Adding In-Cabinet Outlets & Countertop Grommet Outlets In My Studio

As of final evening, all the electrical stuff is completed on the mural wall of the studio. This has been fairly the mission that began with having to take away drywall, take away spray foam insulation, transfer six junction packing containers, rewire the shops and swap, and fill in spray foam insulation that needed to be eliminated.

Right here’s how the wall sorted I moved the junction packing containers down and re-drywalled the wall (however earlier than I did the taping and mudding). The junction field within the center is a light-weight swap that needed to be above countertop top, however the different two are shops which are under countertop top.

So once I put in the cupboards, I marked and lower little squares out of the backs of the cupboards the place the junction packing containers had been. You possibly can see the little lower out squares in each different cupboard within the photograph under. And due to how I put in the cupboards (you may learn extra about that course of right here), the cupboards stood away from the wall about an inch.

To put in the shops, I used my Dremel Multimax (affiliate hyperlink) with a straight slicing blade to chop out the again of the cupboard to suit an outlet. I didn’t do an ideal job, as you may see under, however so long as (1) it strains up with the junction field fairly effectively, (2) it isn’t lower too massive, and (3) the 2 screw holes are accessible, it’s effective.

Then I used this single gang junction field extender that I bought at House Depot…

And I match it into the opening with the wires coming via the middle. It received’t keep in place till it’s screwed into place, however that may’t occur till the outlet is wired.

After wiring up the outlet, the lengthy screws (which include the junction field extender) undergo the outlet, and thru the outlet extender, and into the screw holes within the junction field.

Add an outlet cowl, and it’s completed!

After which I repeated that three extra instances in order that I had 4 in-cabinet shops on this wall.

These in-cabinet shops gave me considerably accessible shops on this wall, however they had been something however handy. So so as to add handy accessibility to shops on this wall, I used these countertop grommet shops (affiliate hyperlink) with two shops, two USB ports, and one mini USB port.

To mark the countertop, I unscrewed this piece from the outlet and used it as a sample to mark the place the opening wanted to be lower within the countertop.

I used a Sharpie marker to mark the opening as a result of I discovered in a short time on my first one which the MDF mud from the countertop covers up pencil marks nearly instantly, making them inconceivable to see.

I feel the opening is a regular dimension in order that you can use a gap noticed, however I hate shopping for instruments for one single mission. Plus, I completely hate utilizing gap saws. So I made a decision to make do with the instruments that I have already got. I drilled a starter gap within the countertop utilizing a 1/2″ drill bit.

After which I used my little palm router with a straight lower bit to chop the opening.

Sadly, the bits that match my little palm router aren’t lengthy sufficient to chop via each layers (the laminate flooring boards and the MDF base) of the countertop. It was deep sufficient to chop throughout the laminate flooring boards, however it solely lower about 3/4 of the best way via the MDF. So then I needed to improvise. Utilizing my hammer and a small flathead screwdriver as a chisel of types, I made some perforations across the perimeter of the opening. After which I used my hammer to whack the center of the remaining MDF piece. With one good whack, the final circle of MDF got here out.

It didn’t look fairly. 😀 However I might work with it.

At this level, I checked the match of the a part of the opening that I had routed out with the palm router. I needed to make a few extra passes across the circle with the router, however it lastly match.

There was nonetheless the problem of that very tough, chewed up backside layer of MDF that wouldn’t permit the outlet to seat all the best way inside the opening, although. So to wash that up, I needed to improvise as soon as once more. I used my drill with a 3/8-inch bit, and mainly used it as a type of poor man’s router. 😀 Utilizing the drill on the very best pace, I ran the drill bit across the within the circle just a few instances, and the drill bit at excessive pace made fast work of cleansing up all the tough edges of that backside layer of MDF.

I simply stored making passes across the circle with the drill bit at excessive pace till the underside of the opening matched the circumference of the highest routed a part of the opening, and till the grommet outlet would match fully inside the opening.

After which from inside the cupboards, I screwed the underside piece into the outlet. That piece additionally has screw holes in it, and it comes with just a few tiny screws as a way to screw the outlet into place, however I made a decision to not use them. It stays in place simply effective with out these.

After which the grommet outlet plugs into the in-cabinet outlet.

So the grommet shops are mainly simply fancy extension cords. However I do love the comfort they add to this lengthy countertop, and I additionally love that they permit me to have loads of entry to shops with out me having to place shops on the mural.

In reality, do you bear in mind this one outlet on the mural wall that I confirmed y’all yesterday?

Properly, I ended up placing a grommet outlet on this finish of the countertop as effectively. So I’m going to return and take out that wall outlet and use a stable plate to cowl over that junction field.