I installed an outlet directly above my workbench, and I’ve got a 3-ft., 12-ga. pigtail cord plugged into it. Near the female end I tied a clothesline cord that runs through two pulleys. The other end of the clothesline is tied to a weight (see drawing), which keeps the pigtail just within my reach — about 7 ft. above the floor — and gives me a couple of extra feet of extension cord to use when I need it. The best part of this whole arrangement is that I can work all the way around my bench without having to untangle myself from the power cords when I’m using tools like drills and routers. I also have the overhead outlet on a switch, which lets me turn off the juice easily whenever I need to change bits or blades.
Dale Hopwood, Bakersfield, CA
Edited and Illustrated by Charles Miller
From Fine Homebuilding #25
