I couldn't find quad boxes I liked so ....

[dennis a]

I have no idea if they are legal, but judging from the pics, they rock!

[Craig Vecchione]

 

I have no idea if they are legal, but judging from the pics, they rock!

 

^this

[6Imzadi]

So,

 

......how much are you gonna charge for those? I'll take 6, please.

[soul-x]

Gorgeous work. I cannot imagine what the retail cost of a billet quad box would be.

[lifeloverwg]

Wow, awesome work! Wouldn't it be cheaper and easier to work from extruded aluminum rectangular tubing?

http://www.metalreference.com/05%20AL%20Ext%20Rec%20Tube.htm

However, I understand the desire to use what you have. Must have been a fun project.

 

Winston

[KF650SB1000]

 

I like these a lot for back line stuff as its much easier to plug stuff into.

 

 

I like the ones without pig tails better as they would be much easier to pack in a case.

 

Do you have access to other materials?

[witesol]

put me down for 4

[Telecruiser]

Wow, awesome work! Wouldn't it be cheaper and easier to work from extruded aluminum rectangular tubing? However, I understand the desire to use what you have. Must have been a fun project. Winston

 

I have a need for two or three of these and that was it, so I made eight of each . I looked around and everything I saw was expensive. As I said, I had some time between jobs as well as having the material and a CNC machine shop so I thought it would be fun. I originally thought of tubing for the main box but I would have had to buy it. I also looked at the ready made die cast boxes but could not find a size that would work out. I have another idea for another box that would do all that the above boxes would do but be small yet. If this looks like a viable product I will have it injected molded from a high impact plastic. All components, connectors and receptacles, are Leviton industrial grade.

 

Yep, a fun project!

[Telecruiser]

I have heard that pass/feed thru boxes need some type of protection from eddy current build up. Anybody know anything about this or how it is done?

 

The reason I mention this is a got this off of one of Andy's post.

 

 

All single conductor connector feedthroughs MUST be constructed with anti-eddy current slots between single pole connectors.

 

[Unalaska]

 

I have heard that pass/feed thru boxes need some type of protection from eddy current build up. Anybody know anything about this or how it is done? The reason I mention this is a got this off of one of Andy's post.

 

 

Could you post a pic or example of this?

[fdew]

 

I have another idea for another box that would do all that the above boxes would do but be small yet. If this looks like a viable product I will have it injected molded from a high impact plastic. All components, connectors and receptacles, are Leviton industrial grade. Yep, a fun project!

 

 

Nice work. What do you do in your other life? (CNC)

 

Somewhere between a CNC hogment and injection molding is SLA There are now materials that I have seen used for engine parts!

 

check out http://www.solidconcepts.com/lowvolumeproduction.html and http://www.solidconcepts.com/application-ddm.html

 

I have no connection with them except as a customer.

 

I looked at it for my DI boxes but I felt customers would insist on metal for a DI

 

Frank http://lbpinc.com/DI.html

[BillESC]

Not cheap but not as expensive as milled aluminum. These will last for ever.

 

http://www.oawindsor.com/

[Telecruiser]

Nice work. What do you do in your other life? (CNC)

 

www.pivotlok.com

[Telecruiser]

Not cheap but not as expensive as milled aluminum. These will last for ever. http://www.oawindsor.com/

 

Yeah, I saw those but making my own just seemed to have a higher fun factor. Expense wasn't really on my mind as except for a couple of connectors and the receptacles everything I used I already had.

[Keyrick]

I have heard that pass/feed thru boxes need some type of protection from eddy current build up. Anybody know anything about this or how it is done? The reason I mention this is a got this off of one of Andy's post.

 

I could be wrong but, I believe he was talking about the use of single conductor Cam Lock connectors in close proximity to each other without a method to control possible eddy currents. (This can be an issue with a 3 phase service.) This shouldn't be the case in your project as you are using 3 conductor cable.

 

Nice job! Looks Good. Now send them off to UL for certification!!! Just kidding.

[Telecruiser]

I could be wrong but, I believe he was talking about the use of single conductor Cam Lock connectors in close proximity to each other without a method to control possible eddy currents. (This can be an issue with a 3 phase service.) This shouldn't be the case in your project as you are using 3 conductor cable.

 

Thank You! Until I hear different I will take your word as gospel.

[agedhorse]

Excellent work and excellent registration between the top connector piece and the body. Nice finish too, balck anodized?

 

The eddy current issue is only where a single conductor passes through a metalic material (actually any number of conductors but where the NET current (phase and amplitude) is not zero.) You have all conductors passing through each hole so there's no problem here.

 

The only issues I see are possible minimum clearances from live parts to the case, the grounding method of bonding the box parts to the safety ground, the number of internal cubic inches to the net fill of the box and the modification of the flanges on the twistlock connectors that alters the UL recognition of the components. All of these are easy to rectify.

