"Ivan Vegvary" wrote in
:


"Doug White" wrote in message
. ..
OK, I have now established proper metal content. The issue is more
of an electrical code issue, and I'm hoping the wealth of knowledge
of the usual suspects can help me out.

My basement shop needs more outlets. I had a nice new breaker panel
installed a few years back, and it's time to add an outlet so I can
run my mill without first unplugging the lathe.

The basement is finished, and has a "half wall" of wooden tongue &
groove boards that ends about 10" below the bottom of the breaker
panel box.

Doug, previous answers suggest that you can run romex in the open when
not in danger of being harmed.
I have a similar situation. Running from a panel up, on the surface
of the wall until I am inside the ceiling. I simply ran the wire up
the surface of the wall and covered it with "box" consisting of 1"x2"
lumber on either side covered with a small piece of 1/2" plywood.
Inspector had no problem. The wire was protected.

Thanks to the wonderful work of the electrician who installed it, the
breaker box is mounted about an inch & a half off the wall. I just spent
a couple evenings securing it better.

If I do as you suggest, I could run the cable down the wall OK, the bit
that would be fuggly is the bend where it comes out the bottom of the box
and heads for the wall. They make nice right angle clamp connectors for
BX & the like, but they don't seem to have them for NMSC.

I would love to be able to come out the back of the box, but it's mounted
on a sheet of 1/2" plywood, and I'd have to take it down completely to
bore holes through the wood big enough to clear the usual metal Romex
clamps. I might be able to pop in one of the plastic clamps that install
from inside, which would be very tidy. Then it would be a straight shot
down the wall, and I could cover it with wiremold.

More things to ponder/investigate.

Doug White