Diy Sets Up His Own Company

[Cubit]

Back in the day when you jointed the wires by soldering did you just use a lighter Angus?

Chris,

We know where you live.

[Truss and France]

I know this is slightly of the topic but we was working in an office block in London the other day and someone had run a 2.5mm T&E under the carpet neatly around the gripper and up to a socket, thought I had seen it all.

Kev

[arfur mo]

which is why I posted at the start - dont want any of my customers to read this and demand a free rewire because of all the "dangerous .."

wiring

don't worry Angus,

you was trained by your dad to do them properly

i must have missed one here, i i'd not see any signs of 'combat' developing, my post was to enlighten and show a bit of alarm history (unlike the regs i helpd write a lot of it LOL).

not wanting a fight many cmpanies had different policies on t5his method, and it don't matter now as regs prevent them.

might seem strange at first, but where i worked for we never soldered finger joints unless it was to extend a 'through run' and in a very difficult to get back to place. back when these were 'regulation' joints. the pocket if done right, was virtually airtight and near damp proof (more so than modern platic j/b'), doubling over the end coupled with tight twisted wires under the staples pressure made for an excellent reliable and cheap method of connection (nobody was ever short of a j/b in those days) , which could also be undone for later fault tracing, and recovered without shortening the wires so keeping the appearance neat and professional.

soldering made life far more difficult and slower for service engineers, which wastes expensive resoiurces, ever tried to un wrap soldered twisted wires? then have a go @ 4am in a freezing warehouse, you can then understand why i'd roundly rollocked anyone who did solder them, it' was rare the actual joints had caused the problem but the detection connected by them like door or pads etc..

i also found where soldering had been done on finger joints, it could accelerate faults, you can't get soler right up to the insulation because the heat shrinks it away, so some nickel is exposed, flux often collects at this point and seems to cause the cable to corrod quicker if it gets damp.

last but not least - don't let me catch anyone using tape joints anywhere - even you diy'ers out there, over time it un-winds, as the adhesive go's off, and gooey after a year or so, sooner in warm locations like boiler cupboards, glue can even cause h/r connections thats if it don't fall off inside the floor board j/b hole, so always best use some sleeve or better heat shrink if you really have to make this type of running joint.

now just rememberer now - i'm watching you lot! .

the above might help those who need to make temporary connections, like after a break in for emergency protection or on building sites for temp alarm modifications - just hope it was interesting.

regs

alan

I wonder, can you still buy flat cable?

It was usually four core and the conductors were laid side by side (like bell wire), it was usually brown and was mainly used for pressure mats.

It was great until you tried to go around corners!

blimey now where talking

i think exclusive to chubbs, came in brown and beige, i cut my teethe using it on Burgots. had to be pinned the middle with 'gimp pins' .

corners were achieved by running cable to it and then pin 3/8" fron turn, for outside corner you pinched the cable in your fingers on the upper section, and gently stretched the lower section around the skirting or frame. and pop another pin again about 3/8" from the corner.

if on a flat surface like a floor, same ideabut you pinched theinner section to a pyramid to mase the right angle.

had to be said done right it was very neat in appearance when on skitting boards or architrave as looked like a molding, but could be a real pia when cold to work with and strip though. you had to stretch it as when warm it would become lose and buckle.

rarely ever shorted on the pins, which is odd if you think how little room there was to pin it, unles some numpty unused the wrong oins that is.

regs

alan

[Guest anguscanplay]

i must have missed one here, i i'd not see any signs of 'combat' developing,

wasnt you - young Antinode needed a trip round the "alarm installer museum.." LOL

now picture framing windows ? that is an art

[camerabloke]

LOL @Gimp Pins.

Did you have to wear a mask as well?

[lawandorder]

wasnt you - young Antinode needed a trip round the "alarm installer museum.." LOL

now picture framing windows ? that is an art

Yes it was an art and when done well it did look good, it took me years to get the hang of it.

Trying to put foil on damp glass was a PITA though, I used to carry a hair dryer in my van for such occasions.

Don't even get me started about continuous wiring and tube/batten!

[hpotter]

Yes it was an art and when done well it did look good, it took me years to get the hang of it.

Trying to put foil on damp glass was a PITA though, I used to carry a hair dryer in my van for such occasions.

Don't even get me started about continuous wiring and tube/batten!

Blimey, memory lane.

Castle top foiling on georgian wired glass, esp when the smoothe side on the outside!

Centre batten where the distances between tube holes were slightly different to the end batten.

Listening for bell and buzzer on cc wiring loops when nailing up the harboard (always forgot the dogtooth).

Bag of 2p & 10p and your on call just as you realise the fire door don't shut properly since you refitted crash bar.

Flat cable, not just chubb - Reliance part of GEC (along with GENT & AEI). 2 pair, red black - white orange

M & W 8 tracks, rubber band in kit for servicing.

All day drilling on a safe limpet.

We all do local bells here, anyone worked on remote bells, what about end of line batteries.

Picture framing a newsagents. 1st job clear the area just as the school kids are piling in. 2nd job scrape off all the cigarette advertising surrounding the windows.

Happy days

[arfur mo]

LOL @Gimp Pins.

Did you have to wear a mask as well?

lol no.

they were just always called 'gimp pins' but absolutely no idea why. thought when first told to get them from the stores it was the old 'bubble for the spirit level' jape' on the new boy, so took back a wooden leg which turned out to be someones spare, hanging about the office - boy did i get told off and nearly sacked for messing around, but the senior supervisor did have a sense of humour which just saved my beacon when i explained.

earned me the nick name of 'notchy'

regs

alan

[arfur mo]

wasnt you - young Antinode needed a trip round the "alarm installer museum.." LOL

now picture framing windows ? that is an art

trickiest job i did was 3 off 5 sided sky lights in an art gallery, ended up having to make all the battens my self as no way standard ones were any good, and would have loked real naff if i'd just placed square ones underneath.

just took ages but was real proud of the result, 4 weeks later place burned to the gound due to a faulty heater setting light to all the restoration chemicals don't even know if the campny ever got paid.

regs

alan

[Chorlton]

just took ages but was real proud of the result, 4 weeks later place burned to the gound due to a faulty heater setting light to all the restoration chemicals don't even know if the campny ever got paid.

regs

alan

They didn't Arfur that's why it burned down.

I have a similar late payment process

C.