If You Can't Buy It, Make It!

[@oggyreidmore]

Replace the word "lid" with "access panel" and it can be in any orientation you want. i.e. Bring water to a boil, remove the pot's access panel, and pour pasta into the boiling water.

[@95ffd]

Sounds very professional.

[@jackdeniston6150]

MAte. Everything has now become an access panel. I am now going to open the access panel to my house, go to a cafe and pour a coffee across my tongue access panel....

[@andresilva8444]

Similar to: Careful, the plate is exothermic.

[@DrRusty5]

I was just about to say exactly the same thing

[@CobraFat2000]

Butt end plate with I/O. Side walls. The foot with feet with screws and knobs. Lid. Front facing control panel.

[@undefined40]

Cudos for remembering to ground the aluminum plates. Many YT DIY channels forget to do that to metal housings for electronics/electricity.

[@RC-1290]

Now I want to spell it as Qudos

[@andriy_melnykov]

But, wood can also be slightly conductive. It is very questionable to mount electric parts in a wood enclosure without additional plastic or metal (grounded) case.

[@BTW...]

2 supplies, 2 Earths (Grounds)... are they both connected?

[@lunondisposable5382]

I have my laser engraver on a metal cart, I grounded the whole damn thing!

[@maxinehardy9411]

@@andriy_melnykov well, the wood is connected to the grounded aluminum plates, so in the incredibly rare case it becomes an issue i think he'll be fine

[@av8shunmeckaneck]

It needs an over powered transformer, loosely bolted inside to make the humming noise when it's running.

[@owenperkins]

And a contactor to make a nice "clunk!" when you flip a switch.

[@1marcelfilms]

Just take the vibrating thing out of an air pump and remove the pump. It will hum

[@akulkis]

​@1marcelfilm That vibratint thing is the pump.

[@gljames24]

Just put in a speaker with a resistor and a couple turns of wire to form a simple an inductor and put it next to the ac in. Nice 60Hz hum.

[@cajuncoinhunter]

Hum is a great idea , especially when the town pest comes to visit and watch , the hum will get to him and poof it's Magic , he gone .... Put a xtra switch in there to turn it off ....

[@jameslocke1416]

I haven’t seen them sold in maybe 30+ years, but I still have a 2” thick power switch device that you would rest a CRT monitor on. It has five amber rocker switches, one for each device it powers, and a red rocker switch on the end to turn the whole thing on/off. Each switch only lights up when that device is receiving power. It’s basically a glorified power bar, with a circuit breaker in the back, but I still find it handy because I’m in a wheelchair and can’t easily reach a strip under the desk. Plus like you said, it’s a great way to see at a glance which devices are on or off!

[@DevinBauer]

I had one of them from my grandpa and always thought it was really neat accessory. Saw them in use in the old Stargate episodes too

[@maxximumb]

Did you know you can import McMaster-Carr components to Fusion? The switches probably have a 3D model already made.

[@gregrburnett3400]

H-O-L-Y S-H-I-T!!! I did not know this. Wow! Maxximumb, give yourself a raise. THANK YOU!

[@billcedarheath387]

@@gregrburnett3400I’m surprised there are people that still don’t know about McMaster Carr being in Fusion. Glad he posted the comment for you to discover the capability. Just when I think something is common knowledge I get a wake up call that it isn’t the case.

[@VishalDudhani]

That's precisely how I steal components in CAD 😂

[@ClumsyCars]

you can download a model from the site if youre using a different software as well.

[@gregrburnett3400]

@@ClumsyCars I knew you could download drawings and 3d models, I just didn't realize you could import some of them into F360.

[@Alcyeragraeth]

You want an 80s/90s computer power station. We've gone full circle.

[@sandcat2383]

I think both lights in the middle would have looked better but the horizontal panel was definetly the way to go

[@umi3017]

Same feeling.

[@intel386DX]

Me three 😊 and the natural aluminium as well.

[@questionmarke]

That's what I was thinking, too

[@PaulBeetge]

I liked it

[@MikeyMack303]

It looks awesome. Very old school!

[@MrQuickLine]

I appreciate how much you're willing to risk your own safety and well-being for a demo of something you made.

[@cdhacker]

I can't believe this, literally yesterday I was searching for the exact same thing and also decided that it does not exist and I have ordered very similar parts to build it!

[@tomwhite716]

Next task……the wheel.

[@laserhawk64]

In the 80s and 90s you could get this funny little box that sat under your monitor and had switches for "Master" "Monitor" "Printer" and a couple "Auxiliary"s -- usually five or six switches in total. Almost universally in beige, with switches that had neons inside. The back had a glass fuse and a set of single three-prong outlets, one for each switch, along with a very sturdy power inlet cable. Basically inside it was just the switches and outlets, the only 'guts' were a set of MOVs for crude surge suppression, just like on an ordinary surge strip you can buy today at Wal\*Mart. You can still get em secondhand if you look around a bit. Heck, I've got two of em in the closet myself.

