New Workshop & Display

[NiMo]

Folks, I'll be moving back into my childhood home in May.  With that in mind, I plan to totally redo my workshop, do it right, and have the wiring be permanent.  Now, here's the plan.  From the 100A main, assuming I have room to or can consolidate other circuits, I plan to run an 8 space sub panel using SER 6/6/6/6.  From the sub, I plan to use 1/2" EMT and #12 THHN throughout the run.  In addition to my workshop, I need to run three outlets from the sub to accommodate high draw appliances.  Two in the basement and one upstairs. They are a washer & gas dryer, fridge, and routing upstairs for a dedicated 120V outlet for an air conditioner.  As for my display, I'm going to anchor channel strut to the wall and mount my luminaire arms, NEMA lights, and VHO ballasts.  On a nearby jackpole, I plan to mount the traffic signal control box and the 12" Eagle signal and pedestrian control, then the 8" Crouse off of a 4 square and fixture hanger.  From the basement ceiling, I plan to hang the remaining Appleton High Bay (will be scrapping the Widelite since the ballast went and cannot be replaced.), low bay, homemade VHO fixture, and my three ring incandescent Saturn light. I know some think EMT is overkill, but I want to have the security of the steel walls.  Now, all that in mind, I know that all the outlets will need to be GFI since each outlet will have its own breaker.  And I was wondering if I need to run an additional ground lead or can I use the conduit itself for grounding?

[Mike]

Wow sounds like you have quite a plan! It will be a nice project and when it's all done you'll be able to enjoy it for years to come. I would run a ground wire. In theory, if you ground the EMT then everything connected to it is grounded as well but I don't know if the NEC allows conduit to be used instead of a ground wire. I think you'd have to run a ground wire and ground each juction box or outlet individually to be code-compliant, but yeah, techically your set up would be grounded if you used the EMT as the ground.

[NiMo]

Update:

Folks, I've been refining my display plans and I think I can get it done nicely.  I'll be building two frame and plywood walls surrounding the Easternmost jackpole, I'll use that jackpole for the main luminaire arm and will use 2X4 and 4X4 studs.  Plus I plan to locate the subpanel on the wall outside of my workshop.   This has the benefit of reducing the main feed.  More updates to come and I'll post pics of the work in progress and at completion.

[NiMo]

UPDATE!!  Got most of the wall built and my 'gear" section done.  Since my brother wants three circuits for the attic, I had to buy a new 12 space sub panel and will reuse my 8 spacer as a switch controller for the light display again.  The difference here is that now, I can use the SER 6-6-6-6 from the sub panel to my switch controller panel.  Also, I did not have to use the jackpole for my main light arm as I used two 4X4 beams and ran through-bolts to mount the arm.  I can do pull-ups on it.  I also have a new floodlight arm that I will be using and mounted that below the luminaire arm.  Pictures will be forthcoming when I complete the workshop.

[lights*plus]

Waiting for some pics please, and don't forget a couple of closeups of your sub panel & switch panel, thanks.

[NiMo]

Turns out the 8 space panel that I was going to use as my switch controller will wind up becoming a second sub panel, but will be used exclusively for the workshop needs.  I got a 30 amp double pole for the first subpanel and will be wiring that up soon to the main.

[NiMo]

UPDATE!!!

Got much of the major electric done.  My father is insisting (and rightly so) that I bring in a pro to inspect my work and supervise/assist in the hookup of the subpanel to the main panel.  All that will be left is the fixture wiring and switch controllers (have to get the covers which I did not in my original purchase).