# How to run wiring.....



## Wizard1500 (Jul 20, 2009)

I hope this is in the right forum…..

Below is a pic of a display case I made for my wife. I now am going to make another, slightly larger, to be used as a lamp. It also, will be used to hold a painted pony figurine. The glass panes are ¼”, and are set into ¼” x ¼” grooves. My problem is how to run the wiring….any ideas would be greatly appreciated…..

btw: the stock is 3/4" red oak.

Carl…..


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## kp91 (Sep 10, 2004)

2 choices come to mind quickly----

1. Either go with a solid back and run your wires up in a false back

2. Go with much larger columns on the corners and rout a channel in one. If you rout a channel in two pieces of stock before you glue them together it will be totally hidden from view.

Good looking project, It'll make a great lamp I'm sure.


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## Cassandra (Mar 15, 2006)

Hi Carl:

Some ramblings and suggestions.

Use low voltage lighting. For example, maybe use LED lamps (no heat.) Then use a wall-pack power supply.

If you use low-voltage lighting, then one can run one conductor up one stile and the other conductor up another stile. 

Don't know what size you intend to build.

If small enough, then using a drill-press, drill up from the bottom of the stiles. 

Otherwise, if you have a band-saw, re-saw the oak, route a channel in one piece and glue the pieces back together. 

If you miter the stiles, then "spline" conductors into the stiles.

HTH,
Cassandra


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## Cassandra (Mar 15, 2006)

Okay, Doug, you're the faster typer.


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## bobj3 (Jan 17, 2006)

Hi Carl

I would suggest using the slot for the glass, cut one side to 3/8" to 1/2" deep and run the wire up that slot and drill a hole in the bottom and in the top, on the back side and out for the cord..and to the inside of the top to the drop for the light, plug the hole on the top part with a dowel plug, use the cord with the switch on the cord..because it's a in close type case I would use low voltage light ..12 or 6 volt type..LED type lights last a very long time so to say it's a once in a life time thing..

Amazon.com: led lamp under the counter Home Improvement


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Wizard1500 said:


> I hope this is in the right forum…..
> 
> Below is a pic of a display case I made for my wife. I now am going to make another, slightly larger, to be used as a lamp. It also, will be used to hold a painted pony figurine. The glass panes are ¼”, and are set into ¼” x ¼” grooves. My problem is how to run the wiring….any ideas would be greatly appreciated…..
> 
> ...


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## Wizard1500 (Jul 20, 2009)

Thanks for the replys....the lamp base is going to be 12" w X 9" d X 12" h. 

The one in the pic above is 11 1/2" w X 7 1/2" d X 8" h. The corner posts are made in an "L" shape...both sides being 1 1/2" wide.

Making a solid back would by far be the easiest, but the 4 side glassed in style looks nice. I think increasing the size of the corner posts will be the way I go....but, I will also look into the low voltage lighting ( that just might be worth a try)....

Thanks again, for the suggestions.....


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## Wizard1500 (Jul 20, 2009)

Just re-reading the replys, and I may have confused the issue. When I say "lamp", I don't mean a light on the inside....I mean a lamp and shade on top of the display.....hope I'm not getting mixed up.....


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## Ralph Barker (Dec 15, 2008)

*safety*

Since you'll likely have threaded lamp conduit extending through the top for the lamp fixture, I'd add a leg of the same conduit (it's 1/2" in diameter, or so) over to the corner to mate up with a piece through that, as well. Although you might get away with simply running the wire in a channel routed in the corner, it's probably not considered safe, electrically speaking.

[edit] Checking national and local electrical codes is a good idea.


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## jeremy budgen (Oct 9, 2010)

Carl

I see that you have a double top can you in some way have the cord coming through the center from beneath and do the same as bob suggested running the wire in the glass groove and run anther groove on the top side of the the top rail to meet up with the other groove in the vertical, then from underneath of the first top run a groove to the center of the second top.

With any wiring in grooves i would suggest laying them in a bead of silicon sealant and let each part dry before gluing up the job.

Hope this helps

J..


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## Wizard1500 (Jul 20, 2009)

Thanks, Jeremy....I'm pretty sure that is the way I'll do it....thanks for the suggestion on the silicone.....


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## Mike (Nov 22, 2004)

Running the wires in wood is safe. Wood is a good insulator.


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## Aquadan005 (Sep 11, 2010)

Mike said:


> Running the wires in wood is safe. Wood is a good insulator.


:stop:That is a misnomer, Moisture content in wood affects its conductivity. I'd be very careful about relying on wood as a sole insulator.


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## bobj3 (Jan 17, 2006)

Hi 

I'm sure just a little bead of silicone or hot glue would take care of that error.. 