[@amstrad00]

@@laserhawk64 You're referring to a KVM (Keyboard, Video, Mouse) Switch. I'm sure they're still manufactured but the older models are more likely to actually have the power ports on them.

[@laserhawk64]

@@amstrad00 LOLnope. A KVM switch allows you to use multiple computers with one set of IO devices -- keyboard, screen (CRT or LCD), and mouse if present. What I'm discussing is strictly power distribution only. It's basically a power strip with extra switches, in a box meant to fit under a CRT monitor. You might call it a power distribution box. It is in no way whatsoever a KVM switch and cannot be used for that purpose.

[@thepenultimateninja5797]

​@@amstrad00 No it's not a KVM switch, the device they are talking about is called a 'power center'. They were designed to sit under a PC monitor, and were essentially a glorified power strip with a separate switch for each outlet.

[@pinksnort]

I remember when those jewel lamps used neon bulbs. This project needed little embossed Dymo tape labels below the switches to complete the look

[@ElectraFlarefire]

Earthing the front panel/metal switches.. Yes! Good to see someone who knows about that! So many don't and while they can get away with it 99% of the time. Every once in a while, well, relying on the RCD(Earth leakage) breaker to save you isn't a great idea. It still hurts!

[@aliveandwellinisrael2507]

Yeah, building your own mains switch... made me a little nervous to see at first, but turned out alright

[@marshallsober]

@@aliveandwellinisrael2507 lacks resetable fuses or a gfci plug near the computer and the heater or in all room why settle for cheap socket when you can have fused ones all over the place in england they have litteral fuses in their socket panels they learned.

[@shockingguy]

You silly people, RCD’s, GFCI’s, we didn’t have that shit for decades and everybody was fine. Now you’re all losing your minds.

[@RawFitChris]

Wow this brings back memories. I remember in the 60s when I lived in Manhattan that my best friend and I would go to a famous electronics supply store called Lafayette (before there was Radio Shack, but Lafayette was far superior in scope); we would buy all sorts of toggle switches and amber, red, green and yellow pilot lamps. And various other parts. Then we'd go back home on the East side where his dad was the superintendent of the building, and we'd go into the workshop where my friend Mike was allowed access to (most) of the tools. Next we'd look around in "the bin" for some great wood "scraps" that were perfect for making control panels. We just made them for the fun of the design- they would light up and buzz or ring bells we'd swiped from old telephones and do basically nothing. We made all kinds of stuff. One time we made rocket cars from balsa wood, index card and spare model wheels, and of course with Estes rocket engines. We "launched" them in Central Park and a cop told us that we'd better stop or we'd get in trouble. Meanwhile he agreed that they were terrific and went so far and straight down the 200 feet or so of blacktop "drag strip." Funny thing about 2 years later, we saw on TV one of the big companies come out with C02 cartridge rocket cars. We used to wonder if someone saw ours in Central Park that day and "stole" the idea.

[@markelder1345]

I like that you explained “strain reliefs.” Not everyone knows that, but they should. Great video & project!

[@RepurposeAutomation]

How do those people live without knowing that I would be dead 100 times over if thing I had made where not distressed.

[@bobbyflay4104]

shouldn't they go on the inside of the box?

[@preiter1967]

@@bobbyflay4104came here to say this. The way they are mounted they will just pop out if you tug on the cord.

[@ghostshadow1]

That's great! This build reminds me of a few of the custom boxes my grandpa made over the years for his HAM radio (and I think also CB) antenna amp meters and voltage regulators and analog signal meters. I have a few of them he made. They are the same green color, super clicky tactile switches and needle gauges. I just love the looks of them and wish I could use them for something but I don't have a radio setup or anything to use them for. I remember when I was growing up he had a radio room in our basement (I was raised by him and my grandmother) he had tons of equipment on his desk it was like a command center, all of the lights, dials, morse code pads, microphones, radios, dials and gauges, it was so damn cool to look at. We had huge antennas outside the house and I used to love climbing the antenna column to see how high i could go before chickening out, haha! There was so much cool stuff. Over the years he sold or traded a bunch of it off but kept a few things he made. When he passed in 2021 I inherited all of what remained. Just looking at it and the vintage green and wood grain just brings back memories.

[@Scream1277]

thats what this reminded me of, my grandfather was a Ham and always had those Gray project boxes with switches and knob.. now i do it being a CB operator

[@JustinBania]

A good mechanical click on a switch is divine.

[@andre-michelgoulet6933]

Amen to that! IMO touchscreens and 1-button (thanks Apple) are the worst interface trends ever. So I made a stress ball kinda fidget thinger that's just a box with a bunch of switches and buttons from vintage hi-fi gear lol.

