Boom-Mounted Electrical Outlets

Boom-Mounted Electrical Outlets FARM SHOP Miscellaneous 33-2-38 Gerald Neumann has easy access to an electric outlet wherever he goes in his 30 by 42-ft. shop thanks to a wall-mounted overhead boom. "I wanted to get electrical cords up off the floor," explains the retired Spencer, Wis., farmer. He used 1-in. square tubing to build two 10-ft. boom sections that hinge in the middle and narrow down to a point at the end. It mounts on the wall with gate hinges. A third hinge on the wall above the unit, holds a triangular brace that provides extra support so the boom doesn't sag. Neumann ran 12-gauge electrical wire along the bottom of the boom to a 4-plug, 110-volt outlet and a single 220-volt outlet. He left a large loop of wire at the hinge to prevent it from being stretched too tight. Though he hasn't had any problem with it for 10 years, Neumann said he would probably use flexible conduit if he were to do it again. The bottom of the outlets are about 7 ft. overhead, within easy reach, and they can be quickly moved around to provide access anywhere in the shop. When not needed, the unit folds up close to the wall. It's seldom in that position, however. "I use it everyday I'm in the shop," Neumann says. Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Gerald Neumann, W332 Century Rd., Spencer, Wis. 54479 (ph 715 659-2424, jneumann@tznet.com).

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