Mechanic Wires and Reluctantly Paints Office/Loft

We finish the framing, painting, and wiring of the office and storage loft.

[@WatchWesWork]

Sorry, you can use 15A outlets on 20A circuits in most cases. You also don't technically need a ground if you use EMT conduit. You don't even need a neutral if you don't have 120V loads. Not an electrician!

[@robm3063]

Retired IBEW 701 here. I piped houses here in the west burbs of Chicago for over 20 years. It's funny how folks can't understand the pipe is your ground. The new code book is out or close to being and it's crazy. You are going to be spending so much more money on ARCH and GFI breakers. I use an APP called Electricians Bible (play store version). You input all the things mentioned and it tells you what is needed.

[@barmanvarn]

I was about to comment the same. And personally I don’t like backstabbing my wires. Usually can’t anyways as the backstabs usually won’t accept 12 AWG.

[@charleshenshaw9099]

Yes, yes, and yes. But you should match the breaker amps to the outlet. You always want a ground and neutral, regardless if it's not required. Just paint the outside and finish it. You can always change it later after it's finished.

[@thelol1759]

@@charleshenshaw9099there’s a very interesting and common exception to matching breaker to amperage: the kitchen. Most kitchens are multiple 20 amp circuits, each protected by a gfci supplying various 15 amp receptacles. Makes sense to me as a layman, but I’m sure a Mike Holt type could explain it much better

[@bigj231]

@@barmanvarn I've seen too many backstabs fail to ever do it myself, but I love backwire clamps. It's easy to daisy chain outlets together, and you can even daisy-chain split outlets. Plus the contacts in those outlets are a much stronger and hold cords a lot better. Keeps them from pulling halfway out if you stretch just a little too far.

[@BlindBatG34]

You are a brave man showing how to wire an outlet on the internet. That ranks right up there with bending cotter pins and installing u-joints. Great job Wes you deserve a nice office.

[@WatchWesWork]

I know. Flame suit on...

[@electricdragon9366]

Or showing how much thermal paste is used on a CPU

[@ron827]

Or welding.

[@Pointlesschan]

Or soldering (or even pronouncing solder)

[@JHruby]

Wes is also guilty of nailing on the Internet without using a nail gun. The man is a menace and he cares not one jot about upholding societal norms.

[@tomgrummett4591]

Im an electrician in Canada, your understanding of electrical code is better than a lot of electricians I know, which is both sad and a compliment to you lol.

[@amisakie]

This. The man is pretty much good at everything he does. Great work.

[@WatchWesWork]

From my experience, electricians mostly just learn on the job and never even look at the code book. I've bumped into several electricians who have never run a 3 phase circuit or wired an electric motor.

[@richardpruen8247]

The UK isn’t much better, there are levels of electricians. From 3 hours video training to do limited installation work, through to fully qualified (has city and guilds certification on knowledge of the regs, and correct application of the requirements). I went the latter route, trained as an electrical and electronic engineer, and have current ‘requirements for electrical installations BS7671:2018’, plus live work, safe isolation and testing. I do mostly industrial electrical work and waste to energy/power generation. Sadly it is costly to keep up to date with qualifications and to have the required test gear. I’d much prefer Wes to some of the installers with half a day’s training, he seems way more competent.

[@johnkruton9708]

Good job on the wire puller helper! I enlisted my wife to help with my 57’ underground 4 seperate wires per NEC (not romex!) from garage subpanel to shed. Got tired of the extension cord and the damage done to it over the years and the gap at the shed door to allow for the cord. PITA. Glad that’s done. I sure should have done that 15 years ago when we had the shed installed. Things to always do. Great job on your shop and I like your self education. I too read the code books and other from Fine Homebuilding. They have great authors and super tips and stuff on all sorts of related work. Electrical isn’t difficult for single phase 240v. I’ll stick to my home and easy stuff. You advanced can do motors and 3 phase and other more advanced stuff.

[@lawrencewillard6370]

Brain cells, been there, and still waiting for the lost ones to come back. Hope they do soon.😢

[@marklester161]

In my experience, 2 things; 1. NEVER too much light 2. NEVER too many receptacles. Great job, Wes. Love your content.

[@andrewnajarian5994]

“Asymptote of Despair” 😂😂 That was classic Wes! Hysterical! Remember “There’s nothing as permanent as a temporary fix.”

[@terrycampbell8275]

And so true! My dad told me I'd never see the last nail hammered in the house we built.

[@rickn8or]

"Asymptote of Despair" Never heard the phrase before, but I understand the concept perfectly.

[@AndrewMoizer]

New to me and an ‘instant classic’. It bites deep for too many things I have on the go. As the joke goes, at the very least we need to try to drive that asymptote to the ‘close enough for all practical purposes’ point. That’s hard!

