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.