Tel's Training Tips - Education Tels Way

[telectrix]

This month's Tel's Tip.

Ever been about to fit some pvc conduit and found you've not got your bending spring?????

Panic not.

Cuts 4 pieces of 10mm GN/Y singles to be long enough to go past where you want the bend. insert into tube , warm tube with hair dryer or friction, bend over knee or whatever method you prefer. remove bits of cable. Job done. ( this is for 20mm tube. work it out yourself for 25mm ).

 

[freddo]

Cool, as a bonus you get to take the short lengths of cable to the scrap man after!

 

[Rpa07]

tels tip number 2 - always carry your bending spring in the van with your conduit! Just saying - don't shoot the messenger!

 

[telectrix]

Cool, as a bonus you get to take the short lengths of cable to the scrap man after!

nope. you keep them in the van for the next tube job.

 

[telectrix]

here's one i did eearlier.......

 

[westward10]

Not impressed an elbow and a bend, having an off day??
Can't remember when I last used an elbow.

 

[Rpa07]

Why did it need a bend, could the vertical not have been shortened for a 90?
Not questioning your experience Tel, you've got 65 years experience on me!

 

[freddo]

Glad it wasn't only me that thought that! Inspection elbows and bends are gross!

 

[telectrix]

nope.due to where existing cable exited the house wall, vertical tube was too close to corner to make a 90 bend,

 

[westward10]

I have said before no matter who you are your pics will not be criticised.

 

[westward10]

Aah the excuses flow

 

[Rpa07]

nope.due to where existing cable exited the house wall, vertical tube was too close to corner to make a 90 bend,

I get it, I thought that bend was going down but it's angle in. Many apologies.

 

[telectrix]

the vertical tube is literally only 2" from the corner. the bend is totally horizontal, just a kick out from the wall.

 

[westward10]

Two inches I am sensing a Spec Savers advert coming on here

 

[freddo]

Just bend everything!! (ignore my unfinished hall walls)

 

[telectrix]

2" where the elbow is next that big blob of cement. more like 3" further up.and it's the brickwork that's out, not the tube

 

[westward10]

Only having a jest Tel, must admit I was never great with steel tube but I got by but with plastic I can loop the loop with no manufactured bends.

 

[Rpa07]

Sorry I can't ignore the walls - I'm not going to be able to sleep! This should be on 'dodgy trade pics'!

Just bend everything!! (ignore my unfinished hall walls)
View attachment 36998

 

[freddo]

Lol, I pulled the wallpaper off weeks ago and that is as far as I got.

 

[PEG]

...logged in to Viz online...my bad...

 

[telectrix]

Just bend everything!! (ignore my unfinished hall walls)
View attachment 36998

what happened to the tube clips?

 

[Rpa07]

what happened to the tube clips?

He omitted for the purpose of the photograph! much like me taking my glasses off on all photos - glasses go out of style, so might saddles!

 

[freddo]

what happened to the tube clips?

I don't think my neighbours would appreciate me drilling at 11PM!

 

[LankyWill]

Rough Baster****, the ingenuity of scousers ey, i bet you and Pete could compile a list of tips for us young guns.

 

[Dave OCD]

Tel, that 10mm earth running adjacent to the conduit looks a bit rough.

 

[telectrix]

unfinished. as the existing 10mm was in the way, i unclipped it. after the pic was taken, 10mm was re-clipped and cable tied to the tube. well spotted though.

 

[westward10]

Cable tied to the tube!!

 

[HandySparks]

Cable tied to the tube!!

Ha ha. When I read it, I thought that would incense someone.

 

[westward10]

One of my bug bears people cable tying cables to existing conduits and swa cables.

 

[davesparks]

One of my bug bears people cable tying cables to existing conduits and swa cables.

You're not the only one! A bonding conductor running alongside a submain I can almost tolerate, but other than that I can't stand it.

Another related pet peeve is two P clips fixed with one screw, it winds me right up!