[@andrewnajarian5994]

@@AndrewMoizerthe unfortunate reality is that “hard work often pays off in time but procrastination pays off immediately.” 😂

[@AndrewMoizer]

@@andrewnajarian5994 absolutely agree, my sage aunt, who was a teacher, used to say “it’s amazing how long it takes to finish something you’re not working on”. So in the end the work has to happen, (or the specs changed to alter the definition of done). I have a lot of respect for people who are better able to keep going at things and drive them through.

[@robertjune1221]

Watching you pull wire with your wife reminded me of painting with mine. The end result looked good, we're still speaking, and no lawyers were required.

[@katelights]

"I wish I didn't install so many outlets" - Nobody, Ever.

[@Noah_E]

My grandfather was a master electrician and that wall with only two outlets would never happen with his crew. They would have either added a third in between or used double boxes if there was a door or something in between, for a total of 8 receptacles.

[@dontblameme6328]

No joke... Now mount 4' power strips between each outlet and the next and you'll still only have half as many as you need. LOL

[@mastercraftsman4213]

When and if you get a permit you will say that...has the fees are figured by number of outlets...at least in my area😂

[@torstenholva2685]

😄YES! 😄

[@funone8716]

He's gonna put the power strip and extension cord people out of business

[@mungtor]

You 1000% need to make an "Asymptote of Despair" poster. Not only would I buy one, but I would buy one for all my friends with projects where "done" is a limit as time approaches infinity.

[@WatchWesWork]

I'll see what I can do!

[@phillipkeeling7327]

Retired sparky here. Excellent job Wes. Many electricians can’t decipher the code that well. But I have to nit pick just a little. If wires and cables don’t come on reels roll it all out on the floor. Your little panel is for surface mounting not recessed. The cover looks a little crappy. And leave more wire sticking out for receptacles and switches. Most inspectors want to see 6inches from the face of the box. The next guy in that box is gonna cuss you a little for cutting that ground off back in the box. The bend you made was a four bend saddle. Two offsets back to back. Very well executed.

[@zaddy83]

While I agree with you on the cover looking a bit crappy, and the panel being designed for surface, and not recessed mounting, one could argue that since Wes is not a licensed electrician he is therefore not held to the "workmanlike manner" as dictated by the NEC.

[@bigredgreg1]

I’ve been the beneficiary of several installers of work boxes installed flush with the stud, forgetting that drywall thickness separates the switch/outlet cover from the work box. These are not just weekend DIYers, but “professional” home builders too. 😳

[@kymw7833]

Nice work Wes im facinated that you use metal conduit we are plastic here in Australia much easier to work with,?? Is the metal a requirement in a workshop enviroment or dont you guys use plastic code difference maybe .Also im not a sparky but i can instal a power outlet we only have 3 wires on our 240v earth neutral active ,i guess the main thing we have in common touch the wrong wire OUCH😅😅😅😅 Have a good week Mate Kym Adelaide

[@mcarroll598]

I am a 26 year journeyman Electrican. I have my license as well. That NEC CODE book is no joke. Good job Wes! An old timer told me once when I was an apprentice learning how to bend conduit…..he said-kid “the hardest part to bending pipe is taking the measurements! Ha!

[@WatchWesWork]

Since no permits or inspections are required here I can bend the rules a little to make things easier/cheaper. Square D sells a flush mount cover for the box, I just need to buy one.

[@seastacker8582]

Man. That “danger zone” graphic hits home hard. 😂

[@tomr3422]

It makes me think of way too much I have going on and how it remains incomplete- that graphic should be taught in schools

[@shanesgettinghandy]

"Asymptote of Despair" Pretty sure I read the manual and took notes on that concept, because that's where all my projects end up.

[@rinardman]

That's a line I'm very familiar with also. I just didn't know the technical name for it. I just always called it "Good enough for now." 🙃

[@DeweyCheatumNHoweLLC]

I'm at that point with the backsplash in my kitchen. Going on 2 years now

[@scottpageusmc]

Hear, hear!

[@thirzapeevey2395]

I'm there right now. I hoped to finish some wiring and lighting this week, but I just found a box that seems to have two powers in it, and is backfeeding (wired by a pro). I have a wire that never shuts off after checking every breaker in the box, and I think it is wired into two different circuits. I guess I'm not finishing until next week, after I get someone to look at it.

[@ratheskin58]

Asymptote of Despair were actually an English prog-rock band from Wolverhampton. Their high point, in 1975, was when their manager Derek nearly got them a slot on the Old Grey Whistle Test TV show, but blew the taxi money on an evening of bliss with Sandra from the Dog and Duck instead of getting the band to the studio. They spilt up soon afterwards citing artistic differences and the fact that Terry, the drummer, was absolutely rubbish.