[@captin3149]

@@andre-michelgoulet6933 I've been looking for a decent fidget like that and have been considering just making one. There's surely a market for them, most of the ones I see similar are single switches or similar. I'd like one about the size of Egons detector in Ghostbusters, maybe a little smaller

[@justinkashtock333]

"what do you call a bottom lid?" Access panel. Project cover. Take your pick. "I picked up these clips; C clips; retaining rings?" Snap rings. Reminds me of some of the projects I used to throw together back when Radio Shacks were common and still sold electronics components; I'd have an idea or a need for something and I'd just go buy the stuff to make it and have it done by the evening. Once everything moved to online ordering and I could no longer buy components locally, I stopped making project box devices, and I do miss it sometimes. In the past I made an audio cable tester that looked similar to this, as well as a push-button ignition for my wifey's MGB when someone tried to steal it with a screw driver and trashed the ignition switch; a new switch had to ship from England and was going to take a few weeks to arrive, so I whipped up a starting mechanism with a toggle switch and a push button so she could continue to use her car in the meantime while we waited on the proper parts.

[@MattTester]

I also love control panels, we need a tour of your collection.

[@1974UTuber]

Yes. I second this. Would love a tour of the control panel collection. I'm guessing Wesley is a man who likes panel games as well, as do I also.

[@MikeyMack303]

I worked for a company that sold those components, back in the 60's - 70's. Love the old school panel mount toggle switches and jewel pilot lamps. Back then' they came with replaceable bulbs for which ever voltage and brightness you might need .If you search the NET, you could find those pilot lamps complete, with bulbs! They also sold "Bud" boxes , made of aluminum, in every conceivable size and configuration. Then you could apply the walnut veneer to the outside of the box to enhance the look! Think of 1970's stereos. Nice stuff! Thanks for sharing!

[@BobBasshead]

Yup I remember those days, always had some old tube radios to play with (watch out for the 250 volt B+ !).

[@almagill]

Oh the *nostalgia* :) Took me back to teenage me haunting the local Tandy / Radio Shack and fabricobbling some very shonky electronic gadgets (most of which were entirely unnecessary) into the little project boxes they sold. Noice!

[@HansZarkovPhD]

Me too. Made a control panel to launch multiple model rocket, a dark detector for the senior egg expperiment and finally a ghost busters proton pack in 1984, me being 14 years old.

[@GrowlyBear917]

At 2:50, "...I collect control panels.." The moment I heard you say that, I knew I would subscribe to your channel. You the man!!!

[@GRichardWrotten]

I just want to make sure that “Speculum getting all up in your business” gets the appropriate level of praise. Well done, Sir. Well done. Now, I hope you will make some sort of signage for speculum communications.

[@TandaMadison]

I'm just here to second that.

[@MikeSchmidt969]

You guys know what a speculum is right? OBGYNs find it quite a useful tool. Probably one of the worst ad-libs in the history of ad-libs.

[@jhill4874]

"I paid too much for these." Love it. I subscribed at that point.

[@wingknutt1130]

PLEASE put out more videos. I'm nowhere close to being even a half-way proficient "maker" and I have to live vicariously through the actions of others like you. Your demented sense of humor really tickles my crazy bone, and I need more of it. Keep up the great work!

[@MsRmaclaren]

It's in the key of F Demented for sure.

[@atillathehung2000]

3:54 My brother in ADHD, you never put something somewhere you can't see it because until you find it again it has ceased to exist.

[@WillThat]

This is super neat. I've been thinking of putting together control boxes like this but for my Home Assistant. Instead of switching AC, it would basically just be a remote and control a smart power strip, switch, window shade, fan... Basically anything connected to my Home Assistant.

[@joshm3342]

Nice! Working in a Quality Test Lab, I got paid to make lots of boxes with lights, switches & connectors. At home, I often use standard electrical boxes, switches & cover plates. Where a heater is controlled, I'll use a properly rated relay, sometimes mounted in a remote (metal) box, to switch the high current.

[@Gamah1991]

My ADHD really wanted you to put the switches on the outside with the lights on the inside to give bigger separation between the parts you interact with and also create symmetry. Still a really cool video! Subbed

[@20kilovolt]

And what I would also add is two C13 connectors so you don't have a box with 2 dangling wires.

[@drdca8263]

What does that have to do with ADHD?

[@Gamah1991]

@@drdca8263 Fair, maybe it's some other thing I have.. OCD? A craving for symmetry and order.

[@chrishorrocks4882]

Switches are upside down tooʻ!

[@PanoptesDreams]

@@chrishorrocks4882 not in America! (or europe) IDK one of those backward countries.

[@numberyellow]

i'm glad you mentioned the current bit, because i was genuinely wondering if those switches were rated for this application.

[@KaitharVideo]

On the other hand... What voltage are they rated for? Having the right current rating isn't gonna help if it's a 12VDC rating

[@majoraslayer64]

Yeah, I was surprised he's this skilled but started off with saying he's using a power strip to control a space heater. I'm glad in his custom solution he made a point to take that into consideration for safety's sake.

[@BenH57.]

Came to say this. A space heater should never, ever be on any power strip. Or even on this device. It should be plugged into the wall, always.

