Building control panels, pricing.....

[petersonra]

Thanks, The specs requre the TEW, which I assume is Tinned, and didnt know if the machine wire is the same or not...for me it probably better say right on the wire TEW UL #1015

I did find a website that sold 100ft rolls for $43 a pop...havent figured up footage that I need yet...

I think most MTW is also AWM, as well as TEW. Just ask at your local distributor.

mtw - machine tool wire
tew - thermoplastic equipment wire
awm - appliance wiring material

In any case, its not necessarily tinned, although you can get it that way.

 

[Mule]

I think most MTW is also AWM, as well as TEW. Just ask at your local distributor.

mtw - machine tool wire
tew - thermoplastic equipment wire
awm - appliance wiring material

In any case, its not necessarily tinned, although you can get it that way.

Thanks thats good info.....the specs say specificaly UL 101 Tinned TEW, as well as Stainless Steel screws and other items, and the client says stick to it....Im boarderline letting this thing go. I would enjoy the job as its art'full work which I like.

I fund my overhead with material mark up and market up on my helper, in a attempt to keep my journeyman wages 100% in my pocket. Neither which will be involved on this job ( a small amount of consumable material, maybe 200-$400 if that). Can't fund my overhead cost working for those wages, then I have to make it up some other way...

The client has other folks who do his work all the time, but just happen to remember that I would be interested and ask me......the bulk of his work is UL shop required which is a downer for me. Maybe he thought I might be slow and would do it for less....dunt know, basically he's a good guy and just called, but told me I'd have to be competitive...

 

[jim dungar]

When wiring control panels as a hobby.
For budgeting 'one off' control panels, I have found that it takes about 10 minutes per wire or 5 minutes per screw. You say you are only building the back panel, so you will not have to deal with door layouts, but I would still guess at about 8 man/hours to layout, drill and install a 96" x 78" one.

 

[Mule]

When wiring control panels as a hobby.
For budgeting 'one off' control panels, I have found that it takes about 10 minutes per wire or 5 minutes per screw. You say you are only building the back panel, so you will not have to deal with door layouts, but I would still guess at about 8 man/hours to layout, drill and install a 96" x 78" one.

And I was in error about the size....its 60 Something by 78, but anyway, I figured a week at $50/hr (actually think I could do it comfortably in 30hr) and the incidental materials around $200-400.....screws, wire, din rail, panduit, shrink markers, and phenolic plates (which I'd have to farm out) Everything else is furnished.....Mostly 24vdc I/O and 4wire RTD's....back plane real estate is pretty congested, but alot of room for growth point wise....not that bad...