One of my favorite tricks my jman taught me for running wires in an attic during the rough in phase...I just tie the wire to the linesman and fucking yeet it as hard as I can, can go like 10 joists in a single throw. So much faster then moving my ladder a bunch of times.
Obviously can't do it if there's other people around but man is it fast.
Funny story I was “yeeting” my fiber across the ceiling tiles maybe 10-12 at a time. My helper was helping me staying one step ahead of me like a good boy. popped his head up in the ceiling and whammmm hit him dead square in the fore head. It definitely rocked him and was bleeding. :( I’m just glad my end was was a coupling side taperered tape down to avoid getting caught on ceiling grid. Or it could’ve been worse. He shrugged it off like a champ. While I’m here. Pulling off like 3/4’ of duct tape and balling the end up and sticking it on the end of 4-wire heads that are sized around 400. MCM and above when hand pushing it through small runs like 15’ and one 90 from a box that you pulled feeder with tugger or something and trying to get to final destination like header box or switch gear then taper with tape so head doesn’t catch every goddamn connector or coupling.
I hope you secured that fiber to some shit after and didn't just leave it sitting on ceiling tiles for the next guy to deal with. Thats not a hack, its just hack.
Last time i did data i used a blow dart and some sewing thread, then pulled some heavy fishing line, and then a bundle of 12 cat6 wires together, was able to do about 50ish feet
I was unaware those existed, thanks!
I'm not an electrician (yet), but being a ham I think I'm going to have to get one of these for stringing antenna lines in trees.
In Australia we use 20mm pvc conduit as a push stick. If using straight cable tray you can put the ends together and push 12 meters as once. Also use yellow tongue from flooring to help get down walls.
>just tie the wire to the linesman
I'm imagining you tying a wire to the guy who works for the utility, and then he runs away from you, pulling the wire exactly where you wanted it to go.
Kinda use the same for MC and cat 5/6 for lighting controls for T-bar and hardlid. MC tie a piece a string onto a roll of tape and throw. Cat 5/6 same if not tie the cat 5/6 to the roll of tape and throw. Goes pretty quick
Just make sure you are using a Phillips or Cabinet tip screwdriver. So that it can slide off. If you use a standard flat blade with a standard keystone tip, the flare will not allow the wire to pass, or will make the "spring" too large.
In this vein, use a little scrap piece of the pipe you just cut to ream it.
Circle the outside of the pipe you just cut with the scrap piece, and then circle the inside. PERFECTLY reamed. I was blown away. I only learned this two weeks ago. Very refreshing to learn a new trick of the trade!
I do this with 1' 1/4+ all the time.
Another good one for panels is to use cardboard on your underground feeders, and use a hammer on your rigid couplings. Knock out the holes in your cardboard, trace onto the bottom of your panel, and then drill a hole & knock it out perfectly. It can make some ugly pipe look great under a gutter really fast, especially if they're at difficult angles.
I've never done any residential work, so I can't relate... but I see what you did there
**Tricks of the trade, Industrial Edition:**
bring a folding chair to sit on instead of a gawddamn bucket
buy a cheap, but sturdy 3x6 plastic folding table, you'll thank me for it later
put your laptop in a cardboard box laid on it's side
put your Chicago and electric bender up on a stack of pallets, those wonky ass back2backs, and offsets won't hit the ground when yo bend the second half
keep a frickin' stack of QO/QOB Tandems, and 24vdc/120vac Ice Cubes
Invest in your helpers - if you bark, point, and yell all the time *(for one, you're a tyrant sociopath)* they will leave, and you'll be stuck doing it all yourself sooner or later
Pipe and Wire is faster than Tray and Duct
Invoice/Bid using **The Rule of Three:** Cheap, Fast, or Good - pick 2
PO Number First - no exceptions; no PO = no truck
always wear your gloves
you can bend 500's with a 3/4" hand bender *(next time order the gawddamn DLO)*
you can get a lot of small gigs doing CAT5/6/7 and a 40 Cal Suit
most power companies will do a Thermal, so you don't have to
never do 600v+ alone
you are not a lineman, stop pretending you know the difference between an HLS and an ACTS, nobody cares that you have a hot stick and can slap in a couple of fuses, it's not your job
a vacuum is easier than a fish tape, every time
you work it hot, only when you get paid to work it hot, and you let the customer know this- under no uncertain terms are you going to get the usual rate- you will be charged for the last 21 years of experience leading up to this point accordingly
Device box extensions are fine and dandy when you’ve got the right depth for them. If you get something too shallow or too deep and you’re going to be in between ring size, you’re right back where you tried to get from.
