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Electric Panel Re-Wiring

My son is rebuilding the electric panel on his Columbia 35. My job is to design and build the door panel with the Circuit breakers and fuses. Now that the dimensions have been established, the door can be constructed. A teak frame has been built which provides room for a 14 1/4" x 14 1/4" face. My Son, Pete, has decided on 20 CBs plus a 30A Main CB and 8 fuse and switch combos. Working on a piece of oaktag I design a full scale mockup fitting the CBs and Fuses along with an automatic bilge pump control and room for a Link 10 system. The lighter attachment is the layout on the oaktag and the blue attachment shows the Plastic sheet, polystyrene, covered completely with blue tape. The layout lines for all the holes to be drilled are transferred to the blue tape. Now the drilling begins. I'll post photos as the project progresses.

Jim
 

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I think I mentioned before that my son is redoing the electrical system on his Columbia 35. My job is to build the panel for him. Attached are two photos, front & back of the finished panel. It has 20 CBs and 8 fuse/switchs. There are no labels there yet and the round hole in the upper left corner is for a LinkPro meter. The panel is on a piano hinge and the bundle of 34 wires will connect to the backboard terminal strips. In the lower left corner is a switch for the automatic bilge pump control.

Jim
 

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Wow, very professional, Jim. And we expect nothing less from a pro. ;)

This brings up a question I had: when I see panels that other people have done on this site and other sites, it seems like they usually hinge them on the bottom. And I couldn't figure out why they wouldn't be hinged on the side? It seems like they would be easier to work on that way. It looks like you hinged it on the left side, which is exactly what I was thinking about doing with Zia.
-Mark
 
Mark

To my eye it makes sense to hinge from the left so that when you want to work on the backboard, you do not have to reach over and across the door to do the work. I like to use a stainless steel piano hinge because it can handle the weight of the door which is heavy. If you notice the bundle of wires that come off the left side near the hinge, Those wires will all swing around and be terminated somewhere on the backboard terminal strips allowing for the swing of the door and the wiring on the door will not need to be touched unless a CB or switch fails. If changes need to be made it will all happen on the backboard. On my Son Peter's board there are no 110V controls. His 110V system will be aft of the panel door and will have to be accessed by removing a screwed in panel. There will be no chance of working on 12V and accidentally sticking a hand into 110V.

Jim
 
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