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DIY stove tie-in for movie lights

4K views 31 replies 15 participants last post by  Protocol. 
#1 ·
Hi -

I'm building a "stove tie-in" like the ones used on some movie sets.

It's a stove plug that wires into a double 110 receptacle/outlet (4 sockets).

The idea is to get more watts for lights easily when shooting in a house, by unplugging the stove and plugging this temporarily instead.

Models I've seen don't have a breaker as I presume overload risks are carefully monitored by film crew and the odd blown out light bulb isn't a big issue.

- 4 wires jut out of the stove plug: black, red, white and copper-color.
- These go into a double outlet receptacle
- The 2 outlets nested in it each have screws/plates on each side (silver and golden) and a green screw/plate .
- The receptacle has 1 green screw/plate

My questions:
1) Where to tie/screw in place the black, red, white and copper-color wires?
2) Do I have to wire nut/connect these to smaller caliber wires inside the receptacle before tying/screwing them in place on the outlets?

Thanks

Charles
 
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#7 ·
If you read that, it says the cord shall have an attachment plug(cap), okay a premade cord has that, and shall be energized via a receptacle, the cord gets plugged in to a hot receptacle, so we're okay there too.



it does not say a cord shall have attachment plugs on both ends, or you'd never be allowed to use a cord that wasn't removable...
 
#28 ·
I managed the rewiring of a physics research lab when I was an undergrad, and we specified red/green/blue receptacles for the three phases. It was really handy.
 
#26 ·
Hi -

I'm building a "stove tie-in" like the ones used on some movie sets.

It's a stove plug that wires into a double 110 receptacle/outlet (4 sockets).

The idea is to get more watts for lights easily when shooting in a house, by unplugging the stove and plugging this temporarily instead.

Models I've seen don't have a breaker as I presume overload risks are carefully monitored by film crew and the odd blown out light bulb isn't a big issue.

- 4 wires jut out of the stove plug: black, red, white and copper-color.
- These go into a double outlet receptacle
- The 2 outlets nested in it each have screws/plates on each side (silver and golden) and a green screw/plate .
- The receptacle has 1 green screw/plate

My questions:
1) Where to tie/screw in place the black, red, white and copper-color wires?
2) Do I have to wire nut/connect these to smaller caliber wires inside the receptacle before tying/screwing them in place on the outlets?

Thanks

Charles
I understand what you want to do !

But to be safe the stove outlets do need to be 4 wire only.

You need two hots (usually the black and red)
You need a neutral (usually the white)
You need a ground (green or bare wire)

You will need 4 x 20a outlets,
You will also need 4 x 20a breakers (important)
As you cannot run 20a outlets off a 30 or 40a line
without some protection.

The black wire goes to two breakers and then to 2 x outlets.
The red wire goes to the other two breakers then to 2 x outlets.
Neutral and earth goes to all four outlets.

For extra safety consider using GFCI's.

This will work and safely.
But is it up to code ?
Depends on your locality.
 
#2 ·
1), it would only work if the circuit is a 4-wire, not 3-wire, and 2), you would need a panel for breakers, since you can not use a 30 amp circuit, unless the lights are rated for 30 amps, and usually they are 240volt lamps. You never stated if these lamps are 120volt or 240volt.
 
#5 ·
I would use a 8 space square d panel, and build a smallish box with wheels to mount it to, then you can stash all the cords in the box, as at 40 amp they will be heavy

And don't cheap out on the plugs. I'm talking commrercial grade receps, metal covers , and nice "handy boxes"

It may be worthwhile to put in the odd 30 amp 120 v plug just in case someone has a really high power light.

You can buy a stove cord premade from home depot and direct wire it into the sub panel but it would be pretty short and it might be more convenient to build a longer one using portable cord.
 
#15 ·
What I thought of, which may totally be wrong. Would to treat the panel as a stove, backfeed a 40 amp double pole and seperate the ground and whatnot.

Though that would be inconvenient as the box would be right beside the stove. Keep in mind you can get extension cords for stove plugs from your local RV shop.

I suppose you could use generator inlet if you want but I have not seen one in 40 amp
 
#16 ·
One light unit requires 110 to 130 Volts AC 50/60 Hertz; the other unit requires 220 to 240 Volts AC. Both on an earth grounded circuit.

It's funny because in the models I've seen on some movie sets, there's no breaker -- the wiring seems pretty direct, all in a single receptacle.

I've tried to find an example, attached is a picture that looks the closest (although this one seems old).

How do they do this? What are the trade-offs they have to deal with?

Thanks.
 

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#21 · (Edited)
Who was saying that a cord and (male) plug may not be hard wired into a portable subpanel but rather the subpanel requires a male receptacle that accepts an extension cord (perhaps with single female receptacle at one end)?

About the square portable outlet box pictured above with two duplex receptacles fed by a hard wired cord with plug, either it was homemade and not code compliant, or it has a 15 or 20 amp 120 volt plug at the other end. This box is no different from a common "power strip".
 
#24 ·
One reason that this sort of contraption is used on movie sets is because production companies have licensed electricians on hand to manufacture and maintain them. Another is that everyone who is allowed near them has signed the necessary legal paperwork to protect the studio if one of them blows up on a shoot and kills someone.
 
#29 ·
There are no electrical code issues with what the OP proposed. The electric code and building official authority ends with the outlet.

UL, who cares, he is not selling anything.

Liability, OK, you better make it safe. He should be able to run 240V lights from this, no problem. As others have stated, the 120 loads is a bit dicy since there is no neutral.
 
#30 ·
I tend to agree with this. Anything connected with a plug and not permanently installed is not bound by the NEC. However, the proposed device is definitely not safe.
 
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