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Aquadan005 said:


> :stop:That is a misnomer, Moisture content in wood affects its conductivity. I'd be very careful about relying on wood as a sole insulator.


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## Knothead47 (Feb 10, 2010)

Wiring in a lamp isn't covered by the NEC or local codes. Such items are covered by Underwriter's Laboratories or the equalivalent Canadian agency.


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## Cassandra (Mar 15, 2006)

Mike said:


> Running the wires in wood is safe. Wood is a good insulator.


Careful, Mike, as such blanket statements can come back to bite you.

Wood is generally considered an insulator. I would not go as far as saying it is a good insulator.

As Dan indicated, moisture content affects the insulation properties of wood. The electrical resistance of the wood is a function of the moisture content. At low-voltage, this resistance is not much to worry about, but at line voltage (120V or 240V), one needs to worry about creep voltage appearing on the surface of the wood. 

Also, if the wire runs warm (not necessarily hot), it can dry out the wood. As the wood dries out, its ignition temperature temperature drops. Over time, the wire might heat the wood to the point of discoloration of the wood or of a fire. This is one of the reason that lamp manufacturers run the wire in a metal tube through wood. (The metal tube also provides mechanical strength.)

My previous posts in this thread were under a misconception. Sorry! I thought the box was a display case only -- not a lamp base. However, I would still go with low-voltage wiring. Safer that way. Also, low-voltage (say 12Vac) is safe to run exposed, as long as the two conductors are not shorted. My desk lamps use this technique. Each lamp has one 20W, 12V halogen bulb in a head that is supported by two telescoping arms. The two arms are the conductors, carrying 12Vac from the transformer in the base to the lamp in the head. 

Cassandra


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## kp91 (Sep 10, 2004)

One last point, you will need to include some sort of strain relief to prevent the wires from being pulled out of the sockets. I use an 'underwriters knot', you can usually find the instructions on the lamp kit. I also use plastic bushings that press into the lamp rod at the base end of the lamp. This prevents the wire from chafing on the edge when it makes a 90 degree turn into the base. I also usually add a dab of silicone into the channel that I cut in the base as an additional strain relief.


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## downhill (Nov 21, 2008)

You are't going to be running bare wire.. it's already insulated so whatever you run it in, is going to be good. kp91's suggestions are also some good ideas.


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## Wizard1500 (Jul 20, 2009)

downhill said:


> You are't going to be running bare wire.. it's already insulated so whatever you run it in, is going to be good. kp91's suggestions are also some good ideas.


That is one of my questions.....the "wiring" or "cord" that comes with the lamp shade kits, is insulated...and with a 40w bulb, I would not think the draw would be enough to heat the cord to a dangerous level.

Now, my other question.....the cord will come down through the top of the case...do I simply rout a groove to run the cord to the back rail on the bottom of this piece

, or do I put the bottom piece of the top on a drill press and bore channels....( it would seem this would be the best way, but with routing a roman ogee edge, would require making that piece in stages.....I hope you understand what I mean.....

Sorry for all the questions, but the only other lamp I've ever made was out of a bowling pin, shaped on a lathe, and the wiring was simply run down the center in conduit.....thanks for all your help, and patience with me.....


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## kp91 (Sep 10, 2004)

Carl,

My big lamps have either a 3/4 or 1" thick base. This allows for a counterbore in the bottom to allow me to spin the nut on the lamp pipe, and allows me to rout a channel with a core box bit most of the way to the edge of the lamp. I then come with a drill and drill through the side of the base with a hole just big enough for the wires to pass through. To finish it off, a piece of felt held on with spray adhesive covers everything and protects what you set the piece on.


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## Wizard1500 (Jul 20, 2009)

Thanks, Doug....a picture (or more), is worth a thousand words....the key is the felt....I can rout from the center of the bottom of the top piece, and then cover it with felt...great idea. Thanks.....


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## Ralph Barker (Dec 15, 2008)

Wizard1500 said:


> That is one of my questions.....the "wiring" or "cord" that comes with the lamp shade kits, *is insulated*...and with a 40w bulb, I would not think the draw would be enough to heat the cord to a dangerous level.


True, but that's a single layer of insulation that's intended to be surrounded by air. In the locales I'm familiar with, you can run Romex (triple-insulated) through studs, but single-insulated wires need to be run in conduit. That way, should the insulation break down for some unexpected reason, like a power surge, any sparking won't reach flammable surfaces. That idea was the basis for my initial concern. But, I'm also subject to over-thinking design issues. 

