JLP Blacksmith Teaching Center.

[arkie]

19 hours ago, jlpservicesinc said:

Arkie, I'd love to call it all off and just go teach someplace else.. If I did not put the school up I could retire this year and lived well.   

But, I have pushed and pushed and fully understand the dynamics at hand "NOW"..  

I am extremely grateful everytime I go out in the building and look around at all the hardwork and treasures and know that someday it will be finished and "Spectacular"..  I just need to hang in there a little longer.  
 

Jen, you are doing what you love to do.  Never regret all the joy that the project has brought you, and will bring you in the future.  You WILL succeed...it's in your DNA.

[Frosty]

I don't know anything about lyme's disease other than it's hard to beat and can have long term consequences. 

If meds bother your stomach try chewing a little sliver of ginger root, relief is almost instant. I keep a root in the freezer for when I don't remember to drink a glass of water before taking my morning meds. Or when I make orange ginger chicken. 

Frosty The Lucky.

[jlpservicesinc]

Frosty. Thanks for the little tidbit..   It's more how the antibiotics kill off all the good bacteria in the digestive tract. 

 Dominic S came over again today and I think for the most part other than a few nitpicky things electric is ready to be connected to the grid. 

I still have 1 more large ground to go to the service entrance panel from the steel building itself. 

The ground rods are 3/4x10 ft and the last one or closest to the Metersocket is 5/8" x 10Ft..   The supplier did not have any 3/4" in stock.

Steve Sells, you see any glaring defects I need to correct? 

 

Edited February 8, 2023 by Mod30
Remove @name tag

[gewoon ik]

Wrestling with armthick elektrical wires  

Stupid maybe but mark the earthing pen.

a few years later when trimming the grass, you don't want to trim the connection cable. You discover at some point, if lucky during a routine inspection (why do I get that much resistance to earth? It has been raining) and not hugging a machine. 

Never done that :ninja:

[Steve Sells]

Ground wire is going to get cut installed that way.  You need to change the conduit to go straight down into the dirt at the wall and travel underground to the ground rods from there.  I dont see any straps on the conduit.

 The rest looks good.

[Shainarue]

Wooeee! Dang Jennifer you've been both busy and very unlucky! And I thought *I* was accident prone! 

The center is coming along though. I totally get the mentality of needing to push through - the end is in sight - just want to get it done - yadda yadda. I totally get it because it's my same mentality and it's also when I tend to have more accidents. When i'm already injured, I'm 2x more likely to get injured again. Now ... I can't speak to injuries from teeth brushing or hair plucking, lol - those *should* be fairly safe activities in the normal realm of living! I think it's time to light some sage and go smoke out your house and anywhere else you spend time, lol - smudge out all that bad voodoo that's hangin' about!

[jlpservicesinc]

Steve, straps on the conduit,  You mean grounding bushings?  (edit) never mind, you meant the hanger straps for the conduit.   I had to bend it a little more to get that just right fit. 

The ground conductor and ground rods are below grade..  I have them exposed for inspection.   I have not seen the conduit for grounds  go down below ground level.. 

The ground conductor conduit has a grounding bushing on the end and will be pushed back against the building. 

I did some clean up.. Or should say some reorganizing inside both the metersocket/service disconnect and the wireway/load centers. 

I couldn't handle it little too cluttered and didn't like the way the cover fit on the disconnect. The wires were sticking out to far and pushing against the cover. 




 

[Steve Sells]

the conduit for the ground wire is to protect the wire from being damaged, it should go all the way to the dirt

[jlpservicesinc]

Ok, will do.  Anything else? 

[Steve Sells]

nope

 

[ThomasPowers]

Be careful as there can be other issues hiding as well. 

[My wife noticed I was "off" called a friend who is the local ER DR; was told bring me in NOW! CT scan, 6.4 cm mass in brain, 100 mile helicopter flight, brain surgery, biopsy: glioblastoma,  several "missing days" and now no driving or power tool use...or smithing. So glad it was found before possibly terminal accident(s)]

 

[jlpservicesinc]

Thomas, I am so sorry to hear you have been going thru all this health stuff over the last few years. 

Glad it was found for sure. 

[jlpservicesinc]

So the last Saturday my electrician buddy came over and inspected my work.  

the 3 things that needed to be done were the 2 bonding screws for the load centers to be installed.. ( my understanding was/is only the first disconnect required to be bonded everything after that need not be bonded) he explained that though the outside is technically the first disconnects the inside was the first load centers with accessible disconnect means.        OK.. 

