Dave455
Well-known member
Well today I helped wire a workshop.
No big deal, belongs to a friends Dad, just needed a bit of sorting out.
Put in a few new sockets and switches, put some ‘no volt release’ switch’s on his machines, made up some proper supports for the switchgear and sorted out the wiring on his woodworking tools. A few different skills needed. Sort of job I enjoy.
Still learned a few things though.
Wire strippers - had the ones shown for ages. Belonged to my Dad originally. Work o.k. on cable (if a bit fiddly) but hopeless on flex! Open to suggestions as to replacements. The friend I was working with, a pro electrician, was using some Knipex styled like cutters which worked well but only coped with two sizes of wire!
Snap On compact crimpers - got these free in a deal a couple years back. Thought they were a bit too small, but I was wrong. Seriously useful tool. I was able to crimp terminals inside a casing without a massive free length of wire available. Worked well as strippers too!
Knipex Pliers Wrench - I know loads of folks love these, but these particular ones are the 7 inch I got to complement the 10 inch I normally carry. Thought when I got them that they were too small, but wrong again. No better tool for doing up things like the gland nut shown in picture 3, and a whole load of other odd fixings I encountered today.
Materials - if you’re spending your valuable time, don’t work with ****. The guy who owns the shop provided all the materials, but despite supposedly being to standard, they were rubbish. The first pattress box I tried to knock the blanks out of buckled before the blank gave way. Replaced the lot with British made fittings and it still didn’t cost a lot.
You can’t have too many screwdrivers. At base I have both Snap On and PB Swiss, which you would think would cover all eventualities, but neither are right for driving lower quality wood screws. I have the Hazet’s shown in my roadbox and they worked fine. Friend was using Stainless Wera’s, same applies!
Despite the forementioned, you sometimes need instrument screwdrivers with parallel tips (small wood screws, terminal screws and recessed screws all need ‘em). I learn’t this a while back and have a few in my roadbox. Even if you use bit drivers most of the time, you still need a few parallel tips!
Friend has a few Klein Pliers and cutters he bought in the U.S. not widely available here, but really nice quality, optimised for the sort of electrical work we were doing, and why doesn’t every manufacturer colour code the handles? I can see why folks like ‘em!
No big deal, belongs to a friends Dad, just needed a bit of sorting out.
Put in a few new sockets and switches, put some ‘no volt release’ switch’s on his machines, made up some proper supports for the switchgear and sorted out the wiring on his woodworking tools. A few different skills needed. Sort of job I enjoy.
Still learned a few things though.
Wire strippers - had the ones shown for ages. Belonged to my Dad originally. Work o.k. on cable (if a bit fiddly) but hopeless on flex! Open to suggestions as to replacements. The friend I was working with, a pro electrician, was using some Knipex styled like cutters which worked well but only coped with two sizes of wire!
Snap On compact crimpers - got these free in a deal a couple years back. Thought they were a bit too small, but I was wrong. Seriously useful tool. I was able to crimp terminals inside a casing without a massive free length of wire available. Worked well as strippers too!
Knipex Pliers Wrench - I know loads of folks love these, but these particular ones are the 7 inch I got to complement the 10 inch I normally carry. Thought when I got them that they were too small, but wrong again. No better tool for doing up things like the gland nut shown in picture 3, and a whole load of other odd fixings I encountered today.
Materials - if you’re spending your valuable time, don’t work with ****. The guy who owns the shop provided all the materials, but despite supposedly being to standard, they were rubbish. The first pattress box I tried to knock the blanks out of buckled before the blank gave way. Replaced the lot with British made fittings and it still didn’t cost a lot.
You can’t have too many screwdrivers. At base I have both Snap On and PB Swiss, which you would think would cover all eventualities, but neither are right for driving lower quality wood screws. I have the Hazet’s shown in my roadbox and they worked fine. Friend was using Stainless Wera’s, same applies!
Despite the forementioned, you sometimes need instrument screwdrivers with parallel tips (small wood screws, terminal screws and recessed screws all need ‘em). I learn’t this a while back and have a few in my roadbox. Even if you use bit drivers most of the time, you still need a few parallel tips!
Friend has a few Klein Pliers and cutters he bought in the U.S. not widely available here, but really nice quality, optimised for the sort of electrical work we were doing, and why doesn’t every manufacturer colour code the handles? I can see why folks like ‘em!
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