 

If an extrusion was used, the mounting holes would usually be an extruded receiver slot or a slot of some type to accept a press-in threaded insert. Could be a solid rail that is CNC drilled and tapped too. The tops could easily be injection molded out of a UL approved material, die cast, or CNC's out of plate.

[Telecruiser]

 

Excellent work and excellent registration between the top connector piece and the body. Nice finish too, balck anodized? The eddy current issue is only where a single conductor passes through a metalic material (actually any number of conductors but where the NET current (phase and amplitude) is not zero.) You have all conductors passing through each hole so there's no problem here. The only issues I see are possible minimum clearances from live parts to the case, the grounding method of bonding the box parts to the safety ground, the number of internal cubic inches to the net fill of the box and the modification of the flanges on the twistlock connectors that alters the UL recognition of the components. All of these are easy to rectify. If an extrusion was used, the mounting holes would usually be an extruded receiver slot or a slot of some type to accept a press-in threaded insert. Could be a solid rail that is CNC drilled and tapped too. The tops could easily be injection molded out of a UL approved material, die cast, or CNC's out of plate.

 

 

Thanks for the info! So are you saying that there needs to be a ground connection to the actual box? As far as the internal cubic measure the first box OD's are 4 x 2.44 x 4. The other two are 2x 4 x 4. All have a .19 wall.

 

Where can I find specs to make sure these are done properly?

 

BTW, the finish is textured satin powder coat. My son powder coats at a local wheel mfg. company and his boss let him run these thru.

[Keyrick]

Thank You! Until I hear different I will take your word as gospel.

 

Ha Ha! Don't take anything I say as gospel!! When an energized Alternating Current single conductor passes through a metal enclosure, a magnetic field can be induced in the metal enclosure. A second conductor in close proximity can cut across this magnetic field and that can cause an induced eddy current in that second conductor (kind of like how a transformer works). When there is no method to impede this magnetic field (properly engineered slots, for example), ill effects, shall we say can arrise.

 

When you use cable, say 12x3 soow, that isn't an issue as all 3 of the conductors are entering the enclosure through the same hole.

 

Rick

[agedhorse]

 

Thanks for the info! So are you saying that there needs to be a ground connection to the actual box? As far as the internal cubic measure the first box OD's are 4 x 2.44 x 4. The other two are 2x 4 x 4. All have a .19 wall. Where can I find specs to make sure these are done properly? BTW, the finish is textured satin powder coat. My son powder coats at a local wheel mfg. company and his boss let him run these thru.

 

 

Have to look this up in a NEMA or UL manual or maybe it's in the NEC also, as a guide. I don't know off the top of my head.

 

The reason for bonding the box is to insure a solid ground fault current connection. The powder coating is not conductive so all parts will need to be bonded or the powder coating masked off where parts come together (flathead screw chamfers and the back surface of the receptacle yoke area for example). This is where UL specs. and testing come into play.

[Redbassman86]

As far as conductor cubic volume is concerned, you should be ok. First calculate the volume of your box. If you use a #12 wire, for every wire you use, deduct 2.25 cu/in from your available volume. For every device (ie. plug), deduct 2 conductor allowances. That means 4.5 cu/in for a #12, and 4 cu/in is #14. Do not deduct for wire nuts, or connectors in the box. If the connector is intergal to the box on the inside, say a clamp mounted to the inside of the box, you would have to deduct 1 conductor volume. If the counductor is outside the box, like a connector with a lock nut, no deduction is need. If it's a feedthru, you only have to count 1 ground wire in your deduction, you get the other one for free. If you have 4 ground wires, only one ever needs to be counted.

 

Hope it helps

[agedhorse]

The one I was worried about was the 1 gang. Hunch is that's the one that's a problem, and I am not sure if for portable devices that the standard NEC allowance is acceptable. I think that falls under the UL jurisdiction, maybe as an assembly. I don't know for sure, but NEC generally deals with UL recognized or listed parts or assemblies used in an electrical installation but UL deals with goods/parts/assemblies manufactured to comply with UL that are intended for such installations. They will be the ones who decide what the actual sizes are and there are dimensions that may not be allowed for some connector types because the flanges wiould need to be modified which would fall outside the acceptable listing application.

 

This stuff is very complicated. Ask Don Boomer when he worked on the distro project. There are rules that define which rules apply!

[Axisplayer]

 

There are rules that define which rules apply!

 

 

Hmmm.... Did my wife have something to do with these rules?

[Coaster]

 

Hmmm.... Did my wife have something to do with these rules?

 

 

i had a thought yesterday. "i'm an audio tech and married, so everything is my fault."