And the ground conductor needed to be in PVC conduit vs metal.   

I had planned on such contingencies so had the extra conductor inside the panel. 

The inspector was called and an appointment was setup for Thursday morning. 

[jlpservicesinc]

So the inspection went well.   The electrical inspector said:" He couldn't have done any better himself".  

The inside bonding screws I was told need to be removed.. 

He pointed out that the cables at the pole were short, but everyone I have talked to said that National grid should connect them. 

Since then the National grid site manager has come and looked and he said, they are marginal.  

Not sure what can be done since it's such a long drop he said.   They can't infringe on the cable nor telephone lines.

I have since looked into compression splices..  

My original wire length was correct but 2 of the lines were short by 12ft. 

15ft of the 3rd line was cut off for installation into the meter socket. 

So technically I only need to buy 30ft of 500mcm copper.. 

After talking to my electrical buddy he suggested compression splices vs swage splices as well and so is the direction going in.. 

So 3 splices and 30ft of 500mcm should have it complete. 

[jlpservicesinc]

Something like this. 

[Steve Sells]

Just remember the issue of all splices/junctions having to be accessible

[jlpservicesinc]

3 hours ago, Steve Sells said:

Just remember the issue of all splices/junctions having to be accessible

I like that aspect.. And appreciate this fact.  In a way, they will be accessible..   More accessible than direct buried which is what those splices were designed for. 

Not sure exactly what was ordered by my electrician buddy. 

Accessibility like all this stuff depends on the person interpreting the code on top of what they learned and personal experience. 

For the most part if you ask 5 electricians the same question you will get 5 different responses. 

Most electricians don't divulge information freely. 

It's probably just me..   I don't seem to get a straight answer from any one.  There is usually a rather large song and dance or a complete shut down. 

Song and dance is defined as the reasons why something is not done, and then the complexity of which why they get paid, what they get paid.  Step 1, step 2, step 3, etc, etc. etc. Before the work even starts.  

NEC 230.33 Spliced Conductors. Services conductors shall be permitted to be spliced or tapped in accordance with 110.14, 230.46, 300.5(E), 300.13 and 300.15.. 

110.14 talks about the splice being compatible for same/same or CU/AL etc, etc.   110.14 (B)  Splices Conductors shall be spliced or joined with splicing devices identified for the use or by brazing, welding or soldering with a fusible metal or alloy. Soldered splices shall first be spliced or joined so as to be mechanically or electrically secure without the solder and then be soldered. All splices and joints and the free ends of conductors shall be covered with an insulation equivalent to that of the conductors or with an identified insulation device. 

Wire connectors or splicing means installed on conductors for direct burial will be labeled for use. 

240.46 Spliced and tapped conductors: Service entrance conductors shall be permitted to be spliced or tapped in accordance with 110.14, 300.5(b) etc, etc.   Power distribution blocks, pressure connectors, and devices for splices and taps shall be listed. Power distribution blocks installed on services conductors shall be marked" suitable for use on the line side of the services equipment" or equivalent. 
Pressure connectors and devices for splices and taps installed on services conductors shall be parked "suitable for use on the line side of the services equipment" or equivalent.

300.5(e): (E) Splices and taps. Direct Buried conductors or cables shall be permitted to be spliced or tapped without the use of splice boxes, The splices or taps shall be made in accordance with 110.14(B)

300.13: Mechanical and Electrical continuity-conductors: (A) general: Conductors in a raceways shall be continuous between oulets, boxes, devices and so forth. There shall be no splice or tap within a raceway unless permitted my 300.15, 368.56(A), 376.56,378.56,384.56,386.56,388.56,390.56

300.15 Basically reads that each conductor or splice must have a box.  

368 has to do with busways. 

376. is metal wireways:   376.56 Splices, taps, and power distribution blocks:  (A) Splices and taps. Splices and taps shall be permitted within a wreway, provided they are accessible. The conductors including splices and taps, shall not fill the wireway to more than 75% of it's area at that point. 

378.Non metallic wireways. 378.56 Splices and taps: Splices and taps shall be permitted within a nonmetallic wireway, provided they are accessible. The conductors, including the splices and taps, shall not fill the nonmetallic wireway to more than 75% of it's area at that point.
The rest of the codes from 384.56 etc just involve different types of wireways. 