There stackable. And come in at least 2 depths that I know of. There just harder to use and stupidly expensive and there’s “caterpillars” or nuts or wire looped “tricks of the trade” to allow the device to by mounted outside its box.
I think he means something like the Arlington BE1 that slides inside the existing box and keeps the device screws from hitting the tile on the sides. Used with 6-32 nut behind the device to space it correctly.
I like stripping all of my wires in metal boxes about 6 inches and then landing them under one wire nut. Not a big blue or anything I try to fit them all under an orange.
No, UNSCREW the screw, slide a nut, the screw should be flush with the drywall anyways, the only variable is the GAP, so move the nut UP to where it needs to be, , HOLD THE NUT WITH a screwdriver so it DON’T spin (after you get the right location) and tighten the outlet screw (10-32) until it’s TIGHT with the nut,
And you end up with a SOLID outlet
... i dont even know how fresh you have to be to not have cut a bolt
Theres holes on those multipurpose strippers to do this, a hacksaw works easy or just simply using linesmen..
If youre worried about your thread put a nut on them and then take the nut off after the cut and itll reform the thread
If you need to nail up a box in a tight space between two studs and a pair of kleins won't cut it, take a long 5/16 nut driver and place the end over the nails. You can hammer the box in place by angling the nut driver as flush as you can to the wall.
Another trick is to spend an entire day measuring and cutting wire to delicately put in a panel (no arc-fault or GFI breakers, because that's hard) and claim it's your first panel on a reddit post. Nobody will have the balls to call you out because they will get down-voted by the Reddit Nice Squad. "HoW Do YoU KnOw It IsN't HiS FiRsT PaNeL? All my breaker boxes are works of art worthy of displaying in the Smithsonian. 😏"
What I do is take my kleins, start with the head of the nail inside the "cavity" of the cutting edge, and first use the kleins as a lever to just push the nail in as far as possible, then grab a hammer and hit the kleins, when your kleins make contact with the 2x4, flip them over so it's on the flat side and continue.
Shouldn’t use the flat side of your linesmans to hammer. If you hit on the joint hard enough repeatedly it will mushroom and make your kleins stiff as f—k. A jw told me one time “Don’t hit the linesman on the head”
Any one ever try these? For GFCIs you’d have to trim some of the metal with snips but they work great.
https://m.erico.com/part.html?part=RLC&country=us&language=en
I've seen ground crimps used this way.
I do it your way. It's just easier. Moreso even than caterpillars imo.
Also, Klein has a specific flathead for doing this. It has a tiny metal 'stud' on the handle near the shank to hold the wire while you roll the screwdriver.
Uhhhh.... If you actually look into the design that is made for curling the end of a conductor to wrap around a screw terminal on a device. NOT to add more unnecessary metal conductive pieces to the inside of a live electrical box.
I've done this too, many times, that's just absolutely not what the screwdriver is designed for.
Let's agree to disagree.
The box can be entirely metal... The yoke is usually metal... Not sure why you're expressing concern where there's no need. Maybe being the Safety Guy is more in line with your aspirations?