[@dennisharrison1920]

NFPA National Fire Protection Association or No Free Publications Allowed (retired Fire Marshal) Here is who they are. NFPA was founded as-and still is-a self-funded nonprofit. Our mission is to help save lives and reduce loss with information, knowledge, and passion. What started as a Boston-based organization for fire sprinkler codes has grown to become the leading global advocate for the elimination of death, injury, property, and economic loss due to fire, electrical, and related hazards. (From their website) Each state can completely adopt there standards (very few do) or take acceptation to sections or verbiage. I’m was a member of the association we paid dues . Anyways nice job,

[@Channel-gz9hm]

NFPA, my favorite people. Adopted the obnoxiously expensive and constant life irritance AFCI mandate making breakers go from $4.99 a piece to $49.99 a piece based on their own self-admitted theory/"evidence" that it would, perhaps, prevent 40-50 house fires per year if all homes had them. In a country of 350 million people.

[@tetedur377]

@@Channel-gz9hm Yeah, I was gonna say that he didn't sound like a paid shill, but only because he's probably not getting paid.

[@IGDZILLA]

"Asymptote of despair" Haven't heard that before but it speaks to me at an elemental level. It should be a T-shirt. I stayed up after Midnight to watch a man on the other side of the world bend metal conduit to comply with regulations. But I still HAVE to pay a licensed electrician. Greetings from Australia everyone. One of those outlets could be used for a pinball machine. Now tell me you've got too many outlets.

[@WatchWesWork]

My dad went so far as the get "licensed" as an electrician so he could do his own wiring. It was basically just a matter of filling out some forms and giving them their money.

[@AndrewMoizer]

@@WatchWesWorkI considered doing that too, but there didn’t seem to be a way to bypass the 2 year apprenticeship requirement. I would have happily written the test and even paid the dues.

[@jaybrown7177]

As a math teacher and a diy'er the "asymptote of despair" had me laughing. Thanks for the video. Love the channel.

[@josephking6515]

Do you know Mrs Wes has a Masters in Math (no idea what in unfortunately) so uber respect for her and much envy on my part. I suck at maths hence the envy.

[@tetedur377]

@@josephking6515 You suck at math? Buddy, I suck at math so badly that I can't do math in my head. I mean, if it's on the tables we used to memorize in school, I can do it...mostly. Sometimes I can do it by backing into it, or by moving forward. For example, I can pretty easily remember that 8*8=64, but if I'm looking for 7*8, I subtract 8 from 64 (if I close my eyes and concentrate real hard), and when I can't do that, I subtract 7 from 64, which I know that 14-7=7, so that would be 57; subtract 1 more and I get 56. And I'm pretty confident that 7*8=56. I don't use math all that much; haven't in many, okay, decades. The reason is that I do not "see" numbers in my head. I am incapable of visualizing numbers. When I close my eyes and concentrate, I only see what you see when you close your eyes. Just blackness and after-image from whatever I was looking at. I was better at it when I played darts, but in most matches, other people kept score, and I went with whatever they said. So if we're playing 301, and I lead with a trip 20, trip 18, and a single 19, my math looks like this: 2+1+1 is 40, plus 17 is 57. Then I start subtracting 57 from 301, but by that time, somebody has already said 224, and I accept that, because I already know that 11-7 is 3...wait, no, it's 4...and by that time, my opponent has scored and subtracted from their 301 and it's my turn again. I think it's a handicap, and I should be compensated for it.

[@318ishonk]

"Asymptote of despair". That phrase is a keeper. 👍

[@williamconrad1087]

Wes, do your fans a solid and make a short of the asymptote of despair, it’s epic.

[@HamiltonvilleFarm]

Imagine how fast this room would've got done if you didn't have weirdos asking you to build stuff for you.

[@WatchWesWork]

Or if I made them help!

[@tiredagain6722]

You are a brave (or foolish) man. Asking Wifey to assist in pulling wire usually results in harsh words or much worse. I SALUTE YOU! 👏🙌

[@tomtke7351]

I SALUTE HER!

[@dougmarkham1919]

Never enough lights as you get older you will appreciate the four. The true danger zone has passed in that she didn't kill you for barking at her when the wire (as usual) gets tangled when not on a reel. hahaha! Thank you for all the trouble it takes to film and produce videos for KZbin. I have learned, I have laughed at the dry humor. and am continually amazed at your varied talents.

[@Mishn0]

Yeah. I'd have stretched the wires out all the way across the floor and totally avoided trying to have the wife keep them in check as they unspool. 35 years has taught me to not ask anything more complicated than, "hold this still, right here, as I tighten it..."

[@TheCoffeehound]

Same for outlets - if you're setting up an office, you need many outlets. Most rooms only have one per wall, and that's not usually enough. Kitchens are the same way!

[@rickn8or]

@@TheCoffeehound, what does the code say, "Every six feet"?