[@m.a.6478]

In a short moment there was the switch visible with a spec 250V/16A. So in Europe this would be plenty to power a 2kW appliance (like our space heaters normally are), in the USA it's considerably less.

[@krumble1]

@@m.a.6478 Yeah here in the US our outlets are typically* rated for 120v 15a, so our space heaters and hair dryers max out at 1800w (or usually 1500-1700w more often). So I agree 250v 16a should be more than fine. * Some outlets are rated for 120v 20a but very few appliances are sold here that require 20a instead of 15a.

[@DavidPlass]

When I was a kid I had a box of electrical parts from my grandfather -- including that jewel light at 3:26. It brings me back.

[@RND-USA]

Nice build! I love your mid century aesthetic. I’m more of a dc person so couldn’t help but think, in the future, you might enjoy installing an ac to dc transformer (1” x 1.5” plastic box) to run 5v or 12v dc lights because they are so much easier and cheaper to find. From there you could also make the switches smart / internet controllable and automated for safety 😂 …. but I love building smart home tech. Your shop is awesome btw!

[@barry99705]

Where do you buy a DeThickener?

[@scriptsrl]

This is the first video of yours I’ve seen, and I must say the algorithm blessed me. Instantly gained a subscriber. Absolutely love the aesthetic of the finished project, and perfect level of explanation to follow along without feeling like a tutorial. I think the decidedly “not bright” LEDs may actually be a benefit here - they are bright enough to see the state, but not too bright to be distracting if you’re working late with the lights off. I personally hate when peripherals have blindingly bright status lights

[@Calliber50]

Red LEDs shinning through a red lens usually looks a lot dimmer than a white LED shining through a red lens. Don't know why, but it does.

[@WesleyTreat]

These were about the same, but the red looked richer. 🤷‍♂️

[@sterkriger2572]

It’s because white LEDs are naturally brighter than red ones.

[@wallacestalker3803]

The optical bandwidth of the led is very narrow. The filtering on most of these lenses is not. More of the light that can get through the lens is produced by the White led

[@mattmilford8106]

I suppose neon indicator lamps are long a thing of the past. That's probably the way I would have tried and likely failed to go since it's AC.

[@snakezdewiggle6084]

@mattmilford8106 Actually no, neon are still used. Its just that leds are prettier. Have a look at "capacitive dropper" for powering LEDs from AC Mains.

[@StraightEdgeHippie]

If Adam Savage and Red Green had a kid.

[@FracturedPixels]

You remind me so much of Adam Savage. This entire video had the energy of a Tested One-day-builds video and I enjoyed every moment

[@1974UTuber]

I enjoy his content a bit more than Adam Savages content though. Sometimes I find Adam to be a little too self absorbed. But still great.

[@_BangDroid_]

Lol the whole time I was thinking Dollar Tree Adam Savage

[@davidgagnon2849]

Except Wesley has a quieter floor. ;-)

[@DIYJim-wx6hq]

Very nice work, but it also makes me appreciate how fast and efficient modern manufacturing is.

[@Dracossaint]

They actually used to make something similar to this. I forgot what they were called, but it was similar to a tape deck in design with a bunch of plugs in the back. You would install it under a desk and press a button to turn said item, on or off for each outlet individually

[@Salty_Knuckles]

Maybe Radio Shack?

[@patrickhelmick5829]

maybe Switchcraft

[@FlockofSmeagles]

Man, the pacing of your videos are on point. You really know how to convey the process.

[@KayleeKerin]

Properly grounding on your metal panels? Be still my heart!

[@davidbrennan7422]

Took me a second to figure out what that screw under the strain relief was. Went back to check and sure enough, grounded cabinet panels. Didn't see one on the front though. :)

[@WesleyTreat]

I basically made a ring terminal that slips over the threads of one of the switches, so I didn't have a screw on the face. I'll probably go into more detail on that on Patreon.

[@askjacob]

no, no, no! the grounding is meant to prevent stilling your heart!

[@SuperlunarNim]

This is a simple, but useful project. I have a small workshop I cobbled together in my basement and one of my worries is that I am running it on very few outlets and don't want to overload the circuit. Having something like this to connect all my tools to so I can quickly isolate power to whatever tool I'm using at any given time would be great. Nice one!

[@robshamel3210]

As a fellow Texan. I appreciate the 3 weeks of cold joke. As a fan I appreciate the video. Nicely done.

[@Ezzell_]

Three weeks of cold...with a few warm days thrown in there

[@siegehardt]

I love the way it looks, the way it sounds when clicked. I wanted to make something like it a few years ago, but then decided it was going to be way too big of a hassle so I bought a 6 socket power strip with individual switches on each socket. Cost me 20 dollars or so and is still running after 5 years of constant abuse. But the convenience is sooooo good

[@krisb853]

This is my first video that I have seen of yours, and I love it. I don’t know if you go into the electrical / automation side of things as much as I do, but you can easily use a smart outlet, a smart motion sensor, and information on the outside temperature, to create automation to control it and never think of it again. I use Shortcuts in IOS to check the temperature outside at 7AM every morning. If it is under 40°F and I am home,it will turn it my heater in my room and turn it off at 8:30 AM, or if I leave the house.

