mind expanding on that?

Originally Posted by FenceFurniture

Cutting chipboard with water?

Why not? Everyone has cut wet wheetbix with a spoon !

Originally Posted by FenceFurniture

Looking good!

(a little voice says) Cutting marine ply with water? Maybe. I s'pose so. He said it did.
Cutting chipboard with water?

Please explain? Would you mind expanding on that?

Originally Posted by GraemeCook

Why not? Everyone has cut wet wheetbix with a spoon !

Its an older technology (cutting with water that is, not eating Wheetbix!) that is a flat table with a CNC controlled head that that spits a very fine stream of water at 50,000 PSI through (I think) a ruby! Some of the jobs that this company does are CNC cutting of sheet material that can be effected by heat (eg some plastics and fabric) and cutting very reflective material (eg polished stainless steel) that reflects and scatters laser light and hence gives a poorer cut. The company and the bloke himself, also have a wonderful Steptoe feel .... and they are CHEAP?

For those poor souls who have been reading this tome for about 3 years, you would remember that, in the tall bay of the shed, I have my dust collector ducting added to a hinged boom and I wheel a machine under this boom to both plug into power AND to connect the dc. The system works very well but it is too often “too much trouble” to walk in to the low bay to close any dc gates that may have been left open!
Well, that is now a bad memory from the past. Here is where the boom mounted duct passes through the wall in to the low bay....

6E53CBD4-F0A4-4F22-8D3E-48054514D65F.jpg

.... and shows how it looked this morning. Above the duct is the new dc automatic controller installed yesterday in preparation for the new powered gate. Here is the low bay side of the duct passing through the wall also as at this morning...

D6F3FDE0-C0ED-4E82-B175-530C19618187.jpg

... with Kitchener peering out through the duct work to remind me of my duty! I assembled the first of the water-cut gates and this is a view down the bore in the fully open position showing the alignment between the opening in the rolling blade and the bore of the duct work. ....

04FCB5A4-7542-4A81-89EA-D6FDE2C50C72.jpg

This gate is is now installed and, as it is automated, it is installed in the low bay which was easier rather than the tall bay from where it extracts the dust and from where I would normally be operating the machinery!

E8B5D8F0-B74D-4D86-A5AD-E1C459B19D7C.jpg

Kitchener is still there somewhere but I need no reminder of my duty. My duty now is to get in to Sydney for a traditional Pizza Friday with the Bubs ..... if they are still talking to me? THIS is how I got them out of my 3rd daughters wedding at 2:30 AM last Saturday morning....

D459FEE1-1BDB-4DE4-88F6-38F45E2832AE.jpeg

Im very happy so far with the practicality of this (very) locally developed dc automation system!