Desktop Power Outlet

One of the great annoyances of life with electronics is that many of them need to be charged. In a future world maybe we'll have an induction system in our houses and cars that allow these things to run and charge without hassle, but until then we must deal with outlets and power strips.

Often our power outlets are in inconvenient locations. Especially when you have a computer desk and it covers the outlet in your wall. This will definitely make your day when it comes to charging those little electronics we all wander around with, but it could be beefed up and used in your shop and garage for large 20amp outlets, both 120v and 240v.

Step 1: What You Need

You need stuff.*

* Wood
* A power outlet and cover that matches it
* An outlet electrical box
* A wire clamp for that box
* Either a replacement cord for tools or a power cord for a computer or printer that you have lying around

Tools and things.

* A saw of some variety
* Screw driver
* Knife or wire stripper
* Paint, if desired
* A drill and bits
* Wood filler
* Glue
* Finish nails or decorative screws
* Electrical tester
* Sander

If you had a 3D printer, then you'd need much less stuff. Design and print your box and tada. Put a wire and outlet in it and you're off and running. You could even print the outlet cover and maybe even the screw to hold it on. Or just make it snap on to the box. And you'd likely not even have to paint it.

Comments

[essalyn]

This is an amazing project. I like it a lot better than power strips. Do you have the dimensions of the wood? I dont have a lot of wood working tools and would have to get it cut at the lumber yard.

[dlewisa]

I didn't keep a record of the dimensions. I didn't really measure actually. If you make one of these the wood dimensions will be based on the size of the electric box you choose. They will all be similar, but they all will vary a few fractions of an inch here and there. If you have $15 to $25 you can buy a japanese style hand saw that would do all of the cutting you need. They also may be called fine toothed saws or finish saws.

[Maggew]

Marvelous share!

[jimbarbera]

With 2 and 3 gang boxes and Decora faceplates, there are a great number of options:
Tabletop dimmer box.
Wind up timer for soldering irons.
Combo setup with three outlets and 2 USB ports.
Motion sensor light & peripheral controller.
For controlling lights, you can run a zip cord (or several) out the back alongside the main power cord.  Terminate with two prong receptacles into which you plug your lamps.

Putting some grippy feet on the bottom is key to keeping it from scooting around and marring your desktop.

[dlewisa]

yeah, I'd thought about different switches and things in it. I couldn't think of a reason for me to have a dimmer or power switch for anything at the moment, so I just made power. The timer switch might be a good idea though. It could keep people from spending too much time on their computer. Heh heh.

[Lethrwolf]

Nice work.
They have different colors of face plates for outlets, and you can also find decorative plates at most home/building supply outlets. You can always hand paint or texture to enhance the stain or paint you used on the cover.

[dlewisa]

Very true. I'd considered one that was white and looked like this
http://images.lowes.com/product/converted/654880/654880013676.jpg.

[pmil1197]

do you think you could use an old extension cord??

[dlewisa]

Yes, but . . . you'd want it to have the three prong plug on the end of it and you'd want to know the gauge of the wire inside it. The one I used was 16gauge and stated that it was suitable for 13 amps.

[penrodja]

Brilliant! Simply Brilliant!

[mattglas]

Wouldn't this overload the original socket and be a fire hazard?

[dlewisa]

Only if your wall outlet looks like the mess you see in A Christmas Story or Christmas Vacation. As long as you're not trying to run a shop vac or power saw out of the desktop outlet as well as running a table saw out of the wall outlet you'll be fine. Little devices like phones and gizmos don't take that much power.

I guess it would also depend on how much you have loaded on the circuit breaker for the room as well, but again, as long as you're not trying to run 8 televisions you're okay.

[Lowriderpr]

Fantastico,very nice job :)

[rsmaudsley]

I did something similar to this many years ago when I was a computer consultant. My client was a lawyer and an absolute minimalist, almost to the point of being an illness.

Any ways, I built an electrical outlet in to the top of his desk using a recessed outlet with spring covers that closed over the sockets when not used.

He would plug his laptop in to it, but when clients came over, he'd put his laptop in the drawer and put a potted plant over the socket so you couldn't see there was anything there.

So why the spring closing doors over the socket, if he's just going to put the potted plant over it, because the potted plant when home with him at night because he only had the one plant. Why have two plants when you can never be in two places at the same time was his thought...like I said, almost an illness.

[dlewisa]

Wow. That's . . . wow.

I thought about those pop up outlets, but I didn't want to put holes in my counter top. The desk top actually is a laminate counter and I had them give a finished edge to both sides of it in case I scratched up the side nearest to me. Someday I could just turn it around and have a new surface and the rest would be covered by monitors and stuff.