[@ShanesGettingHandy]

Ditto, first video. Well done.

[@daninraleigh]

Having done automation for years, I'm pretty sure you don't want a space heater to turn on automatically. I also worked in life safety systems for years and had to go in after professionally installed heaters destroyed a hotel room. I was on-call the third time it happened in one year.

[@alasdair4161]

Great job. I made a similar device for the computer peripherals using an opto isolated relay driven from one of the spare sleep switching USB ports on the computer. Now when the computer is shut down or goes into self sleep it cuts power to the audio system, monitors, printer, lights and some other devices. One of these is a secondary relay that controls non UPS devices including my heater, and a heated mat under my feet. It is a great upgrade, saves a lot of power over time and the hassle switching so many things manually. As a side note I also made my own UPS system that is multi supply tiered with solar, generator and grid feed in and is fully air gapped to the street supply eliminating surge or brownout risk. It has run for many years now and gives me indefinite power during outages, plus it saves a lot of energy consumption from the metered supply, around 50%. Cheers.

[@LordHonkInc]

Neat. I coincidentally made something very similar to this for basically the same reason (my monitors eat almost 20W combined even when turned off so I've had them on a power strip, and I wanted the ability to switch from solar to grid power if I work late into the night and my batteries can't keep up) with the same two-in/two-out cord "problem" (maybe it's more accurate to say it's a design constraint?). Mine definitely doesn't look as snazzy as yours; I'm good with functional parts, but I unfortunately have no eye for making pleasing designs. Also, the demonstration was incredible. Truly masterwork film making :D

[@malpern]

I love everything about this video. I want to build all these skills, 3d modeling, basic woodworking, electronics, shop skills. Make what you want out of good materials with beautiful tactical controls.

[@brettkaufman2299]

I love your OCD on projects! Awesome video,

[@dstewar]

Your control over parametrics is amazing! Ive only recently started (1 design in total yet) making sure my deigns are parametric to help in modifying fit between iterations. That angle bit and overall size of the box blew my mind!

[@EzraTheBanjoMan]

Personally i would have added both lights in the middle.

[@nordishkiel5985]

This! Symmetrical and no way to confuse what switch goes with what light. For a cleaner look you could also make a separate connection box that is hidden under the desk, and only run the minimum number of wires to the control panel box. That way the control panel can be smaller, because you dont have to fit the large recepticles directly.

[@Culpride]

Above one another just to confuse the non initiated. x)

[@smarmasaur]

That was my immediate thought. Symmetry is pleasing.

[@billdivine9501]

@@Culprideand an emergency stop button on the top! 😂

[@JohnW118]

@@billdivine9501 YES! it needs an ALL-OFF! button.

[@DasMoose9001]

I randomly found this video and simultaneously decided it's my new favorite channel. What an extremely neat concept for life, I'm not the same type of creator (I'm about as good with wood and measurement as a politician is with honesty) but I respect creators of all sorts, and you're incredibly smart with enough integrity to take account for mistakes while being adaptive enough to NOT be wasteful. I look forward to browsing your channel more when it's not Zero Dark Thirty, Cheers Friend.

[@1974UTuber]

A bottom lid is called a base. Might I suggest for version 2, you use a low voltage switch box on the desk and make the high voltage unit with relays 12V/120v. Then you just have one multi core, low voltage cable running up to the switches. And all your 120V is safely under the desk with your multiple circuits coming in.

[@vlogerhood]

I agree about the base. I disagree about about using low voltage, many more components (relays, low voltage supply, etc.) taking up space, money and making for more complex wiring, for hardly any benefit. (There is no reason the 120V will ever short, and if it does, he grounded all the metal already.)

[@1974UTuber]

​@vlogerhood I hear what your saying and I agree. I just think the Low Voltage head unit with a single multi core is a cool challenge

[@jeffh8803]

@@vlogerhood Sure but if your average goober tries this there are a good few ways they will end up killing themselves. I would never use all that metal in my 240V country.

[@TomlinsTE]

I would call the Bottom Lid the base. I love the texture and shade of blue used on this build. It's so satisfying to have the perfect solution to resolve a tiny daily annoyance. I love this.

[@evanbooth1441]

"DRUGS" 😂 I so enjoy these videos, Wesley.

[@odarkeq]

Those are some very nice switches. I altered a setting in Windows that makes the Power Button on my computer's Case turns all the screens off. Speakers consume very low power when not making sound--I'd never feel like this project was worth it for my desktop real estate, but those are some very, very nice switches.

[@nyrinwoelfle9779]

I think a bottom lid is a base.

[@eccentricgreen7249]

My old shop teacher had one of these that must have been from the 80s I was a huge fan of! It sat flat under the monitor on his desk. It was a regular power strip on the back, but each outlet was isolated and connected to a labeled light-up bakelite switch on the front for the monitor, computer, printer, and two misc

[@benrenner4446]

Reinventing the wheel.

