"Lew Hodgett" wrote in message
...

Lowest cost, highest flexibility as follows:

125A MLO (Main Lug Only) 12/24 (12-1" poles/24;1/2" poles)
Load Center equipped with a 2P-60A Main c'bkr kit, neutral bar,
and insulated ground bar.

The above has enough capacity for almost any shop including
a fairly good sized commercial shop.

Install 2P-30A branch c'bkr for each 240V stationary tool along with
a 2P-30A, non fused disconnect at (within 10ft) the tool.

If you are going to work on a tool, padlock the disconnect switch
in the OFF position with a padlock that has only ONE KEY,
which is in your pocket.

The above is a standard industrial safety practice.

Simple, neat, and low cost.

Lew


Some of what I've learned since I read Lew's post the first time:

Evidentally, a load center is "Main Lug Only" when it doesn't have
it's own main breaker like the primary load center would probably have.

Load Units, such as made by Eator Cutler-Hammer use descriptions such as "12
spaces, 24 circuits".
If I learned part of my lesson yesterday, the only way you'd get 24 circuits
would be to use 1 Hot
and a 1 Common for every circuit. Is it typical for someone put two such
circuits under a single breaker--probably
not in a shop environment, huh? Even "lighting" seem too important to mess
around with.

So you use 2 spaces for a 2P-30A branch For Each 240v stationary tool in the
load center. So with four 240v tools
one is basically left with room for 4 or 8 120v lines. This raises the
question: Which is better--two circuits with 1 outlet each from 1 breaker or
one circuit with 2 outlets on one breaker? I think the former--for the
same reason Lew only wants one 240v tool on each line. This creates a new
question for me: in what sense does a 15A breaker support two different
circuits? Specifically, does
it only support the sum of the amperages of the two circuits?

I try to learn Something New everyday. Today was certainly no exception!
: )
Got to hit the hay for tomorrow's another day!

Bill