Containment choice for small commercial units.

Knobhead · Jun 25, 2011

The wife would take the p*ss out of me when we were out shopping and I’d go in the Boots to get a couple of jars of black nail polish. You would never see any nicks or scratches on my black japanned conduit.

I was told by the works storekeeper that our foreman had been to pick up some supplies for me. He’d opened a box of 20mm couplings and found they were galvanised, he chucked them away and ordered more black couplings. He was scared to bring them to me as he knew I would go wappy!

mogga · Jun 25, 2011

when doing trunking/conduit do you fit lockrings on couplings or not? do you fit serated washers or not? its normal practice in scotland to fit lockrings but not by english firms WHY?

malcolmsanford · Jun 25, 2011

When you fit a running nipple as I seem to call it or a running coupling I was taught to also fit a ring nut to lock it of, never a lock nut as they are hexagonal, a ring nut.

I only use serated or anti. vibration washers on earthing banjos and such, never to lock of a bush or ring/lock nut

Knobhead · Jun 25, 2011

malcolmsanford said:
When you fit a running nipple as I seem to call it or a running coupling I was taught to also fit a ring nut to lock it of, never a lock nut as they are hexagonal, a ring nut.

That is the way I was taught to do it, who wants an ugly locknut spoiling a smooth run! In desperation I’ve even resorted to grinding a locknut round.

PS the exposed thread would then get a dose of the nail polish

malcolmsanford · Jun 25, 2011

Tony said:
The way I was taught to do it, who wants an ugly locknut spoiling a smooth run!

PS the exposed thread would then get a dose of the nail polish

I'm begining to worry about you and your nail polish old mate.

The only reason I put the ring nut down, was years ago on a prestigious site a whole installation was fitted with lock nuts where running couplers were used, it was lovely to see the conduit pushed of the wall as in some places they could not be chewed to even make sure a flat edge was against a wall.

Knobhead · Jun 25, 2011

malcolmsanford said:
I'm begining to worry about you and your nail polish old mate.

All the conduit work I’ve done was in plants built in the 1930’s, I was taking out old Reyrolle HH switchgear and replacing it with GE MiniForm. I wasn’t having my work criticised by the old guys, it became a matter of pride. I even had to learn to do paper lead cables as some of the new gear used the old cables.

somersetsparks · Jun 25, 2011

mogga said:
when doing trunking/conduit do you fit lockrings on couplings or not? do you fit serated washers or not? its normal practice in scotland to fit lockrings but not by english firms WHY?

On our firm lockrings behind bushes has always been standard mate, as spinlondon pointed out bushes are pretty feeble and have no surface area, if you fit them without a lockring you can sometimes see light through the joint, especially on knockouts.
Well I always do it and im glad to hear others do as well!