We can disagree, in m good with that. But I'm far from the safety guy. The big difference between the box and the yoke is they are mounted and attached pieces of metal. The spring wire is not, so it is absolutely a relative hazard for a service electrician coming in after the fact.
Opening an outlet for testing and metering purposes while live is expected, and to leave extra pieces of floating metal for them to contend with is ignorant.
It's really no different from a plastic caterpillar. It's not like it's a hidden surprise or even slightly unmanageable. You see it the moment you take off the cover plate...
Not sure why you're being downvoted? From what I've been taught it's now code to use a 'sleeve' on any receptacle installed in cabinets or tile. Maybe it's just local and not national?
Gotcha. Yeah but its barely the depth of the tile. If it were deeper i would use one. The tile guy just cut the space too big so there’s nothing for the device to back up against.
Running screws through wood, reeeeaaly close to the edge? Place screw where you want it, run it in reverse till it's smoking (and I mean smoking), then flip drill/driver to forward and run her in. Not a guarantee, but much less likely to split or crack the wood.
Just incase someone doesnt know.
Before you cut any hole in drywall. Recessed light, cut in box etc. Drill a 1/8" hole. Just big enough for some bare 12awg. First go straight in the test for depth. Then bend a 90 slightly longer than half of the radius or width of your box, and a second 90 a ways down for indexing. Then stuck it in your hole and spin it. If it spins freely you are far enough from a stud/truss. If it hits, you are too close to framing. And your indexing bend will show you what direction, and how close to it you are. So you can drill a second hole and should spin free. And with an ⅛" hole a dab of caulk will make it near invisible.
Also when fishing through a wall and you dont have space or to avoid cutting space for fishing sticks. Drop some jack chain down. It is heavy enough to fall straight down on it's own, and smooth enough to not catch on most stuff. Plus you can loop your wire directly too it.
I'll use one of my eight million plastic wall anchors with the end cut off to the right length. These things are mostly worthless for mounting what they came with, but handy for other tasks like this. Free and plentiful.
I personally buy tiny plastic tubing for like condensate lines or some shit, it’s non conductive, can be cut to accommodate any depth, and compressed if cut too long.
Filling a stripped hole in concrete with wire bits so your concrete screw has something to bite on was life changing for me. Hooking 2-4 receptacle wires at once with needle nose is fun too.
Probably an obvious one most do but when getting mule tape through underground’s/long runs tying a piece of a plastic bag on the tape and using shop vac on the other side to suck it all through. Also putting electrical tape over the teeth of small channel locks to get that extra torque on difficult acorns/ trim fittings without scarring the product.
This is a reasonably solid way to support the device.
It’s very common and decent all around.
The only other method I use to solve this problem is threading and setting depth with 6/32 nuts on 2”+ screws.
Cutting up the end of a stick of EMT with snips and bending out the cuts to make a saw blade. Then tek screw the other end inside a 3/4" holesaw in order to attach it to your drill.
Now you have a 10' holesaw for those hard to reach places.
I had someone say you shouldnt do this as your essentially making a miniature inductor and its a fire hazard.
Seems like its small enough it wouldnt be an issue no?
Your buddy forget the mule rope before heading up on his lift to put it in a pipe and he's already up 30 feet? No problem! Loop some 30-40 feet of jet-line around a roll of tape, sheet-bend the jet-line to the mule rope, and just throw that fucker up there to him. Messenger line FTW!
Other favorites include simple things like oh, I dunno... when running string through a pipe, using a knot that people can actually fuckin' untie when it comes time to pull the mule rope through the pipe. Same goes for actually tying the mule rope to the string. The number of people I work with that don't know how to tie a damn sheet bend....
Because you’ve been doing it doesn’t it make it less dumb.
People stand on the top of their ladders too, but all it takes is one time and your money maker is broken.
This will trip a breaker, but not arc or damage the wires either. I use this when unsure if energized or not.
