I find myself wiring a bunch of wall outlets 12 inches or so from the floor. When I sit on a chair I’m too high off the ground. When I lay on the floor I‘m too old, fat and stiff to get back up easily. So how do pros do it? Sit? Stand? Make the newbie do it?
Old, Fat and Tired Electrical Question
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mike93lx
ALLIANCE MEMBER
Make a younger guy do it
Mechanic's stool or an antique milking stool.
sparky 1971
Well-known member
Even the low mechanics stools are too tall for me, and at 5'11" I'm not a tall person. When I have to wire a bunch, whether rough in or trim out, I use a five gallon bucket. It's not for sitting on, I get down on one knee, it's for trash and to give myself something to push off on so I can get stood back up.
cody1325
Well-known member
I'd recommend finding an old, all-steel milk crate (not those with a plate bottom--but heavy wire like the rest of the crate). Might put a foam kneeling pad on it for comfort.
I've found these allow me to do low work comfortably. I might be young, but knee pain seems to be hereditary problem in my family--so kneeling just doesn't work.
I've found these allow me to do low work comfortably. I might be young, but knee pain seems to be hereditary problem in my family--so kneeling just doesn't work.
Chuckster in NJ
Well-known member
I have basically "hung up my tools" and do very little electrical work nowadays but when I do some "low work" (a few days a month) I get on my knees while wearing heavily padded knee pads………. On the way home I swing by the drug store and buy some Advil and take 3 capsules before I ice my knees while watching TV.
wyliesdiesels
Well-known member
I use a mechanics adjustable pneumatic stool seat with wheels. it can adjust really low and has a tray for holding tools and parts, the wheels make it really easy to go from location to location...
wyliesdiesels
Well-known member
dave*99
Well-known member
That's debatable. Beer=more trips to the bathroom (once you break the seal)thats better than 1 shot (of jack daniels) = 1 recept....
Depends.....
joe_padavano
Well-known member
TRWham
Well-known member
I worked a project on a Carribean island about 30 years ago. This involved wiring a lot of equipment with raceways close to the floor. The local electrician worked while lying on the floor on a piece of corrugated board. He would sleep for 10 minutes, then wire for 10 minutes, then sleep, then wire and alternated like that all day long.
Way to high. Back and neck would be screaming.
If you have a gut, then you're only wiring switches sitting on that.
Every recpt box I've set was and will be, the distance from the floor to my hammer claws. Hold the hammer by it's head, put the end of the handle on the floor, mark the stud with the claws. Use to put that mark at the top of the box, now use the bottom of the box, as it's easier on my knees. Learned to do it that way from an electrician friend who learned it from his Dad.
BTW, that is usually 16" or really close. I don't use my framing hammer for this.
fitter30
Well-known member
Inversion table on wheels. Help can position u. Can remember sitting all day cross legged and stand straight up.
That's fine if every sparky on the job has the hammer and strikes off from the same reference point on it. And then the reference line means top, middle, or bottom on the next day?
mike93lx
ALLIANCE MEMBER
Sounds like if you are working a job with multiple sparkies, you should agree on this before hand, no? How often are you wiring up a house where there would be multiple people setting boxes at the same time?
southalabama
Well-known member
Plastic milk crate
Tractor Supply sells them if you don’t know a milkman. Don’t use a decorator crate from Wally World.
Real crate can sit or stand.
Tractor Supply sells them if you don’t know a milkman. Don’t use a decorator crate from Wally World.
Real crate can sit or stand.
Me, never. But I've been in a few long after, where it was the case or the sparky winged it for every box. So then, what height do you use?
sparky 1971
Well-known member
It happens all the time. When all I did was wire houses I had two helpers. That's three hammers and all of them were different. My rule was one hammer per room. IDGAF if there are three different heights in a house as long as a room doesn't have three heights. Now that it seems I wire one house per code cycle just to remind myself why I don't wire houses, I'm by myself and it doesn't matter. And I no longer use a hammer, I have two pieces of 1X4; 13" for standard receptacles and 48" for switches. I use a laser for the kitchen counter at 44".
That's a good compromise but a common story pole is better, less effort for everyone.
Codyboy
Well-known member
I had a thread about those on another forum about my receptacles were really low.
A lot responded the same as you , hammer to mark the spot.
I guess thats fine when you're young to have them that low.
Mine are that low because I installed them like that 20 years ago. My fault.
My next house that we're fixing g to build will not be no less than 3ft above the floor. I'm done with all that bending over to plug in a vacuum cleaner or whatever else.
Eta. Maybe not 3 ft. Probably 2ft no less.
Last edited:
wyliesdiesels
Well-known member
a local electrician here cuts a block out of a 2x4 stud and uses that to set all his metal boxes in commercial buildings.
strength_and_power
Well-known member
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For anything repetitive, a jig, template, chunk of 2x4 is definitely the way to go. More consistent, faster and one less thing to think about
strength_and_power
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The HF icon mechanics seat has become a favorite of mine for the low work. Lower than that, a kneeling pad and pants with knee pads makes a huge difference. 2 aleve or 4 Advil does wonders as well
manwithtools
ALLIANCE MEMBER
This is GJ, you need one of these:
Only $595
Only $595
b-boy
Well-known member
5-gal homer bucket flipped over.
wyliesdiesels
Well-known member
A fool and his money are easily partedThis is GJ, you need one of these:
Only $595
Are you new here?
Metal-Marc
Well-known member
I use one of these.
Aaron_W
Well-known member
I avoided the problem by putting all my shop outlets at around 48".
I did buy a HF mechanics stool for low work though. I specifically bought it when I was doing a bunch of sorting and had stuff scattered all over the floor.
I imagine it would work for low outlets, although I would probably just lay on the floor for that. That would probably make the job take more time though as I'd probably end up napping before I was done.
I did buy a HF mechanics stool for low work though. I specifically bought it when I was doing a bunch of sorting and had stuff scattered all over the floor.
I imagine it would work for low outlets, although I would probably just lay on the floor for that. That would probably make the job take more time though as I'd probably end up napping before I was done.
dave*99
Well-known member
I have sat on my creeper for low work.
JohnX14
Well-known member
That's what we have used "forever". My father started the company and I've been running it for 30 years. We do use a laser for the kitchen counters.
RegeSullivan
Well-known member
***** to get old but I guess it beats the alternative. What worked for me was one of those wedge tv pillows that allow you to sit up in bed. I'd put it on the floor then lay on, lay on it on my stomach or side and wire up the box. Then keep sliding to the next one till finished. I think a big old couch cushion or 2 would work also.