[@TheCoffeehound]

@@rickn8or I freely admit I know nothing about code. I do know that there are never enough outlets in a kitchen or an office, and too many things that need to be plugged in.

[@suterfamily5578]

LOL!!! Wes, your asymptote of despair where time goes to infinity perfectly describes a significant number of my projects; I thought I was the only one!

[@Batti2323]

It describes potentially all of mine!

[@AndrewMoizer]

As Red Green says in every episode … ‘we’re all in this together’😂

[@michaelweilmuenster5754]

An old electrician once told me, "wire nuts are protectors, NOT connectors!". So I've always tried to make sure the wires are twisted together tightly before installing the wire nut. I like how you edited out most of the wire pull. That looked like the veritable rats nest about to happen, glad it went well and your marriage didn't get ruined over it. Looking good, can't wait to see the end results.

[@lolatmyage]

Don't worry there's still plenty of project left to ruin the marriage 🤣🤣🤣

[@johntomassetti3818]

Wes, I can’t tell you how many times my teacher wife has mentioned divorce court drama while helping me with a project! Must be a teacher thing. Great work by the way.

[@tomr3422]

My better half is a nurse practitioner, the biggest arguement we ever had in which we both used the terms "divorce court drama" was her wanting to move a computer, I agreed as long as she helped with relocating the telephone outlet for internet(yep it was along time ago). that was 26 years ago, I dont ask for help, and politely say " no thank you, it was nice of you to offer" if she offers to help and we have lived happily ever after so far...

[@devschlong]

It's a wife thing, not just a teacher wife thing. Why would it be? My wife "womansplains" things to me. I'm pretty sure it's a way to get out of me asking for help on home projects. It entails her explaining what and how I "should" be doing things that she has zero experience with, e.g. drywalling, electrical work, putting in load bearing walls, concrete, etc.

[@cmans79tr7]

​@devschlong - Thank you for that: "Womansplaining." I never heard that word before, but now that I know there is a word for that, and that I am not alone, I can now ease my serious fear that my wife was beginning to show signs of dementia in that she thinks she could tell me how to do something that she herself doesn't know how to do. In addition to the "lather, rinse, and repeat" of other similar tasks😣

[@devschlong]

@@cmans79tr7 all the things I mentioned are things I have years of experience doing growing up on a farm and for work in my late teens and early twenties.

[@rickn8or]

@@tomr3422, where was this information 30 years ago when I could have used it?

[@EorsAstroVids]

"Asymptote of Despair" absolutely sent me.

[@wayner806]

Same. I thought the wiring was enjoyable and then I saw the graph!!!!

[@StopDropandLOL]

This whole project has been interesting. I would've never thought of watching someone build a space in their shop, but you managed to make it entertaining and informative!

[@matthewsmith8573]

As soon as I saw the loops of wire on the ladder, I knew there would be trouble. Whenever I get wire by the foot, or pre-cut the wire for parallel runs, I use an old spool (welding wire spools work well) to reduce the chances of tangling. Especially when pulling solo, and even more so if one end is way up on a ladder -- that tangled mess can turn what should have been a quick 10-minute pull into a 2-hour ordeal.

[@WatchWesWork]

It added a few minutes. We could have recovered a little easier if she hadn't taken the green off the pipe.

[@dennis2376]

@@WatchWesWork Dangerous wording Wes. :)

[@AndrewMoizer]

MIG wire spools is a good idea.

[@Tom-In-Ga]

Ms. Wes, I had to laugh when you were fighting with that green ground wire. Reminds me of every wire or hose I ever had to deal with.

[@Joserocha-wm9de]

Who else hit 👍 before video even starts

[@willb3018]

I always do, no matter the subject.

[@Jimmeh_B]

I refrain from doing so, ever since I found out that likes that are hit less than (can't remember) 30 or 60 seconds into it, are not counted by YT in the creators metrics. Ya know... because YT cares so very very much about the people who fill it with content.

[@josephking6515]

I always do that as it's the only way I can show my appreciation for all the work the Content Creator puts in for my entertaining enjoyment.

[@clintprice2123]

Every time he posts another video!

[@IGDZILLA]

@@willb3018 Then it's not really a like. Not a real one. Yeah, Wes accumulates likes but he still can't be sure you actually liked the video.

[@fanofoldfans9238]

It's always good to be safe from a ground loop. Especially with some "floating ground" electronics out there or a bad x-y capacitor. I enjoy all your videos!

[@edwardwade2696]

Doing any kind of project with my wife can lead to us splitting up. We jokingly call our RV cover the divorce cover! I’ve taken to just putting on by myself. Great job Wes! Way more up to code than I would do in a shop.