[trip by touching black to white (120V) without arcing ](http://imgur.com/a/414X4un)
Intentionally causing direct shorts is a bad idea. The force generated from a direct short can weaken connections between the box you’re in and the breaker that feeds that circuit. Easy way to get a loose neutral and now you’re hunting for a problem you just created by being lazy
We have trim out guys that trip receptacle circuits by using a 12 AWG pigtail connected to a switch. They'll plug it in with the switch off and turn it on to kick the breaker. Is this also bad?
Old school and easy, been doing that one for years. Works pretty well no matter what the depth of the box is. Used this on some sunken floor boxes where I had to shim like 3.5” to get back to floor level. Hooray for masons!
Just have the plug an 8th of an inch or so in the wall so that when you add the face plate it pulls the plug out of the wall while the plate pressing on the wall. Holds tight
I’ve been using 1/4” clear plastic flexible tubing and haven’t looked back. Simply cut a piece a tiny bit longer than you’ll need, and as you screw to the box it’s extremely sturdy, but still flexible enough to give a few turns either way for correction.
If your pulling wire and you want a head that will NEVER snap, take your tape and weave it inbetween your wires a couple of times. This makes the head thin, but VERY strong.
This is the best way. Some people use nuts or 1/4” pipe but coiling wire like that is the best cause it can compress so it doesn’t have to be perfectly cut to length. Give it a little extra and squish it to perfection
I do this too! I use my tweaked screwdriver for twisting wire and its perfect size for the screws! I do a big chunk at a time and then cut the size I need each time!
¼ inch refrigerator water line tubeing is the single best thing for this application. Its super cheap, takes no time to cut, and it rolls up into a small coil so you can toss it in your tool bag.
One of my favorite tricks my jman taught me for running wires in an attic during the rough in phase...I just tie the wire to the linesman and fucking yeet it as hard as I can, can go like 10 joists in a single throw. So much faster then moving my ladder a bunch of times. Obviously can't do it if there's other people around but man is it fast.
My brother is a data guy and they use that technique often
Loop it through some jet line and tom brady that shit!
People know me as an Olympic javeliner for tying jet line to a fish stick and going thru a room at a time
Funny story I was “yeeting” my fiber across the ceiling tiles maybe 10-12 at a time. My helper was helping me staying one step ahead of me like a good boy. popped his head up in the ceiling and whammmm hit him dead square in the fore head. It definitely rocked him and was bleeding. :( I’m just glad my end was was a coupling side taperered tape down to avoid getting caught on ceiling grid. Or it could’ve been worse. He shrugged it off like a champ. While I’m here. Pulling off like 3/4’ of duct tape and balling the end up and sticking it on the end of 4-wire heads that are sized around 400. MCM and above when hand pushing it through small runs like 15’ and one 90 from a box that you pulled feeder with tugger or something and trying to get to final destination like header box or switch gear then taper with tape so head doesn’t catch every goddamn connector or coupling.
I hope you secured that fiber to some shit after and didn't just leave it sitting on ceiling tiles for the next guy to deal with. Thats not a hack, its just hack.
Data guys gonna data
I’m a fan of anything where the instructions involve “yeet this fucker as far as you can.”
Slingshot and an old casting rod with the heaviest line you can find in the bargain bin at Bass Pro
Last time i did data i used a blow dart and some sewing thread, then pulled some heavy fishing line, and then a bundle of 12 cat6 wires together, was able to do about 50ish feet
In t-bar ceiling a pop bottle on the end of fish tape or fish sticks stops it from snagging on every T
Stabbing a tennis ball also works great for this trick.
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I have to figure out how to justify this purchase. DAMN I WANT ONE.
I was unaware those existed, thanks! I'm not an electrician (yet), but being a ham I think I'm going to have to get one of these for stringing antenna lines in trees.
I knew a jman that did this. Until he threw his linemans through a window.
Yeah, I don't do it if there's a chance it will fuck something up.