[@wallacestalker3803]

Westley, I'm concerned about the long term reliability of the heater switch. Even these small heaters can pull as much as 15 amps. Now I'm sure you got yourself a 15 amp switch, but I've found that they tend to die prematurely at full current. If the switch fails, you could use a 120V power relay of any arbitrary size and drive it with the front panel switch. Love your builds.

[@ZexMaxwell]

I was going to ask. But don't you need a rely switch when dealing with any mains power?

[@HectorFabela-k6u]

​@@ZexMaxwellNo. A light switch is the same thing.

[@34Kuro]

plus they are rated 16A for 250V not 110V. A 2000W heater on 110V could draw over 16A. Using relays is mandatory in this case

[@BTW...]

@@34Kuro WRONG! 16A is the current rating. It's 16A at 120V, 240V, 415V, 600V AC. The voltage rating of the device relates to the insulation capacity. It's up to the designer to determine the current demand, and buy the correct switchgear AND wire to suit that maximum loading.

[@engineer9975]

I love the design! I wish I needed to make something like this now. One change I would have made is using a C14 panel mount connection so the input wires can be changed easier (longer length, damaged insulation, etc) and you can use fused ones if you needed that functionality

[@nickkropat8857]

A lid on the bottom is a dil

[@jeffgrundy7258]

Or a base?

[@davidg4288]

@@jeffgrundy7258 I thought of "base" too. But I am a boring person.

[@sxswutah-ww6dr]

Terrific vintage looking project. When I build one I think I will split an extension cord in half and remove the receptacles in lieu of the female end of the extension cord. This way two or three things can be plugged in to each switch

[@bobolishis7]

They totally make this. My dads office had like ten. Although they were used with CRT monitors. They had a bank of switches to individual n15 sockets

[@anonamoose2582]

Should have been Arduino based... Controlled on the web and/or via Alexa (or a sibling).

[@cowrevenge]

Did you even watch the video? He showed you the old style.

[@barrymayson2492]

Nice little project and thanks for your time and work. I use remote wireless switchs for difficult to get power sockets. But have done what you have made for switching my two soldering irons. As the on off switch is at the back!

[@RNMSC]

I think we really need a cut list of all the times you've said "Perfect" as you completed a step, only to have the next scene show that it was anything but perfect. Perhaps triggered by any time you reset the 'days without a stupid' counter?

[@RNMSC]

Isn't using the bottom as a support for assembling other parts before you assemble everything, putting the bottom back where the parts it supported were in contact with it to begin with called being Jiggy?

[@MrGibsn1960]

This reminds me of our senior project for ME. We didn't have an electrical engineer working with us but thankfully I have an electronics background. We were able to design and build a fully automated hydraulic control system that worked at less than 120V AC.

[@ThatRobHuman]

"Anyone who knows me knows I love a good switch" ... *ahem* ...

[@ThatRobHuman]

more seriously: I agree that the horizontal version works better, but for what it's worth I think I might have put the lights inboard from the switches such that the layout was [switch] [light] [light] [switch] rather than [switch] [light] [switch] [light] - removes all ambiguity and the symmetrical look would work well. great build!

[@olekbeluga314]

@@ThatRobHuman So you're saying you prefer it when the switches get horizontal?

[@ThatRobHuman]

@@olekbeluga314 HEYO!

[@tylernewcomb6465]

There actually is a similar off the shelf product that comes to mind (though yours is much more visually appealing) called cue light boxes. They're used by a stage manager of a theatre performance to turn on and off cue lights, which are dim lights on or around the stage that visually communicate the timing of a cue to actors and deck crews. The box has a stagepin power input and any number of switches, each of which controls a single stagepin output, which is traditionally hooked up to a single light (well actually they're typically two bulbs for redundancy, but that's besides the point). The switches also have a light above them which indicated whether the power to that light is on. Typically, the cue light would be turned on as a "get ready" and the show caller/stage manager would say "cue light is on for x," then the person would take the cue when the light goes off. An exact cue light box would be clunkier and uglier than yours, but I thought I'd overshare some somewhat niche product for curious minds.

[@emily36130]

The wireing looks really good, especially the grounded aluminum panels and strain reliefs. The only nitpick I have is that the wires and components shouldn't be rated for the current draw of the devices you intend to plug into it but for the maximum rated current of the outlets you installed in it.

[@AngusNB]

In this case that would probably be the same. I don't see anything obvious that wouldn't handle 15A.

[@WesleyTreat]

They are 👍

[@chainmasters2178]

WOW! That's a really cool switch. My dad and I build a rectangular box that did the same thing. We used light switches and wall outlets. It was for our mobile DJ set-up so we could turn off and on the lights we had. It made DJing with the old man so much fun.

[@WesleyTreat]

Thanks!

[@personalwatching9312]

Wow this is like watching Adam savage from a parallel universe!