[@tomburdett6639]

You're doing very well some people have all the light in the world and still are in the dark 👍👍👍😁

[@generaldisarray]

Excellent work Wes. Quick tip re painting virgin plasterboard. As the plasterboard is bare it'll suck up the moisture in the paint meaning you won't get as much coverage per litre. It can also lead to the paint chipping off as it dried out too quickly, before the paint could adhere properly. To prevent this dilute your first coat of paint to a 2:1, or 3:1 mix of emulsion paint and water, this will seal the plasterboard and it'll adhere well, then the 2nd coat of 100% paint will give you good coverage and it'll adhere properly.

[@douglasmayherjr.5733]

Your Graph was probably the most accurate thing I have ever seen on KZbin. Great Job Wes. I thought the more dangerous thing was putting your wife in charge of the wire rolls. I could see her blood pressure rising, the fun of working with your spouse. Thanks for the Videos, Wes.

[@J-7072]

Jumbo Outlet Cover for the WIN! Great work and progress. Love the Danger Zone graph, so true.

[@johnbaker7621]

What a brave man working with your wife as a helper that true love

[@StB55-oi9yp]

When I was a kid ( in the 60’s) my father would make me help him with home projects. I don’t know why but he was constantly yelling at me.

[@stevea6722]

@@StB55-oi9yp Holding a flashlight and it's never pointed where they want it. Been there!

[@JonnyCrash]

I have thoroughly enjoyed part three of this saga. Like yourself, I also am NOT an electrician. However, I also enjoy doing electrical work. Watching this makes me long for the days when I was running circuits for my welder and 220v air compressor. Oh, and you can never have too much light!

[@coreybenson3122]

My dad is an electrician, IBEW local 1. Great job on the conduit! That’s not easy to do. Man of many talent. And patience.

[@nicolaspa4644]

The truth is that the graph about the danger zone seems brilliant to me, especially because it is the pure truth...

[@MayaPosch]

I'm not an electrician, but I got taught how to wire up 230VAC circuits and switches courtesy of my dad dragging me along with construction projects around the farm and beyond. Fishing wire through PVC conduit that already has wiring in it falls absolutely on my list of 'things I don't like'. Good call on doing all four wires in one go, though I hope that the marriage survived that ordeal with the spools unwinding :) P.S.: US-style outlets terrify me with how shallow they are. Much happier with using chonky Schuko outlets, and their ~4 kW rating per outlet.

[@DaRockCRX]

the whole us wiring construction makes me not that happy. european schuko plugs and the whole wiring/panel situation is much safer and nicer.

[@shoots2001]

Nice Vid Wes its coming together. I could sense Mrs. Wes temper rising at each cut in pulling the wires through lol.

[@gregholloway2656]

Same here. I was thinking the less-brave move would have had Hufflepuff towing doing the pulling, while Wes did the feeding and lubing.

[@throttlebottle5906]

there's way too many bends without pull access points. the equivalent of four 90 bends(360 total degrees) is the max allowed between pulling access points. but even at "360 degrees" it gets very hard and many will never go past 270 degree max for ease of pulling. use straight pull fittings or in and out of boxes.

[@rickn8or]

@@throttlebottle5906, you'll notice there's no footage of him running the fish tape...

[@TheDrewbalicious]

I don't watch this channel to learn words like Asymptote, but I'm here for it!

[@warrenmichael918]

I bet Wes learned that in calculus class.

[@Getwaffles]

I really want to see a Watch Wes Work detailed video essay about how to properly construct a tuna salad sandwich. I'd share that video across every platform!

[@madtack]

OMG the danger zone graph is one of the funniest things Ive ever seen!!

[@TheFreightBeast]

Best graph on the internet brother 😂 Great job!

[@FullFaithRepair]

I love your graph explaining "works and done"

[@richerrick45]

My whole house is at the edge of the "works" area. Been that way for 35 years. I still can bring myself to finish it. When I die my kids will have to complete it so they can sell it. Also, just have the painting crew paint the OSB. You don't want the new space to look better than the rest of the shop.

[@mdbelt1]

Great job. Just paint it and move on with life.

[@hypnolobster]

Painted OSB is the ultimate shop interior finish, even if it does collect infinite amounts of grinding dust in all it's nooks and crannies.

[@mrmotofy]

Steel siding is better

[@CentaurAcademy]

So good to see This Old Tony helped you out with your hand shots.

[@davegillett4036]

The graph and asymptote of despair absolutely needs to be a t shirt!

[@DougT25427]

Real nice work Wes. All of your work is as good as any I've seen. As long as everything is safe and works right… its all good. I've worked hot panels all of my life from low voltage all the way to 480 volt 3 phase. Nothing to be afraid of if one follows established safety practices and takes their time. By the way… Mrs. Wes had the worst of the wire pulling job. Its almost impossible to keep those cut wire loops from tangling… and pissing people off real good. My vote is to paint the new work OSB. If the shop interior is already painted OSB the new work should match it. It will blend in like it has always been there. Save the money for beer… 😎😎

[@littlejason99]

Perfect timing, just made breakfast! Now I get to enjoy my biscuits and watch Wes work!