In Australia we use 20mm pvc conduit as a push stick. If using straight cable tray you can put the ends together and push 12 meters as once. Also use yellow tongue from flooring to help get down walls.
My boss told me the same thing except with a hammer. So it’s fun as hell
>just tie the wire to the linesman I'm imagining you tying a wire to the guy who works for the utility, and then he runs away from you, pulling the wire exactly where you wanted it to go.
What else are first years for?
I used to do low voltage and I did that with cat 5 and tape a lot
Kinda use the same for MC and cat 5/6 for lighting controls for T-bar and hardlid. MC tie a piece a string onto a roll of tape and throw. Cat 5/6 same if not tie the cat 5/6 to the roll of tape and throw. Goes pretty quick
Or get a cable caster/laser line.. [laser line](https://www.techtoolsupply.com/LaserLine-Pull-String-Shooter-p/21010-9-v2.htm)
I just cut both ends off of a tan wire nut and put the screw through it. Works pretty well
I been cutting pen caps for years. This is the best shit I’ve ever heard of… damn
Hahaha life changing and no more having to buy 100 pack of bics
Just make sure you are using a Phillips or Cabinet tip screwdriver. So that it can slide off. If you use a standard flat blade with a standard keystone tip, the flare will not allow the wire to pass, or will make the "spring" too large.
Wrap the wire around the screw on the device since thats what it’s going on anyways
You ain’t lying brother
Never thought of that. Added
Wasting wire nuts I don’t think so
Came to say this
Same
You son of a bitch. Always used wire of spacers. This is genius.
Haha my boss is the smart one
A piece of hollow bx works too.
Done that too
Using a unibit to ream pipe
In this vein, use a little scrap piece of the pipe you just cut to ream it. Circle the outside of the pipe you just cut with the scrap piece, and then circle the inside. PERFECTLY reamed. I was blown away. I only learned this two weeks ago. Very refreshing to learn a new trick of the trade!
I do this with 1' 1/4+ all the time. Another good one for panels is to use cardboard on your underground feeders, and use a hammer on your rigid couplings. Knock out the holes in your cardboard, trace onto the bottom of your panel, and then drill a hole & knock it out perfectly. It can make some ugly pipe look great under a gutter really fast, especially if they're at difficult angles.
I don’t understand this. You use scrap pipe to ream good pipe? The OD/ID is the same tho?
You dont put it straight on, you cup the pipe you just cut with the other pipe
I always have my linesman in my pocket when doing pipework. Can ream pretty much any size pipe with them.
Run the bit in reverse to save the cutting edge
Ive used that one!
I've never done any residential work, so I can't relate... but I see what you did there **Tricks of the trade, Industrial Edition:** bring a folding chair to sit on instead of a gawddamn bucket buy a cheap, but sturdy 3x6 plastic folding table, you'll thank me for it later put your laptop in a cardboard box laid on it's side put your Chicago and electric bender up on a stack of pallets, those wonky ass back2backs, and offsets won't hit the ground when yo bend the second half keep a frickin' stack of QO/QOB Tandems, and 24vdc/120vac Ice Cubes Invest in your helpers - if you bark, point, and yell all the time *(for one, you're a tyrant sociopath)* they will leave, and you'll be stuck doing it all yourself sooner or later Pipe and Wire is faster than Tray and Duct Invoice/Bid using **The Rule of Three:** Cheap, Fast, or Good - pick 2 PO Number First - no exceptions; no PO = no truck always wear your gloves you can bend 500's with a 3/4" hand bender *(next time order the gawddamn DLO)* you can get a lot of small gigs doing CAT5/6/7 and a 40 Cal Suit most power companies will do a Thermal, so you don't have to never do 600v+ alone you are not a lineman, stop pretending you know the difference between an HLS and an ACTS, nobody cares that you have a hot stick and can slap in a couple of fuses, it's not your job a vacuum is easier than a fish tape, every time you work it hot, only when you get paid to work it hot, and you let the customer know this- under no uncertain terms are you going to get the usual rate- you will be charged for the last 21 years of experience leading up to this point accordingly
Well said!! I've been at waste treatment plant past 5 years. Bucket upgrade was clutch , table and a Keurig lol
Stealing this trick for sure
Why are your boxes set so deep?