[@orion7741]

great little project! very useful. one thing that I would suggest is to put some heat shrink tubing over the spade connectors where they connect with the switches. I know your sides are wood, but its always good to cover any bare connectors when dealing electrical, especially something in your home. it will also give just a bit more robustness to the connection and it will never loosen up.

[@jimmypockrus7725]

You didn’t say anything about the second power cord. I happened to notice it when you put the stress retainer ring around the first one. Why did you need a second power cord? Basically, you ended up with two extension cords with rocker switches. My grandfather was in the model shop at Texas Instruments for 10 years and had little things like that all over his house.

[@ruwdbouy]

yeah I was thinking that too, he could have just split the 1 cord to each switch/light/socket.

[@frontiervirtcharter]

He said it somewhere in the early part of the video. One circuit is for his space heater that's not on the UPS, the other circuit is for the computer and that one plugs into the battery backup.

[@acoupleofschoes]

Cord 1: UPS -> PC peripherals Cord 2: Wall -> Heater

[@TheStonedbanana]

I have a motion detecting switch for the heater in my office, but what you're looking for was something used with old computers. It would sit on your desk or be thin enough to use as a slight monitor stand and it had labeled switches that light up when on in the front and corresponding outlets on the back. Situations like yours are why I have moved one with me for 30 years, that would be since I got it at the age of 11. Edit: If you search for under monitor surge protector you can still find one.

[@cheeto4493]

I hate it when screws fall so fast they go into hyperspace never to be seen again. Along with springs and C-clips

[@davidg4288]

He seems surprised when the screw disappears. I am surprised when screws do *not* disappear. My father's workbench especially had some kind of wormhole under it but it happens at random too.

[@HiddeneyeInc]

One of the first projects we had to make when I was studying electronics engineering was a unit like this. We had to use an appliance extension cord for the input than splice off 8 switched ports each with a separate indicator light and breaker. It also had to have a built in metered variable duel dc power supply. We had to have the ac ports either in the back or on the top. with the dc power supply on the front with the meters and banana connectors. This was on our work stations for all 4 years. I still had mine unit up until a few years ago when I lost everything to a wildfire. It served me well for a long time. I used oak when I built mine as I didn't have access to walnut. Most of the parts came from a collection of kits. I would love to find the parts to rebuild this at some time.

[@Marx-109]

I saw the title and thought you were going to make some kind of illegal Soviet nuclear powered radio transmitter. I have seen too much styropyro.

[@Foxbat916]

He somehow managed to create something more dangerous. LOL

[@foogod4237]

FYI, for my whole work area, I have all of the lights and such hooked up to a cheapie IR motion sensor (which has actually worked really well) so I never have to worry about leaving them on after I leave. I also have a heater, and put that on the same circuit, and it worked just fine ...for a while. That's when I realized the IR detector switch was only rated for about 10A (luckily when I bought it it came in a pack of two!). So I built a little add-on box with a beefier relay that plugs into the IR switch instead, and run everything off of that, and it's been smooth sailing.

[@0ChanMan]

17:00 "HEAT SHRINK! REEEEEEEEEEEE"

[@Amialythis]

This thing looks neat. I wouldn't have stained or painted it but I probably also wouldn't have thought to to put an angle on the cabinet and that's my favourite part of the build

[@johndorian4078]

Should also be noted you should never plug a space heater into a surge protector unless you want to be really hot(from fire)

[@WesleyTreat]

I believe that's repeated as a general rule because most people aren't informed enough to understand current draw and it's easy for someone to use a underrated strip or to exceed the rating of the strip by plugging other stuff in with the heater. You'll notice the heater is the only thing plugged into mine.

[@SeanBZA]

Which is why by me any that have more than 2 positions will have a thermal breaker installed, because of that. But being in a country with 230VAC mains I also get 2kW heaters and 2.2kW kettles, which are a lot higher heat output and faster boiling of water as well. 2,2kW is only 10A, and thus you can have 2 of them on the same breaker no problem, because the 3 minutes per cycle is not enough to cause the wiring to overheat, but 2 heaters on the same circuit will cause it to trip within 30 minutes. Plus you probably want to keep those original indicator lamps, the brighter versions likely will annoy you when working, because the light will always be a distraction when you move your head, and the twinkle in the peripheral vision will pull attention away from your actual task. Dimmer light is better, and a drop of hot glue there means they still can be removed and replaced with ease. Would be brighter if you went with green as well, simply because of vision response being highest in the green region, which is why the green channel in a camera typically has double the number of sensing elements in it, to increase resolution there and improve light capture ability.

[@CajunReaper95]

@@WesleyTreatthe issue with “rating” is a manufacture can say it’s rated for x amount of amps and it be completely false which can again resort to a fire, the best practice is to avoid running a space heater on a surge protector altogether!

[@WesleyTreat]

@CajunReaper95 Why would you then trust the manufacturer of the wall receptacle?