390 is under floor..  N/A 

So there it is..    Minimum standards of what should not be done.. 

75%..  NO problem..   Space them out so the splices are staggered.  Access??   Remove the non metallic raceway??  

388.56 I think is the one that is most appropriate. 

Surface Non metallic raceways" 

388.56: Splices and taps" Splices and taps shall be permitted in Surface nonmetallic raceways having a cover capable of being opened in placed that is accessible after installation. The fill can not be more than 75% at that point. Spries and taps in surface nonmetallic raceways without covers capable of being opened in place shall be made only in boxes. All splices and taps shall be made my approved methods.

[Steve Sells]

JLPSerrvices said  "Most electricians don't divulge information freely"

My reason for not telling people a lot of things is the Liability.  If I tell you and you do it and get hurt I get nailed for it, safer for me to not tell, also some things depend on details that not everyone asking me is going to tell me,  partially because they dont know it matters

[jlpservicesinc]

Sorry Steve, no offense offered. 

 

I get it. Liability today is crazy sketchy.

 

Years back I talked with an insurance guy about the blacksmithing business, the martial arts school and the scuba business at that time.

He said "Don't do anything".  No people on property,  no lessons about anything, and most of all don't sign anything"..

Really he said it doesn't matter what one does or does not do, it's only if it looks like neglect or one knowing ahead of time (neglecgenice) and still moving forwards and something should happen.

 

Then proof is solely the responsibility of owners/teachers/instructors that they were not negligent. 

Crazy. 

 

[Steve Sells]

One reason I gave up teaching Jujitsu, Insurance became insane to deal with.   GrandMasters daughter was attempting to deal with it for us, until I threw a monkey wrench in the works by asking about her licensing for my state of Indiana? She wasn't thinking about having to be a licensed agent for each state or that each state has its own licensing requirements.  Anyway now I only have a handful of long time students and thats enough

[jlpservicesinc]

In Ninjutsu there are so many variables in terms of training area, the use of cords and climbing,  water skills, etc, etc. 

As an teacher it was made clear to all the students that if they felt uneasy about anything, they were not required to do it.. 

If anything even long term students felt anyway other than good about the activity they were to sit out. 

I've had students sit out at different times and could be just based on a feeling they had..    Even something they had done 100 or 10000 times before..  

Everyone has off days and part of the training was to acknowledge this timeframe and to wait..  Of which most people are not trained to do. 

Of course there are times that waiting is not an option but then there is always a 1st or 2nd or 10million other ways to get the job done.  

But in training there is always the option to sit out.. 

My students have gone on to be SF, police, martial arts teachers,  Yogi's..  Very proud of them all. 

All the people who have trained with me make it a point to tell me how our training has made their activities so much easier..  Cake walk type deals since they had exposure to nearly every situation and scenario they might encounter... 

[ThomasPowers]

When I worked for the swordmaker and we had an "off day", Dropsies; bad timing, etc, we would shut down and go caving---one of the advantages of living in a karst area....wild caves.

[jlpservicesinc]

Thomas, way back in the day when I was smithing full time,  I would do the same thing.  

Just call it a day since it was going to be unproductive anyhow.   When I first started I would try to push thru the mojo but then after 10 or 20 attempts if finally sunk in to put the hammer down and walk away. 

I am a certified cave diver.    I've been 1200ft back in a cave down in Florida..  

It's amazing how the caves form and what else is amazing is how clear the water could be.  One dive I could see the end of the cave after it opened up..  Was 750ft from where it opened up to the far wall. 

[ThomasPowers]

I tell my students to learn to quit *BEFORE* they make the unfixable mistake or injure themselves.   

One cave I remember; we were looking at a topo map and thinking "there should be a cave somewhere around there."  So we packed up and were hiking up the stream and saw a path leading off to the side...sure enough it led to a small cave entrance that when crawled through; opened up to a comfortable size.  Spent 6 hours in it and never reached the end.   One of my Hospice team is planning to explore an abandoned mine shaft near their off the grid house.  I've offered to be their "safety officer" on the outside.  Comfy Chair; hot tea, scones and a fully charged cell phone to call in support if needed.  I'm not up for exploring; but I can watch and wait.

[Steve Sells]

I used to spelunk 100# or so ago,  had fun but no more for me