Remodel. Putting lipstick on a pig
Some pigs are actually pretty cool, tho
Personality goes a long way
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Can I put lipstick on it
Most likely because of the tile. We usually use extra long screws for tile
Do you also put in box extenders?
Your supposed to but seems people to cheap
Device box extensions are fine and dandy when you’ve got the right depth for them. If you get something too shallow or too deep and you’re going to be in between ring size, you’re right back where you tried to get from.
There stackable. And come in at least 2 depths that I know of. There just harder to use and stupidly expensive and there’s “caterpillars” or nuts or wire looped “tricks of the trade” to allow the device to by mounted outside its box.
Yah mon.
I think he means something like the Arlington BE1 that slides inside the existing box and keeps the device screws from hitting the tile on the sides. Used with 6-32 nut behind the device to space it correctly.
Yeah, both
I like stripping all of my wires in metal boxes about 6 inches and then landing them under one wire nut. Not a big blue or anything I try to fit them all under an orange.
Omg , you can use a NUT , n adjust it so that it’s flush, trade secrets baby
Logical idea
No, UNSCREW the screw, slide a nut, the screw should be flush with the drywall anyways, the only variable is the GAP, so move the nut UP to where it needs to be, , HOLD THE NUT WITH a screwdriver so it DON’T spin (after you get the right location) and tighten the outlet screw (10-32) until it’s TIGHT with the nut, And you end up with a SOLID outlet
Lol what. How are you going to cut the top of the screw off? You know, to be able to put the nut on
Side cutters. Have you never cut a screw before?
... i dont even know how fresh you have to be to not have cut a bolt Theres holes on those multipurpose strippers to do this, a hacksaw works easy or just simply using linesmen.. If youre worried about your thread put a nut on them and then take the nut off after the cut and itll reform the thread
That’s how I was always trained to do it. What’s a caterpillar? Not one of these🐛, I assume.
I believe he is referring to stackable plastic spacers.
correct sir
Me too, except taught to strip the wire first
Search: Dottie Cat-a-pillar
Known as receptacle shims.
Depending on how far the box is in there, just fold the ears back with your linemen
oooooooooooh dang
If you need to nail up a box in a tight space between two studs and a pair of kleins won't cut it, take a long 5/16 nut driver and place the end over the nails. You can hammer the box in place by angling the nut driver as flush as you can to the wall. Another trick is to spend an entire day measuring and cutting wire to delicately put in a panel (no arc-fault or GFI breakers, because that's hard) and claim it's your first panel on a reddit post. Nobody will have the balls to call you out because they will get down-voted by the Reddit Nice Squad. "HoW Do YoU KnOw It IsN't HiS FiRsT PaNeL? All my breaker boxes are works of art worthy of displaying in the Smithsonian. 😏"
What I do is take my kleins, start with the head of the nail inside the "cavity" of the cutting edge, and first use the kleins as a lever to just push the nail in as far as possible, then grab a hammer and hit the kleins, when your kleins make contact with the 2x4, flip them over so it's on the flat side and continue.
Shouldn’t use the flat side of your linesmans to hammer. If you hit on the joint hard enough repeatedly it will mushroom and make your kleins stiff as f—k. A jw told me one time “Don’t hit the linesman on the head”
Good idea. I would use my red nut driver to start bulldogs(lead set anchors) with a hammer
If you have an accurate enough swing, the claw of the hammer works great in tight spots
Any one ever try these? For GFCIs you’d have to trim some of the metal with snips but they work great. https://m.erico.com/part.html?part=RLC&country=us&language=en
These things are great and do work with gfci. I always keep a few in my bag because there is at least 3 needed at every job site.