[@_digitalcoffee]

​Because the insurance company has to, thats why. EDIT: The inverse being that if you ignore any manufacturer instruction for use you assume all liability for damages and your insurance can avoid payout. ​@@WesleyTreat

[@JAbell1966]

The restored panel you showed at the beginning has the type of switches I would use on such a project. Turning knobs or dials on and off seems like a better choice than flipping toggle switches which could accidentally be knocked into the opposite position much easier. The finished piece is beautiful, though, and is something I, too, wish I could find on store shelves.

[@davidmontgomery1016]

Doug Henning - That's a blast from the past. Nicely done on the project.

[@johnnyz7752]

Nice work. 1. The lid on the bottom is called, the base. 2. Even though you only needed 2 plugs and switches, I would have added a 3rd for future expansion.

[@idiotluggage]

Really cool build. I used to have my monitors and speakers on a power strip. I mounted it on the underside of my desk. I stopped using it because I was tired of hearing the pop when my speakers were shut off. Not sure why, but I seem to associate light blues, like what you used, with retro sci-fi stuff. I like it. Thanks for sharing this.

[@WesleyTreat]

Thanks! My old speakers would do that. You just made me realize my new ones don't. I also ordered blue jewels, funny enough, but decided against them.

[@idiotluggage]

@@WesleyTreat Blue lights wouldn't go well with the blue face. I forgot to mention, I would have put the lights in the center spots or the switches in the center spots. Just how I see the symmetry.

[@4211Rob]

Like it! Thank you. What I like to do is put a piece of half inch steel plate on the bottom of my case for some weight to counteract the force to flip the switch.

[@gallagher68]

First time viewer and like most in your comment section, very impressed with the quality work and comprehensive explanations. But (you knew there would be one) my OCD forced my hand, and it is the smallest of details, I would have put heat-shrink over the switched line connections to reduce chances of an internal short if a conductive part came loose and bonus is reducing shock risk to cowboys who remove access panels while the unit is energized. Again, very nice work and that is coming from a professional, literally a Director of Quality Assurance for a large IT company (I get paid to find fault and improve things). You earned a new subscriber today.

[@samuelmellars7855]

Ah, I have used similar switches for a 2kW space heater I repaired. Unfortunately the ones I got did not last under load, and failed after a while. Your heater may be better suited to these switches, or the ones I found may have just been cheaper and flimsier, but if you can find similar switches with a higher load rating, it may be worth switching them out!

[@SPANKmusicofficial]

I really appreciate your enthusiasm for building stuff. This video really inspired me in a surprising way.

[@barfnelson5967]

That's cool. I do the same thing but with a streamdeck controlling home assistant controlling wifi power plugs. because there's way more buttons I can control way more stuff and there's no requirement for anything to be in proximity to the streamdeck

[@TheHififink]

Nice build -I was building switch boxes like that as a kid. Had them right next to my bed so I could control room lamps and be like James Bond, or as a teenager, Hugh Hefner. I might have added a fuse/breaker just because. That Space heater draws about 15 amps.

[@WesleyTreat]

Thanks. The space heater does not reach 15 amps, even on high. I measured it with a multimeter.

[@larry-z9m]

A ham is a home amateur mechanic. When I was in my mid 30s, I worked in a walk-in talkie repair shop for the Feds. We used to make a lot of stuff like that. Had fun and got paid for it.

[@dv42300]

NICE! I'll be building this soon. I never thought about it so thanks. So simple but smart!

[@karbinunit]

yup yup. had the same issue, made a kill switch for the entire desk!! also have my sound on a separate switch so it can be put on and off if am not using it!!

[@jjlarrea]

I like your “worked better than I thought!” workarounds: Retaining rings, o-rings + washers, etc.

[@markwilliamson9960]

“Anybody who knows me knows I love a good switch” that’s great

[@gimmetheprize3271]

during christmas time, dollar tree sells those pucks with a red light in them, that you step on to turn off/on your christmas tree lights. i bought about 20 of them last year and velcro tape them to various objects for similar reasons you had

[@likethehotels]

Man, I REALLY didn't want to be that guy, but here are a few things I would do to improve the wiring, both from a safety perspective as well as reliability: Wire a fuse (or resettable breaker) directly to the hot before it goes anywhere else. Just in case. You don't need two separate power cables going to the wall. Wire your outlets and switches in parallel. (I would just use an IEC socket instead). Eliminate the WAGOS to the LEDs and wire directly to the back of the switch/socket terminals. Eliminate the spade connectors. Remove the screws from the switch terminals and solder directly to them instead. Replace the ground nut with a flange nut or keps. Overall, I think this is a cool project that addresses a common gripe. Not trying to knock your build.

[@nairblab4061]

This just gave me a great idea for a gauge pillar "pod" for my old car. Loved the video, earned a sub!

[@Mister_Weasel]

I built one of these a while ago and was pretty satisfied with how it looked but after seeing yours i know i need to start over 😄

[@theclovercross]

beautiful. you've got an eye for good, practical design. the front plate turned out especially nice.

[@markr9895]

What kind of nippers are you using to square the holes?