Tuesday, February 14, 2006
Public service message from Make
Here is one side effect of the whole DIY craze (which has been driven by magazines like Make and Ready Made) -- erroneous (and potentially dangerous) instructions. Here is an e-mail I received today from Make:
"The "How to Build a Power Tap" page in MAKE 05, page 112, contains an error that could cause an unsafe wiring situation. Before attempting this project, please read the corrections posted at http://makezine.com/05/quickanddirty.
PLEASE DO NOT BUILD THE POWER TAP AS SHOWN IN THE ILLUSTRATION.
The illustration shows a dual plug receptacle, which, when wired improperly, can cause a short circuit. Do not attach the wires from the extension cord to the screws on the same side of the receptacle, because it will create a short circuit.
Once again, before attempting this project, please read the corrections posted at http://makezine.com/05/quickanddirty.
Additionally, we have corrected the illustration on the digital edition, which you have free access to as a subscriber.
Thank you for your time,
The MAKE Team
editor@makezine.com"
Considering I got my most recent copy of Make a couple of weeks ago, there is a good chance that quite a few people have built one of these. I just hope none of them live next door to me.
Here is one side effect of the whole DIY craze (which has been driven by magazines like Make and Ready Made) -- erroneous (and potentially dangerous) instructions. Here is an e-mail I received today from Make:
"The "How to Build a Power Tap" page in MAKE 05, page 112, contains an error that could cause an unsafe wiring situation. Before attempting this project, please read the corrections posted at http://makezine.com/05/quickanddirty.
PLEASE DO NOT BUILD THE POWER TAP AS SHOWN IN THE ILLUSTRATION.
The illustration shows a dual plug receptacle, which, when wired improperly, can cause a short circuit. Do not attach the wires from the extension cord to the screws on the same side of the receptacle, because it will create a short circuit.
Once again, before attempting this project, please read the corrections posted at http://makezine.com/05/quickanddirty.
Additionally, we have corrected the illustration on the digital edition, which you have free access to as a subscriber.
Thank you for your time,
The MAKE Team
editor@makezine.com"
Considering I got my most recent copy of Make a couple of weeks ago, there is a good chance that quite a few people have built one of these. I just hope none of them live next door to me.
¶ 6:41 PM 
About Shawn Morton
Married father of 4, social media strategist at Nationwide, consumer electronics enthusiast, hair metal aficionado.
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