[@paulsilva3346]

35:00, WES, IDDA PAINTED THAT OSB before doing the exterior siding... That having been said,...I still enjoy Watching Wes Work....

[@TheBignick243]

"reading this is like working on a car from the 80's"...lmao I felt that deep in my core

[@aaronf8831]

Working barehanded with the OSB scares the crap outta me. Those things can leave you with some NASTY splinters. Nice work!

[@randy5411]

Interesting viewing, Wes. I cracked up seeing your "Work to Done" danger zone chart.

[@michaelowens772]

Last time I worked on a live panel I had my neighbor standing by with a two X four just in case stuff went south ! Rock on Wes !

[@charlierumsfeld6626]

Working on older cars is a lot easier than working on today's cars. I'd rarther have a '66 Pontiac 389ci V8 than my current car, 2013 Dodge Charger 5.7 V8

[@crunchysuperman]

Nice work. I would just paint the exterior, since the shop is like that already. No point going overboard for that, IMO.

[@robt2151]

Yes, paint the exterior and then find some talented family member to add some dramatic graphics.

[@edwardmartin3069]

Great job...so far. Your attention to detail is amazing. Loved Ms. Wes' T-shirt. Leaving her to wrangle that end of the wiring was a brave, brave decision. Hopefully she is still speaking to you... Paint the outside walls, you can always change them later if you wish. ...And yes, you need to add "Asymptote of Despair" merch to the site...

[@AdamHougham]

I really like that you tightened the red live up to 'click' spec. Good to know it won't come undone. 😀

[@stevehaken]

Nice job. Great Video. My inspectors require pigtails for outlets. I like to use pigtails as I can test all the circuits when I tie the grounds for rough inspection. Also, there is a benefit of device failure not killing all the down stream devices.

[@idrisddraig2]

As a European who has lived in the USA. Your wiring systems are archeic and scare me. God on you Wes for doing it as well as it can be done with the system/tools at hand. I've had the misfortune to work on wiring at summer camp that was so bad it would burn down a building before it blew the fuse (no breakers , let alone GFCI etc)

[@lolatmyage]

fr whenever I see yellow romexx it reminds me of that black soviet aluminimum cable from the 60s and 70s And yeah there are houses where the only overcurrent protection is at the meter, and then at the substation, 10 circuits twisted up through two wire nuts

[@WatchWesWork]

I dunno. If you follow the code, it's perfectly safe. If you don't follow the code, you take your chances. I think the big difference is we don't have strict code enforcement.

[@dpeagles]

It's just different. Not inferior. Despite what you Europeans believe. About everything

[@mrmotofy]

@@dpeagles That's why we left that European thing haha

[@DaRockCRX]

absolutelly. all reminds me of our 1966 house back when it used to have the old screw in type ceramic fuses. Missing all the ground fault protection and all DC protection capabilities.

[@Sherlock067]

Wes, my hats off to you for doing a fine job sir. I learned as I observed and feel more confident to try some conduit bending myself! Can’t wait to see more of your work.

[@MrHughk1]

Paint it Wes, dont flirt with despair, just get it done and matching the rest of the shop.

[@Carcrafter7165]

Paint it white call it a day Wes. Doing a fine job.

[@danielgeng2306]

Professional electrician here, I’m impressed! Remember the electrical code is a book of minimum requirements, feel free to exceed these requirements by making the wire size or conduit size larger but under sizing is literally playing with fire !

[@garycurry4600]

Mrs. Wes is a very good sport and assistant.

[@PedroHenrique-cu6fq]

hi wes, here in brazil we run corrugated conduit inside the walls and often times its tricky to pull, as you did on the video, you placed all the 4 wires together, what you can do to make it easier is placing each wire with a little distance to each oder, so you make sort of a stair or something like that, and dont have a huge head, makes it a little easier, but other than that nice job.

[@jimmydm3]

No more than 360 degrees of bend in a conduit run. You needed a pull box in the run. You did a great job and showed good workmanship, better than many so-called electricians. You also have a good understanding of the NEC, better than half the Combined Inspectors in the country. Much impressed on your knowledge of wire ampacity and terminations. A+++ Put some vertical 1x4's spaced every 6-8 inches on the OSB to make a kind of fake board and batten wall, cheap and looks good after paint.

[@WatchWesWork]

The jog don't count in the 360 as I recall.

[@Jeff_C_2112]

Wes - the asymptote of despair diagram needs to be on some type of merch (sticker, shirt, etc) please. It describes nearly all of my projects!

[@chump4952]

I was a licensed Master Electrician in the State of Maine. I think you did a fine job , because you pay attention to detail and you are a very smart person.

[@WatchWesWork]

I try.