 

[telectrix]

point noted. i'm back today to finish testing so will cut off the cable tie ( there's only one, just above the elbow) .and bang a clip clip on the 10mm.

 

[Rpa07]

Well I think we've ruined Tels love of photography and the posting of his snaps! Never again eh Tel?

 

[westward10]

Pics always welcome, criticism always kept to a minimum

 

[telectrix]

Well I think we've ruined Tels love of photography and the posting of his snaps! Never again eh Tel?

water off a scouser's back. mate.

 

[Dave OCD]

Now that Tel has posted a handy tip and also endured a fair bit of criticism why don't we all think of a tip to help our fellow Sparks' ?

 

[ruston]

Ok , an obvious one cos my mind has gone blank.-when you can't see in the awkward space , use the fone camera. Also the voice recorder has a multitude of uses .

 

[freddo]

If you are taping things on in a temporary way such as to a draw wire, fold the end of the tape over so it can be quickly unwound. Would always get complained at if I forgot to do that when I was little!

 

[Dave OCD]

I do that all the time, saves a lot of faffing about !

 

[telectrix]

another tip. never post a pic of your work on here unless it's 100% spot on.

 

[Wilko]

another tip. never post a pic of your work on here unless it's 100% spot on.

Like piranhas in a feeding frenzy some of this lot

 

[Dave OCD]

I'm sure you all do this anyway but if fitting a shower pull switch [other than Crabtree] keep your cable inner cores as short as you can certainly shorter than the depth of the mounting box then when connected ease the cables back up into the void above and the switch will go up to the box without having to wrestle with it, especially relevant with 10mm cable.

 

[David M]

I'm sure you all do this anyway but if fitting a shower pull switch [other than Crabtree] keep your cable inner cores as short as you can certainly shorter than the depth of the mounting box then when connected ease the cables back up into the void above and the switch will go up to the box without having to wrestle with it, especially relevant with 10mm cable.

I tried explaining this to one of my apprentice lads. He just didn't get it at all, after half a dozen attempts he gave up and threw a tantrum. I just calmly took over the job and finished it right in front of him in less than a couple of minutes. He calmed down and had his tail between his legs for the rest of the day.

 

[David M]

So based on this post my tip is ;- keep things as simple as possible, a minutes thought can save a hours labour.

 

[Dave OCD]

Spot on David, I often say that to my apprentice [and son] , of course being nearly 18 he knows everything but we get there in the end.

 

[David M]

I'm sure you all do this anyway but if fitting a shower pull switch [other than Crabtree] keep your cable inner cores as short as you can certainly shorter than the depth of the mounting box then when connected ease the cables back up into the void above and the switch will go up to the box without having to wrestle with it, especially relevant with 10mm cable.

This method, for you trainee's out there, also reduces the strain on the connections you would normally experience when folding cables back into a box. This is highly relevant and important because poorly fitted shower switches are notorious for having loose connections, thus increasing risk of arching, failure or fire.

 

[Dave OCD]

I bet I replace half a dozen every year that have failed and burned out internally.

 

[ruston]

So based on this post my tip is ;- keep things as simple as possible, a minutes thought can save a hours labour.

I learned a lot from my Dad from an early age . One of his sayings was when weighing the job up was " ten minutes thought is worth two hours work". He was right too.

 

[westward10]

Thread reopened at Tels request.

 

[telectrix]

Thread reopened at Tels request.

Broken back box lug? drill 6mm hole in back of box, directly behind broken lug. then 5.5mm masonry bit into brick/block. insert red rawlplug, then get a pin extender with a faceplate 3.5mm pin in it, screw into rawlplug till tight ( sometimes a bit of supergue on the thread may be advantageous) then with pliers on the hex. of the extender, remove 3.5mm pin. ready to fix faceplate and looks better than a thin woodscrew.

edit: and thanks to westie for re-opening this old thread.

 

[Baddegg]

Just to clarify @telectrix....you forgot ya bending spring but took a hairdryer?.....

Ps. Nice tip though it’s stuff like that that can only come from experience