Under cabinet lighting and plugs

[Boolit_Head]

I am building a new bench in my garage with some cabinet bases and 1 1/2 inch top. Since it is about 8 foot long I am going to build a upper cabinet above it that makes use of all the upper space. There is no power close to the bench and I can drop some in some romex from the top in the wall so I am thinking of putting some under cabinet plugs and lighting. Been looking around for some but mostly finding stuff that plugs into a wall outlet. Looking for info and ideas on how to wire up something like this and how I may have to build the bottom of the cabinet to fit it..

[Pipefitter]

Look for surface mount wiring supplies.

[OS OK]

Check out the fixtures you want to use...LED seems the best choice these days, low to no heat.
Some of these fixtures are designed to daisy chain together with supplied pigtails with specialty small plugs and sockets built into the fixtures themselves after bringing in the hard wire circuit/switch leg to the first one.

Start by picking and buying your fixtures first.

Since you are making your own cabinets, you can use a front trim on the front/bottom that's a little wider than normal to hide the surface mounted fixtures.

EDIT: Check this page to see pictures of what's available... https://images.search.yahoo.com/search/images;_ylt=AwrSbnfy7QFaoikASwRXNyoA;_ylu=X3oDMTE0 b29oMmkxBGNvbG8DZ3ExBHBvcwMxBHZ0aWQDQjQ0ODJfMQRzZW MDcGl2cw--?p=under+cabinet+LED+lighting&fr2=piv-web&fr=aaplw

[44magLeo]

If you are running new wire as you mention I would advise that you run it from the circuit breaker box with it's own breaker, maybe two breakers, one for lighting the other for outlets. The lighting can be a 15 amp breaker the outlets a 20. Wire that can handle the current.
You can never have enough outlets. You might want to have a few dedicated to heavy use. Like lead pots and small ovens. The rest can be for lesser things.
Leo

[Boolit_Head]

I wish I could run it's own breaker. Fuse box is at the back of the house and a very long run. I put a second box above the garage in a second floor attic since I wanted a 220 circuit and a always on 110 for the garage door opener. Got quoted a grand just to run a line from the main box to the additional box. That project died right there.

For this I will have to tap in to a existing lightly loaded circuit.

[lightman]

You might look at the opposite side of the wall that you plan to use. There may be a receptacle there that you can come from. Its not as good as a dedicated circuit but should carry a light and an electronic scale. This requires some experience but its possible.

[Boolit_Head]

It's an exterior wall so nothing on the opposite side. In the attic above there is access to the back side of the second floor bedrooms so I'll have to pull a line from there.

Looks like this is going to be a while anyway, the yard guy just shattered the back door window.

[Ballistics in Scotland]

Check out the fixtures you want to use...LED seems the best choice these days, low to no heat.
Some of these fixtures are designed to daisy chain together with supplied pigtails with specialty small plugs and sockets built into the fixtures themselves after bringing in the hard wire circuit/switch leg to the first one.

Start by picking and buying your fixtures first.

Since you are making your own cabinets, you can use a front trim on the front/bottom that's a little wider than normal to hide the surface mounted fixtures.

EDIT: Check this page to see pictures of what's available... https://images.search.yahoo.com/search/images;_ylt=AwrSbnfy7QFaoikASwRXNyoA;_ylu=X3oDMTE0 b29oMmkxBGNvbG8DZ3ExBHBvcwMxBHZ0aWQDQjQ0ODJfMQRzZW MDcGl2cw--?p=under+cabinet+LED+lighting&fr2=piv-web&fr=aaplw


These are hard to beat where they have to be inconspicuous. I have them inside my gun cabinets. The tubes are about 5/8in. diameter. But they need to be chosen with care. Bear in mind that type numbers probably aren't the same in Europe. But what I use are T5, which are in plentiful supply. The firsr I came across, though, had been fitted in my kitchen by a previous occupant, and although they were very similar, the length of tube I needed was unavailable anywhere. The connectors were incompatible with T5, too, and there can't have been much functional reason for this, as a solder and heat-shrink joined cable has worked for years now. So I would recommend searching eBay to find out what looks like being in continuous supply.

The T5 I use now come with about a six-foot cable with a mains plug on one end and a connector to the light on the other. Each one also comes with about a two-foot cable to connect it to the next light in line. These can be bought in different lengths.There is generally a rocker in each unit, although most people control them all from one remote switch.

[LaPoint]

I just put in under cabinet LED flexible strip lighting under the upper cabinets in our kitchen. The flexible strips have an adhesive (peel & stick) backing so they are easy to apply. They do require a transformer. I plugged the transformer into the outlet under the sink and ran light gauge (22 ga. I think) behind the sheet rock to the under side of the cabinets. They are dimmable. They provide plenty of light and you can simply cut them to length with a scissors. I bought them at the big box store.

[Mr_Sheesh]

My plan is to use the non waterproof LED warm white tapes, running a 12 AWG wire alongside the lights and tapping in every foot or so to feed the lights, and do it off 12V power (so I'll use a chassis-type power supply to run it.) Probably will put it on an Aluminum channel per usual (which acts as a heat sink, far more than needed really.) Liquid Electrical Tape or heat shrink to keep things from shorting. (I am an electronics type so this's all "Do while half asleep" stuff for me.)

Blue light (as in cool white LEDs) WILL mess up your sleep cycles, so I don't use much of it; They recently found a light sensor near the bottom of our eyes that detects blue light, it seems to help reset our Circadian Clocks (Sleep rhythm) - If you have insomnia, the last thing you want to do is look at more blue lighting.

LEDs are great lights, it's amazing how much they've improved since they first came out! From dim little things to "Do not look at LED with remaining eye" things, you can start fires with some of the LED flashlights they sell, now!