Will this work?

[Greg in Maryland]

I am thinking of adding two suspended outlets from the ceiling in my basement. Something similar to: http://americanwoodworker.com/blogs/...ed-outlet.aspx

Would an extension cord at the correct gauge (14) with the end cut off and connected to the electrical line suffice?

Greg

[phi1l]

I have just put those bicycle hooks in to the joists about every 4 ft, in my shop, & run an extension cord from the wall, up to the hooks & over to where I need the power. They are big enough that I can also run 2 1/2 vacuum hose over head to just where I need it.

[Bill in Buena Park]

Would an extension cord at the correct gauge (14) with the end cut off and connected to the electrical line suffice?

Greg

Greg,
I personally wouldn't be comfortable with that, unless it was wired in to a switch so they could be shut off - but that's just me.

Also, you don't say what you plan to run on it (amp-wise) - I'd probably go with the gauge the line is wired at, probably 12g. One of our EEs should be able to tell us about the right gauge for the length of the cord you're considering.

[LCHIEN]

I'm not personally a fan of NEMA 5-15 straight plugs hanging like that - too easy to become disconnected by pulling on it or even when the contacts get a little less tight.

I think there are other ways of doing it (getting power from overhead) that are better.

The way I did it was to put a standard duplex outlet in the overhead, connect one of those 25-foot 12 ga. extension cords with the outlets spaced every eight feet and one at the end. But I went up and lashed the cord to the rafter before letting it down so as to strain relieve the plug. I then have one connection near the floor and can run the remainder of the cord sideways to another tool (router table) in the middle of the garage. Thus I have an equivalent 8 foot 12 ga. extension cord on my saw. and a 16-foot 12 gauge cord running to my router.

Other means of hanging cables involve twist lock plugs that can't come undone accidentally.

[Uncle Cracker]

Unless lack of headroom is a deal-breaker, why not just put the outlet in the rafters and use one of those retractable cord reels? Then you'll have a plug when and where you need it, and it will be tucked away at other times.

[jdon]

My .02 re: retractable reels, admittedly based on limited experience. Several years ago I bought a Sears retractable trouble light for working on car repair in the garage- nothing but trouble (maybe that's the source of the name!). It was a bother to retract close to completely, and would have intermittent power dropouts. Current is transmitted through contacts pressing against concentric flat rings on the reel. I'm not an electrician or EE, but that design doesn't seem to be a great way to pass any significant current.

Perhaps more expensive reels have better design, capable of powering a power tool. IMHO, as long as you have sufficiently heavy gauge for your power needs, the straightforward extension cord drop the OP proposed seems more reliable- and cheaper.

[Uncle Cracker]

My .02 re: retractable reels, admittedly based on limited experience. Several years ago I bought a Sears retractable trouble light for working on car repair in the garage- nothing but trouble (maybe that's the source of the name!). It was a bother to retract close to completely, and would have intermittent power dropouts. Current is transmitted through contacts pressing against concentric flat rings on the reel. I'm not an electrician or EE, but that design doesn't seem to be a great way to pass any significant current.

Perhaps more expensive reels have better design, capable of powering a power tool. IMHO, as long as you have sufficiently heavy gauge for your power needs, the straightforward extension cord drop the OP proposed seems more reliable- and cheaper.

I have two of the heavier Harbor Freight reels hanging from my shop ceiling. First one put up in '05... liked it so much, I put up the second in '06. So far (knocking on wood) I've had zero problems from either. Like any extension cord, you have to figure the length and ampacity into any decision as to whether a tool is too much, but they haven't bogged down anything reasonable that I have plugged into them...