Power Tools & Equipment In order to efficiently build a dovetail log cabin, it is necessary to utilize diesel equipment to lift and carry logs, trucks to transport materials, gas generators to make the necessary electricity to run power tools, and power tools such as saws, drills, and routers, to cut and shape the wood. Generators On most construction sites, it is common to see either a big generator powering the job  site, multiple smaller generators powering the job site, or just one single smaller generator producing the needed power to run the job site. When I say smaller or bigger generators, I am not talking about physical size, but am instead talking about the power output in terms of watts. For example, portable Honda generators come in sizes such as 2000i,  3000i, 5000, 7500i... where the number indicates the number of watts the generator produces. Also, for Honda generators, the "i" after the watt output indicates that the generator is equipped with a sine wave converter. The sine wave converter works by converting the Direct current that the generator is producing into clean alternating current that most power tools require. According to electricgeneratordopot.com The sine wave converter stands apart from other converters on portable generators, because the power it produces comes in a very clean sine wave instead of an otherwise rough sine wave. It is important to have the clean sine wave when charging sensitive equipment such as cell phones and computers in order to keep them from crashing. Power tools however, are not as sensitive, and do not require as clean of electricity. Trucks and Equipment Trucks and power equipment work similar to generators, in that they have a petroleum powered engine to run them. Instead of converting the power to electricity, the power is generated to gearboxes and drive-lines to provide power for the wheels to turn, or it is used to run hydraulic pumps which in turn run hydraulic rams which are used for such things as lifting logs or moving materials around the jobsite. Efficiency The gasoline powered engine that runs most portable generators is sadly not very efficient. In order for the engine to run, there is lots of wasted energy which usually comes in a couple of different forms. Exhaust is the most notable and visible form of wasted energy. Exhaust is simply unburned, or partially burned fuel that was not able to fully combust. Heat requires temperature to increase, so when a generator gets hot from running a long time, or when the exhaust is hot, we can conclude that the generator had to work to produce power that was transformed into heat energy. It can be observed that most generators are quite loud when they are running. That is because sound is also a form of wasted energy that the generator has to work to produce. In order to determine the amount of work an engine will output, physicists use a formula that states that the coefficient of performance is equal to the work outputted divided by the work inputted. So if an engine outputs 1000 watts, and has a coefficient of performance of .5 it would have to have an input of 2000 watts. P = RI^2 Power Tools Most power tools that are used to build a dovetail log cabin utilize an electric motor which requires power from the generator to power them. The power necessary to run the electric motor can be found using the equation P = RI^2 where P = power, R = resistance, and I = amperage (Physics for scientists and engineers P. 913). The electric motor acts like a big resistor, and amperage is usually given, or can be easily obtained with a multimeter. So if the values of amperage and resistance are known the power output can be determined by solving the simple equation. Knowing the power needed to run a given tool can be important for deciding what size generator to purchase, or how much it will cost per kilowatt hour to run the tool off of city power for a given amount of time.       Photo courtesy of the author. The above photos show some different types of power equipment and power tools that would be commonly found at a house building site. The first photo shows an electric router which is being powered by a 2000i Honda generator in order to provide a rounded corner on the dove tailed log. There is also a gasoline powered chainsaw in the picture that is used to cut the dove tail in the log. The second photo shows the same Honda 2000i generator powering a circular saw to cut a form board down to the proper length. Also in the picture is a skid-steer, which is utilizing a diesel engine to power hydraulics to lift and carry form boards to the sawyer. The last picture shows the same skid-steer with a man-basket on the forks for lifting tools and people up to where construction is taking place. Home Sweet Home Next Page Previous Page