what are your tricks of the trade

[robbalaar86]

Hi guys

Just a bored sparks with very little on this evening.

Might be a boring or repeated thread if so I apologise in advance.

If anyone was to ask you what is your best trick of the trade what would it be?

Simple, complicated, down right odd, anything that gets you out of a hole or just a general trick to speed things up.

(I know I am going to get some sarcastic responses here haha)

Thoughts?

 

[Silly Sausage]

You did ask...

Going on an internet forum to find out the answer to a problem.
Why waste 30 seconds of brain usage which would reveal the answer.

 

[robbalaar86]

Haha I hear ya.

Although I've been guilty of it myself sometimes asking silly questions.

 

[i=p/u]

Phone or email your materials through instead of working it out in your head at counter and holding everyone back at 8am to 9am

 

[Dizzy_Maskell]

A great trick is get an electrician in of it looks like a gruler of a job "get a man in"

 

[Tiny Spark]

Well ile start off a serious one heh.

I use my thumb nail to mark the length and stripping distance of wires when doing a plugtop.
This makes sure that the lengths of the conductors and the strips are perfect with no faffing about and a nice easy fit.

 

[telectrix]

if you can't get someone else to do it. last resort is do it yersell.

 

[RyanCheetham]

If i have two cables entering a JB in the same position i tape them together with the conductors in line, so blue on top of blue, it makes it easier to do a tidy job

 

[telectrix]

If i have two cables entering a JB in the same position i tape them together with the conductors in line, so blue on top of blue, it makes it easier to do a tidy job

as long as you don't twist the cpc s together and shove both in 1 sleeving, AARRRRGGHHH.

 

[7029 dave]

Could never get on with micc stripping tool (should think there a lot better now) I used my side cutters with ringing tool.

 

[Tiny Spark]

Could never get on with micc stripping tool (should think there a lot better now) I used my side cutters with ringing tool.

Thats the way I was taught.....
Bloody hated it though LOL

 

[Andy78]

Some screwdriver related ones.

Strip the vde coating from a broken termy to make a handy bradawl, or stabby driver as I call it.
Pushing your pz2 through plasterboard makes an ideally sized starting hole for a cavity fixing.
Magnetise a long flat driver for rescuing screws and things from wherever you dropped them.

 

[robbalaar86]

My one little thing I do is when tightening an accessory I always leave the screw horizontal or vertically. Just so I know if anyone has removed it.

My first boss told me to do it. Not that helpful but something I've stuck with.

 

[Guitarist]

My one little thing I do is when tightening an accessory I always leave the screw horizontal or vertically. Just so I know if anyone has removed it.

My first boss told me to do it. Not that helpful but something I've stuck with.

That's known as "OCD"

 

[Mr Hehound]

When scoring SWA, wrap a bit of tape around the cable to give a nice straight line to hacksaw to.

 

[Tiny Spark]

My one little thing I do is when tightening an accessory I always leave the screw horizontal or vertically. Just so I know if anyone has removed it.

My first boss told me to do it. Not that helpful but something I've stuck with.

I was also taught this, There are several reasons behind it.
1) It looks professional
2) If left vertically and the screw is outside the water runs through it and does not sit on it.
3) Tamper proofing like you say.

Its called a tear drop

 

[robbalaar86]

Haha too right. Bloody ol boys nowadays never sweep up there off cuts frustrates me too.

 

[RyanCheetham]

Some screwdriver related ones.

Strip the vde coating from a broken termy to make a handy bradawl, or stabby driver as I call it.
Pushing your pz2 through plasterboard makes an ideally sized starting hole for a cavity fixing.
Magnetise a long flat driver for rescuing screws and things from wherever you dropped them.

I have a stripped off terminal that i use to remove plasterboard from my holesaws

 

[Octopus]

Phone or email your materials through instead of working it out in your head at counter and holding everyone back at 8am to 9am

Yup, but do this a couple days ahead and then wander in on your way home when they are quiet - no waiting around at all then!

 

[telectrix]

My one little thing I do is when tightening an accessory I always leave the screw horizontal or vertically. Just so I know if anyone has removed it.

My first boss told me to do it. Not that helpful but something I've stuck with.

a better one is to use them screws with a square hole in the head for the driver. very rare over here, but i've heard they use them in ireland.

 

[Thefailsafe2012]

A somewhat long winded trick but never the less could be handy, if ever you come across a cable duct with no draw rope and you haven't got one of those cobra deely's.

Tie a plastic bag on the end of some rope and use the site compressor to huff the bag and rope through the duct!

Of course there has to be a compressor on your job, else you'll rely on the lung power of the old story teller bloke on site to waffle it through the duct

hone:

 

[Dipzy]

My one little thing I do is when tightening an accessory I always leave the screw horizontal or vertically. Just so I know if anyone has removed it.



I thought I was the only one who did this....

 

[gazj82]

Hmm, I will have a go.

When installing a junction box on a cable pulled like a guitar string. Don't cut the cable. Pull your knife through the middle keeping the blade pointed to the cpc. Strip of the outer with your knife, split the cables, knife of the inner at your terminal points. Take the terminals out of the junction box and lie the uncut copper in your terminals and place your spured leg on top. Finish as usual

When second fixing, always leave cables long enough to reach the furthest corner of the box, then all cores will reach when you replace a socket / switch with the terminals in a different configuration from the original (pretty basic stuff this one!)

When I was young a xp'd sparky asked me if I had ever broken a terminal screwdriver, being clever I answered with "no". He replied with "You don't do your terminals up tight enough then!". Will always remember that

Tape on SWA was mentioned above, I usually use a cable tie tho.

 

[robbalaar86]

How many of you strip cable with a knife? Do they still allow it at college? I have always stripped with a knife. I saw a lad the other day with fancy cable strippers and thought how lazy haha.

I'm getting old.

 

[scotsparky]

a better one is to use them screws with a square hole in the head for the driver. very rare over here, but i've heard they use them in ireland.


View attachment 20613

Robinson head screws they are great used a lot in new Zealand

 

[Tiny Spark]

I only strip flex with a Knife.
Everything else i use cutters.

 

[robbalaar86]

I strip twin with a knife. Always have done. If not its cutters for me too. Although stripping a cable as a stupid apprentice I was talking to the plasterer and the cutters slipped and whacked me straight in the eye. Never seen a grown man cry with laughter. It bloody hurt

 

[Guitarist]

Used a stanley knife for all sheathing work for 27 years...Can't see me changing now.

 

[stranded]

When second fixing, always leave cables long enough to reach the furthest corner of the box, then all cores will reach when you replace a socket / switch with the terminals in a different configuration from the original (pretty basic stuff this one!)

You beat me to that one, fire engineer told me that at the panel.

Another, in terms of cable, better to be lookin' at it than to be lookin' for it. Meaning, pull slightly more than you think you will need always.

 

[HandySparks]

When installing a junction box on a cable pulled like a guitar string. Don't cut the cable. Pull your knife through the middle keeping the blade pointed to the cpc. Strip of the outer with your knife, split the cables, knife of the inner at your terminal points. Take the terminals out of the junction box and lie the uncut copper in your terminals and place your spured leg on top. Finish as usual

These rectangular junction boxes from MK are spot on in this situation. The terminals are all in a line across the box and the centre terminal for the cpc is angled slightly to make the cores lie neatly. But how do you sleeve the cpc???

MK 30A 3-Terminal Junction Box 1130RPWHI - Switches & Sockets - Electrical -Tools, Electrical & Plumbing - Wickes

Edit, better pic: http://www.neweysonline.co.uk/mk-el...1mm-30a/1000006673/ProductInformation.raction