Mounting box?

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Silly Car
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Mounting box?

Post by Silly Car »

I’m trying to find a small box / way to mount the following on a cable rather than in a panel:
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It is to create a Festool like Plug it system for my numerous power tools as many of them have woefully short cables and I’m continually swapping from one to another.

One power cable will be attached to the dust hose and I’ll have another for when not dragging the vacuum around.

My Google foo has failed me in terms of a small box which I can mount the socket and a stuffing gland.

:)
Zimbo
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Re: Mounting box?

Post by Zimbo »

I usually use CPC for those sorts of things, they're part of Farnell but with cheaper prices and you get free shipping for a much smaller order.
https://cpc.farnell.com/c/electrical-li ... rl/results
cheb
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Re: Mounting box?

Post by cheb »

That's an ideal job for a 3D printer, have a look on thingyverse, there might be one ready to go.
demographic
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Re: Mounting box?

Post by demographic »

So you have the Festool plug it plug on an extension that you want to have attached on your extractor hose and you just want the socket that usually goes onto the powertool to go on a short cable from your non Festool powertools?

I've not done it but I'm fairly sure some of the members on the Festool forum have and use various powertools with the Festool hose setup so the cable doesn't snag.

Have you fired up a thread on there?
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ZRX61
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Re: Mounting box?

Post by ZRX61 »

Dang, thought this was about sex furniture.
Silly Car
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Re: Mounting box?

Post by Silly Car »

Not quite, no Festool tools, just like the idea so had a search and a few folk have used Powercon connectors which for the life of me, other than the new True range which are expensive, I cannot find a cable mounted socket hence looking for a box / adaptor to mount a chassis socket.

Following cheb’s idea, I’ve spoken to Metz, formerly of the visordown parish and he’s going to look at designing / 3D printing a few for me.
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Re: Mounting box?

Post by cheb »

Silly Car
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Re: Mounting box?

Post by Silly Car »

Prototype complete:
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Front end same dimension as panel mount and back end tapers down to accept a M20 gland. Just need to ship the parts to Metz for a test fit so he can iron out any design issues.

:thumbup:
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Re: Mounting box?

Post by demographic »

One thing worth mentioning especially with tools like circ saws is where the plug/socket goes on the cable.
You don't want it to snag when part way into a cut. Or sanders snagging and as its still spinning kind of digging in.

Just something to keep an eye on.

Also the ribbed vac hose sometimes catches on an edge or guiderail.
You can sometimes put into a wiring cover erm thing on them.
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Re: Mounting box?

Post by Silly Car »

demographic wrote: Fri Apr 09, 2021 8:33 pm One thing worth mentioning especially with tools like circ saws is where the plug/socket goes on the cable.
You don't want it to snag when part way into a cut. Or sanders snagging and as its still spinning kind of digging in.

Just something to keep an eye on.

Also the ribbed vac hose sometimes catches on an edge or guiderail.
You can sometimes put into a wiring cover erm thing on them.
I’ve seen a sock kind of thing for the hose to reduce snags so I might investigate that further as it’ll help keep the cable in place.

The stupidly short cable on the track/circular saw is one of the reasons for the change. The cable length is such that I have to have the extension reel placed halfway along an 8x4 sheet to do full length cuts :thumbdown:

Idea behind the mock plug-it is to have the cable on the tool as short as possible to prevent snags and effectively give me a 5m lead on every tool with a dust extraction port (sanders, routers, track saw, planer etc). A separate 5m lead will be made up for when I don’t need dust extraction.
iansoady
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Re: Mounting box?

Post by iansoady »

I think it used to be good practice to loop the cable over your shoulder so it went behind you & helped stop it getting snarled up. I inherited a ratty old circular saw from my dad - it had about 2 foot of cable as he'd sawn through it.......
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Yambo
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Re: Mounting box?

Post by Yambo »

iansoady wrote: Sat Apr 10, 2021 10:28 am I think it used to be good practice to loop the cable over your shoulder so it went behind you & helped stop it getting snarled up.

That's just what I do. Most of the time. :thumbup:
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Re: Mounting box?

Post by Silly Car »

Ta da!
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It just needs mounting on a cable and for me to take the step of chopping the end off the power cable for my tools :o
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David
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Re: Mounting box?

Post by David »

Be brave!