Long drill bits are available that would drill the vertical member of the base for the cord, or cord/lamp pipe combo. But, it's tricky doing it on a drill press due to limited quill travel. The regular V-tipped bits can wander off course, however, so a "ship auger" may be a better choice. The alternative would be to make the upright frame member in two sections, routing the channel before gluing them together.


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## Wizard1500 (Jul 20, 2009)

Thanks for everyone's help. I've routed the channels for the wiring, and I'm all set for that.....

Another question....same project.....

When mortising for hinges (keep in mind this a only 13" from base to bottom of top), is it better to mortise both the stile and the door, or can I just make the hinge recess deep enough to accept the "folded hinge"?.....I have done it both ways on practice, and it's, of course, much easier to just do the stile, because there's less chance for error....again, thanks for all the help.....


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## Ralph Barker (Dec 15, 2008)

Wizard1500 said:


> Thanks for everyone's help. I've routed the channels for the wiring, and I'm all set for that.....
> 
> Another question....same project.....
> 
> When mortising for hinges (keep in mind this a only 13" from base to bottom of top), is it better to mortise both the stile and the door, or can I just make the hinge recess deep enough to accept the "folded hinge"?.....I have done it both ways on practice, and it's, of course, much easier to just do the stile, because there's less chance for error....again, thanks for all the help.....


Yes. 

I think it depends on the structure of the item being hinged. That is, where you want the actual pivot point to be in relation to the structure. For a lid that overhangs the lower structure/box, I'd do the mortise in only the lower section (stile), with the pin of the hinge slightly behind the back edge of the stile. That gives the lid room to move without binding.


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## Wizard1500 (Jul 20, 2009)

Ralph Barker said:


> Yes.
> 
> I think it depends on the structure of the item being hinged. That is, where you want the actual pivot point to be in relation to the structure. For a lid that overhangs the lower structure/box, I'd do the mortise in only the lower section (stile), with the pin of the hinge slightly behind the back edge of the stile. That gives the lid room to move without binding.


I'm sorry, I constantly get confused on which is which...I guess what I meant to say is the rail.....the door will pivot to the right, at the rail on the right hand side....the top is stationary....sorry, I get confused, easily....


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## Ralph Barker (Dec 15, 2008)

Wizard1500 said:


> I'm sorry, I constantly get confused on which is which...I guess what I meant to say is the rail.....the door will pivot to the right, at the rail on the right hand side....the top is stationary....sorry, I get confused, easily....


Don't feel bad. Rails are horizontal (like rails on a fence), stiles, vertical. I also got confused and misunderstood what you were hinging.

For a door, I'd inset the hinge equally between the two vertical members (the stile of the case and the stile of the door), so both surfaces would be smooth with the hinge installed.


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## Wizard1500 (Jul 20, 2009)

Thanks, Ralph....I'll do that.....


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## bobj3 (Jan 17, 2006)

Rockler - Search Results for 'barb hinges'

Brass-Plated Small-Box Offset Kerf-Cut Hinge - Rockler Woodworking Tools
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## Ralph Barker (Dec 15, 2008)

Hinges - Horton Brasses Inc.

:dance3:


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## bobj3 (Jan 17, 2006)

http://www.routerforums.com/coreys-wooden-stuff/7743-couple-new-pen-boxes.html
http://www.routerforums.com/coreys-wooden-stuff/6357-finished-pen-boxes.html
http://www.routerforums.com/tools-woodworking/3622-barbed-hinges.html

:dance3::cray::stop::moil:
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Ralph Barker said:


> Hinges - Horton Brasses Inc.
> 
> :dance3:


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## Ralph Barker (Dec 15, 2008)

:lol:


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## BigJimAK (Mar 13, 2009)

Knothead47 said:


> Wiring in a lamp isn't covered by the NEC or local codes. Such items are covered by Underwriter's Laboratories or the equalivalent Canadian agency.


John,

Before making such a statement you may be well-served taking a look at the NEC to confirm your belief prior to making the assertion. Rather than argue the point I will quote the NEC.

Acticle 410 of the NEC is entitled "Luminaires, Lampholders, and Lamps".

Quoting Section 410.1 - Scope

"This article covers luminaires, portable luminaires, lamp holders, pendants, incandescent filament lamps, arc lamps, electric discharge lamps, decorative lighting products, lighting accessories for temporary seasonal or holiday use, portable flexible lighting products, and the wiring and equipment forming part of such products and lighting installations."

Quoting Section 410.6 - Listing Required

"All luminaires and lampholders shall be listed."

For the U.S., OSHA recognizes 15 NRTL's (Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratories) DTSEM\OTPCA\NRTL: Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratories (NRTLs), of which UL is one, that are approved to test products to confirm they conform to a wide variety of NEC and other standards.


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