[gudenuf]

Why not simply use a power strip - (the multi socket connector that you can buy for a few bucks?)

[cupojoe999]

Power strips are cool, and I use them all the time when they can be hidden away. Most power strips unfortunately look ugly to me, and I don't want them all over the place. I could see myself putting these all around the house when I need an extra outlet or two. The best part about these is I can make the case blend into what ever its next to. May not be the quickest solution but its a lot more fun than buying a power strip. :)

[dlewisa]

Absolutely. You can make one of these to match any kind of table and any kind of color scheme in a room.

[Spokehedz]

We know that products similar to this exist. Sometimes you want to MAKE something to call it your own. It doesn't help anyone to point out that a similar product exists and can be ready made.

[dlewisa]

You are awesome. Boromir is the sum of all wisdom.

[Madrigorne]

I also heart Boromir.

[shannonlove]

Form factor can be very important.

Power strips are long and wobbly. Worse, overtime their cords twist and start flipping the strip around if it is not anchored. Not a particularly good designs in general and really not suited for a desktop.

You might simply want a two outlet and two outlet power strips are rare to non-existant. 

[dlewisa]

Where's the fun in that?

[gudenuf]

Very true - and compliments on a very well presented instructable!. I think somebody else commented that it might be useful to add a USB socket, so that it is universal.

[TyrleY]

it is beautiful. brilliant idea, and done very aesthetically pleasing / elegant

[throbscottle]

Neat project. From the cover photo I actually thought you'd re-purposed a PC speaker case for this. I like your way better :)

[onemoroni1]

Great idea and instructable.

[beingobserver]

brilliant idea and execution.. congrats

[alanemartin]

This is a very well-written Instructable. Great job. I think it's very helpful when authors mention alternatives to design. After all, these are not supposed to be "here's the one correct way to do x," but rather show what's possible and give ideas.

If someone were to decide on staining instead of painting, they could make the back cover smaller to fit inside instead of butting up against the box. That way less end grain would show. Might be nice to make one with dovetails.

[ggardner7]

That's awesome I got some power cords dog eat the end off of and this is the perfect project thanx

[qkidd]

Great idea. A couple of alternatives I can think of would be to use one of the outlets with USB charging ports. Or scale it up with a two gang outlet box.

[BeoWulfe]

Oooh!! You can make these even more awesome by using the new USB power outlets! That way you can also charge your USB stuff without having to use up a socket. Just Google them. I've seen them going for as high as $40 to as little as <$10. Great work!

[dlewisa]

I've seen those too. I didn't think of it as I made this though. Good thinking!

[imark77]

good idea

[epsilon222]

I like how the cover outlet extending into the enclosure edges simulates a thinner box.

[Sunbringer]

Very nice idea!. Thanks.

[imark77]

In case anybody runs into "blue, brown, green-yellow".
yet another color-coded standard used in other parts of the world and some computer power cords.

it couldn't be simpler.
The brass screw gets the "H/+" black (brown) wire,
the silver screw gets the "N/-" white (blue) wire,
and the green screw gets the "G" green (green-yellow) wire (or in the case of it not being insulated, the bare copper wire).

I know I am going to get flak for using "+" "-" but for beginners it's fairly easy to understand coming from the DC World.

Wiring Color Codes ( !! could potentially be over the head !! )
http://www.allaboutcircuits.com/vol_5/chpt_2/2.html

I guess I'm willing to take electrical questions if need be.


P.S. I definitely recommend checking your outlet, on your wall. "prior" to testing the newfangled creation. it will save a lot of time and headaches, believe me I've done it multiple times……………………

[stereosmiles]

I reckon if you managed to cover the front in complementary woodesque sticky wrap, the steampunks would be WELL jealous of this, especially in a hundred years' time when it's considered "Elizabethan". Well written by the way :)

[schumi23]

I think this might inspire me...
I would add another double outlet behind... and a big red button... You have to have a big red button... the one Awkward Engineer made could work...
http://www.thinkgeek.com/product/ed72/
Have that... Make it a rectangular top...
Red LEDs inside...
Have it sustain it self nuclearily... Make it explode if turned the wrong way...

So many ideas!..
Have water being elecrosyised in it onstantly, having it output into a baloon... o completly sealed... JIC there is ever a spark inside...
Hmm...

NOTE: Do not implement most of the ideas on this list. Danger!

[dlewisa]

That was something I'd thought of. There are plenty of copper and brass plates out there. Buy one and force some aging on it and the box could have been wrapped with copper flashing. Throw some rivets into it.