[@tomcren59]

I see nothing wrong with just painting the walls. You always do a great job and I enjoy your videos. There are always people who enjoy criticizing whatever you do. There are two kind of people: Those who do and those who find fault. Guess which one gets the most work done.

[@voltairegoethe]

"It's possible I went crazy on the outlets." And Wes's drive thru battery charging depot was born.

[@scottgm321]

Brings back fond memories of my wife always bringing up the bathroom remodeling adventure during marriage counseling sessions.

[@thetoolman3]

Nice work Wes. I LOVE the whole "asymptote of despair" concept. I practically live there! I just never knew what to call it. If you put that on a t-shirt, I'll buy one for sure! You're spot on, on bonding (or not) ground and neutral. I've seen demos where the ground can carry a significant amount of current if you have a ground loop. Depending upon design, some equipment can malfunction due to induced electrical noise. Also, the guy who comes behind you to do electrical work might be at risk if the ground is carrying current when he assumes it isn't. You'll have lots of viewers that are critical of stab connections, myself included. I've found that over time these tend to get hotter than properly installed screw connections (emphasis on "properly installed"). I've seen more than a few melt and fail. I like the 20A Eaton outlets with double screw terminals for hot and neutral. They eliminate nearly all of the splicing needed for multi-outlet circuits. On paint, many greys look neutral on a paint chip, but end up looking blue on the wall. Don't buy a house-worth without rolling out a sample area of several square feet. I once painted a garage for a client, and their grey (which they bought from looking at a chip) looked like baby blue once it was done. They were out of town and didn't see it until it was done, and were pretty shocked. Most home centers sell a relatively inexpensive "barn and fence" latex paint, which is all I ever use for my workspace walls and ceiling. It's not washable, like better interior latex. But it's cheap, and good enough for a garage. Just don't get the "line marking" paint, which is water soluble even after drying. Unless I know I only need one or two gallons, I buy paint in 5 gallon buckets. It's cheaper, plus free bucket. Paint the OSB to match the rest and be done with it.

[@leors7578]

wes' channel is always a perfect mix of DIY and extreme engineering, I love it!!!

[@user-ho7km2ru6k]

When I started as an apprentice electrician in 1968 I was told, neigh….lectured constantly, doesn’t matter if no one ever sees it, make it neat and professional. Today I see shoddy work on show, whatever happened to pride in workmanship. It’s what separates craftsmen from the rest. If you think your regulations are tough it’s stricter in the UK. Earthing, (your ground), has its own qualification exams.

[@WatchWesWork]

Well there's no reason to make it look like a racoon attacked the panel, but I can't see spending a whole day making perfect bends in the wire just to cover up.

[@brianworley7705]

​@@WatchWesWork I agree with you on not over-doing neatness...until you need to trace wires. Then neatness pays back handsomely. Makes tracing So much easier. You had few enough circuits and did neat enough bends that tracing should not be an issue. Well done!

[@jonathanbaxter5821]

No home project in the history of mankind has ever avoided the asymptote of despair.

[@SuperSecretSquirell]

My stepdad was an electrician. The magic he could work bending up emt was nothing short of amazing. I could never get my head wrapped around it.

[@Noah_E]

My grandfather was a master electrician and I grew up working with his crew on school breaks and whenever they needed someone small to run wire through crawl spaces. Nobody ever complained about having too many outlets. That wall with only two would have bothered him. If there was more than 6' between them, he would either add a third in the middle or make both double boxes, for a total of 8 sockets on that wall. FYI- I used 'common' terms instead of technical ones like receptacle so normal people would understand.

[@jeffryblackmon4846]

Carry on, Mr. and Mrs. Wes. You're doing well. I like your color choice in the office area.

[@patricksullivan9951]

Hi Wes, a couple of thoughts, first, nice job on the electrical, it works fine, you're still alive and not divorced, Well Done. Second, the only fault was the "Wire Feed System! , loose coils off a pipe is always a disaster. I would have found a empty wire spool or two and rewound the loose wire on those, but it works, and you're not divorced. Win Win! Last but not least, "Asymptote of Despair", I friggin fell out of my chair, but then, I've "Been there, Still dealing with that! Getting good with that nail gun too! Looking forward to the finale!

[@davidchang-yen1256]

Totally stealing that chart, along with the term “asymptote of despair” for my next project review meeting. Thanks Wes!

[@samuelw.3992]

😂 I’m still getting my coffee down. I read your video title as “whining with wife”

[@nh9027]

Your electrical discussion reminds me of the floating neutral vs bonded neutral generator opinions that I’ve listened to. The more I read about it, the less likely I’m able to explain it. Great video.

[@jeremyhanna3852]

The tow truck driver wears so many hats

[@DovetailTimberworks]

"The asymptote of dispair"! 😅 As a card-carrying nerd, I love the nerd humor. Good vid Wes, thanks.

