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[email protected] (Nate Perkins)

21/08/2003 10:22 PM

Power lockout for shop tools

Hello,

I've been lurking here for some time. The posts from the experienced
wreckers here have been of great use to me -- thanks!

I'm a relatively new woodworker (about 1 year), and I have two small
children ages 2 and 4. I worry a lot about keeping the monkeys out of
my shop. My shop is in the 3rd bay of our garage, and the door is
kept locked, tools are kept unplugged and cords knotted, blades down
and/or detensioned, etc.

I've been looking for a way to lock out the power, but it's tricky
because I don't have a dedicated circuit breaker.

I came across an interesting shop safety device that I thought might
be of general interst. This is a small keylock device that engages
over the male end of a standard 2 or 3 prong 110V plug ... it
effectively locks out anyone who doesn't have the key from powering up
the tool. The keylock is from a company called Roride in Santa
Barbara, CA. I found them through McMaster-Carr for about $10 each
(item 10715A19).

I have no affiliation with this company. I offer the information
because I figure their might be other woodworkers with young kids, and
this might be of use to them.

Cheers,

Nate Perkins
Northern Colorado


This topic has 5 replies

gG

[email protected] (Gfretwell)

in reply to [email protected] (Nate Perkins) on 21/08/2003 10:22 PM

22/08/2003 5:30 AM

Another idea is to put twist lock plugs on your tools and make up a short
adapter cord that you control.
The easiest answer may still be to lock out the wall receptacles with a switch
if you can get to an electrical choke point.

ts

"tnfkajs"

in reply to [email protected] (Nate Perkins) on 21/08/2003 10:22 PM

22/08/2003 1:52 PM


"Lewis Dodd" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> The simplist way.......
>
>
> Never had a problem.

Ahhhhhhhhhh. So you think!!! Two scenarios are very likely:
(1) they disobey and creep in when you're at work
(2) Bobby, the neighbor kid, comes in a either entices your child or sticks
his own hand in the saw or doesn't know better and hits the switch when your
child is in the wrong spot at the wrong time

Geesh - has it been that long since you were a kid that you've forgotten
about all of the times you did something really stupid and against your
Dad's advice?

You don't leave your Draino out in the open.
You put the childproof tops on the medicine.
You (perhaps) use gun locks.

But you don't go that extra mile with your power tools?

LD

"Lewis Dodd"

in reply to [email protected] (Nate Perkins) on 21/08/2003 10:22 PM

22/08/2003 6:38 AM

The simplist way.......

Tell the kids no and to stay out of the shop unless you are there!

After blistering their little butts a few times, my kids learned when I said
something, I meant and enforced it, period.

Never had a problem.

Lewis

--
The truth as I perceive it to be.
Your perception may be different.

"Nate Perkins" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Hello,
>
> I've been lurking here for some time. The posts from the experienced
> wreckers here have been of great use to me -- thanks!
>
> I'm a relatively new woodworker (about 1 year), and I have two small
> children ages 2 and 4. I worry a lot about keeping the monkeys out of
> my shop. My shop is in the 3rd bay of our garage, and the door is
> kept locked, tools are kept unplugged and cords knotted, blades down
> and/or detensioned, etc.
>
> I've been looking for a way to lock out the power, but it's tricky
> because I don't have a dedicated circuit breaker.
>
> I came across an interesting shop safety device that I thought might
> be of general interst. This is a small keylock device that engages
> over the male end of a standard 2 or 3 prong 110V plug ... it
> effectively locks out anyone who doesn't have the key from powering up
> the tool. The keylock is from a company called Roride in Santa
> Barbara, CA. I found them through McMaster-Carr for about $10 each
> (item 10715A19).
>
> I have no affiliation with this company. I offer the information
> because I figure their might be other woodworkers with young kids, and
> this might be of use to them.
>
> Cheers,
>
> Nate Perkins
> Northern Colorado

sD

[email protected] (Doug Miller)

in reply to [email protected] (Nate Perkins) on 21/08/2003 10:22 PM

22/08/2003 11:13 AM

In article <[email protected]>, [email protected] (Nate Perkins) wrote:
[snip]
>I've been looking for a way to lock out the power, but it's tricky
>because I don't have a dedicated circuit breaker.
>
>I came across an interesting shop safety device that I thought might
>be of general interst. This is a small keylock device that engages
>over the male end of a standard 2 or 3 prong 110V plug ... it
>effectively locks out anyone who doesn't have the key from powering up
>the tool. The keylock is from a company called Roride in Santa
>Barbara, CA. I found them through McMaster-Carr for about $10 each
>(item 10715A19).
>
The latest issue of Wood magazine has a reader tip that addresses the same
issue, at a lower cost: put one of those miniature luggage padlocks through
the hole that's in the tip of the prongs of many (most?) 110v plugs. The guy
that sent this in said he got a handful of the locks, all keyed alike, so that
he needs only one key for all the tools.

--
Regards,
Doug Miller (alphageek-at-milmac-dot-com)

Rl

Ramsey

in reply to [email protected] (Nate Perkins) on 21/08/2003 10:22 PM

22/08/2003 6:25 AM

That's a neat idea. When I was 5, I used to work in my dad's shop
while he was at work.Of course, that was on a farm so it wasn't
really unusual. kids gotta do something. The more I hear ya'll discuss
this, the more I like a dedicated fuse box for the shop area.



On Fri, 22 Aug 2003 11:13:58 GMT, [email protected] (Doug Miller)
wrote:

>In article <[email protected]>, [email protected] (Nate Perkins) wrote:
>[snip]
>>I've been looking for a way to lock out the power, but it's tricky
>>because I don't have a dedicated circuit breaker.
>>
>>I came across an interesting shop safety device that I thought might
>>be of general interst. This is a small keylock device that engages
>>over the male end of a standard 2 or 3 prong 110V plug ... it
>>effectively locks out anyone who doesn't have the key from powering up
>>the tool. The keylock is from a company called Roride in Santa
>>Barbara, CA. I found them through McMaster-Carr for about $10 each
>>(item 10715A19).
>>
>The latest issue of Wood magazine has a reader tip that addresses the same
>issue, at a lower cost: put one of those miniature luggage padlocks through
>the hole that's in the tip of the prongs of many (most?) 110v plugs. The guy
>that sent this in said he got a handful of the locks, all keyed alike, so that
>he needs only one key for all the tools.


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