[@merrittderr9708]

I'm pretty sure the code allows 15 amp outlets on a 20 amp circuit unless there is only one outlet. Like you I'm not an electrician but I have the 2005 version of the book you have and I think that's in there somewhere. Except for the possible air conditioning that you have provided for specifically, it's hard to imagine anything you'd plug in as part of an office that needs more than 15 amps. In any case, nice work. You might look into Wago or Ideal connectors. With those, you can do all the wiring on the outlets themselves on the bench and then just connect things in the box with the connectors. That being said, I wired my workshop with surface mounted conduit and did all the connections in all the boxes the same way you did. And, no worries on the number of outlets you have. You can never have too many.

[@WatchWesWork]

You are correct. I should know that. I prefer conduit, then you can change things.

[@shanesgettinghandy]

I was going to suggest the Wago connectors as well.

[@CountryFarmBoyUSA]

Haha I have the microphone for my pitchy one -liners! It's never easy working with a wife on building projects! You both did well and God's Blessings as you grow your business!

[@hmbpnz]

Isolated ground and neutral at the subpanel. "Objectionable current" is what you don't want. You want one single path for ground fault current to flow. You don't want it going all willy-nilly through the neutrals back to the bond point. Well done, sir.

[@HankRoberts-ym3ft]

This is great info for a DIYer like myself- especially the explanation of the “fudge” bracket for the receptacle (always wondered what those were for). My vote for siding if you haven’t already decided is just the plain galvanized metal roofing panels vertically aligned.

[@grilnam9945]

24:35 interesting edit point. Is this where poor Mrs Wes finally broke and attacked you with the pipe she just picked up? 😂

[@LiveeviL6969]

A little tip on the new camera, don't use the 24 frames setting. The movement is terribly jittery. Use 30 frames for little motion and slow panning and 60 fps for the faster stuff. Always looking forward to your videos!

[@WatchWesWork]

I've always used 30p. Something with the IBIS seems to up the jitteriness. I could go to 60p, but the file size gets a little insane.

[@LiveeviL6969]

@@WatchWesWork Looking at the stats for nerds on the last video it showed 24FPS. Maybe the way it was rendered.

[@shanesgettinghandy]

I noticed the jittering and assumed it was at 24 fps as well. I always use 60 fps on mine, I love the smooth look, but for the same reason Wes hasn't upped his frame rate, I also haven't made the jump to 4k... yet.

[@mrmotofy]

@@WatchWesWork Use the 60 then Render in H265. A 15min 1080p vid can be like 120MB

[@christinamoneyhan5688]

Wes’s nice job all the way around. 👍👍👍🇺🇸😎🙏🏽✌🏻

[@ThatsFrrreeessshh-sq7kn]

.....glad your rectalfied skipping over the in-depth wiring explanations on the previous vid.....really liked the exscrewshillating detales......

[@wingdwolf56]

There is only ONE Content Creator that I drop everything for when a video notification hits, and that's Watch Wes Work!! BTW...you can never, never, NEVER have too many outlets!! (providing you use enough circuits)

[@brianrvd]

My vote is for Christmas wrapping paper for the finish.

[@dennis2376]

Fire hazard, but great idea. :)

[@Fordrust3d]

Great video! I know an electrician who will barely look at a tape measure and be finished before you finish telling him what you want, lol. I've seen pictures of the masterpieces of commercial and industrial conduit runs he's made. As beautiful as an organ in a cathedral

[@Fordrust3d]

I'd just paint the outside and call it

[@rarbiart]

the wiregauge calculation part is great. i thought the german DIN/VDE0100 stuff was complicated, but now i really appreciate it as simpler ;-)

[@DeweyCheatumNHoweLLC]

I can just hear Mike Holmes in the background crowing "THATS NOT TO CODE"

[@harveylong5878]

too bad this isnt Canada and Canadian electrical code doesnt apply to where Wes is

[@ihrescue]

Good progress Wes. As for exterior finish I would paint it and if a fancier idea comes to you later you will at least have a usable solutionn with the painted walls. It takes little time and its done. Just FYI the NFPA develops and publishes model codes and standards, NEC being one of them. States and local governments can adopt a code or standard as the reference for their regulations. Sometimes a jurisdiction will adopt these model codes but make changes, sometimes purposefully omitting items in the code they don't feel apply to their jurisdiction and sometimes adding items. So when someone is doing work out there they would need to check and see what their local codes require. Yes the NEC is a national standard regard to electrical work so it is excellent guidance. I look forward your continued progress on the office and storage. Keep up the good work.

[@harveylong5878]

yep, it gets to a PITA in certain jurisdictions. you can have the newest NEC code book but then you have another book that pretty much omitting/amending certain sections of the NEC. to make things more a PITA, the AHJ/Inspector can have their own quirks/nitpicks how they want things done