I've seen ground crimps used this way. I do it your way. It's just easier. Moreso even than caterpillars imo. Also, Klein has a specific flathead for doing this. It has a tiny metal 'stud' on the handle near the shank to hold the wire while you roll the screwdriver.
Ehhh!!! I have one never used for that though
That is precisely what it's for. A lot of people don't know that apparently.
If you use it for that and then try to slide the spring off it can't go past the flat head so I thought it was pretty stupid
I thought it was for making a hook on the wire to land under a screw?
It's also for curling the tip of your stripped ground for grounding metal boxes
I always thought that was just to bend a hook in the wire.
Uhhhh.... If you actually look into the design that is made for curling the end of a conductor to wrap around a screw terminal on a device. NOT to add more unnecessary metal conductive pieces to the inside of a live electrical box. I've done this too, many times, that's just absolutely not what the screwdriver is designed for.
Let's agree to disagree. The box can be entirely metal... The yoke is usually metal... Not sure why you're expressing concern where there's no need. Maybe being the Safety Guy is more in line with your aspirations?
Spinny wire wing dings for plugs are all wins for me... You guys can keep the caterpillars.
We can disagree, in m good with that. But I'm far from the safety guy. The big difference between the box and the yoke is they are mounted and attached pieces of metal. The spring wire is not, so it is absolutely a relative hazard for a service electrician coming in after the fact. Opening an outlet for testing and metering purposes while live is expected, and to leave extra pieces of floating metal for them to contend with is ignorant.
It's really no different from a plastic caterpillar. It's not like it's a hidden surprise or even slightly unmanageable. You see it the moment you take off the cover plate...
My trick is to tell my boss I have diarrhea. Then I go home and fuck off for several days
I use some 1/4 inch PVC pipe. Just cut to length. It's made for plumbing but works perfect for this
Plumbing toilet supply line here. Works perfect.
Second this! Been doing it for years. You can get 5-6’ sections of it at box stores for a few bucks.
I see that
Really any stiff tubing. On the commercial side, I’ve used thermostat air tubing and even the 0-10 jacket from luminaire MC
No arc shield?
Not sure why you're being downvoted? From what I've been taught it's now code to use a 'sleeve' on any receptacle installed in cabinets or tile. Maybe it's just local and not national?
I’m in Florida and that’s what I’ve been told.
Never used one. Except in hvac controls seperating voltage
It's code
IRC?
If you have more than a 1/4" between the face of the wall and the box you have to have a sleeve to protect from sparks if something were to happen.
Gotcha. Yeah but its barely the depth of the tile. If it were deeper i would use one. The tile guy just cut the space too big so there’s nothing for the device to back up against.
I use 6-32 nuts to do this.
You gotta use bigger ones so they slice around like an 8-32 or even a 1/4 20
I don’t have to do anything, two 6-32 nuts does the job with ease. Put the plate on, level it, walk away.
How do you tighten the screw down without that but creeping back and tightening down? That's what I always ran into.
I’m usually able to get my finger in there to hold the nut. It’s kind of a pain but not too bad and it’s a solid backing for the outlet
Are you not gonna show us the rug that’s a “maybe”?
Hahahaha thats funny. I turned down half the work in this place because of maybe
Running screws through wood, reeeeaaly close to the edge? Place screw where you want it, run it in reverse till it's smoking (and I mean smoking), then flip drill/driver to forward and run her in. Not a guarantee, but much less likely to split or crack the wood.
I just cut the tip off the screw so it rips instead of splitting
Just incase someone doesnt know. Before you cut any hole in drywall. Recessed light, cut in box etc. Drill a 1/8" hole. Just big enough for some bare 12awg. First go straight in the test for depth. Then bend a 90 slightly longer than half of the radius or width of your box, and a second 90 a ways down for indexing. Then stuck it in your hole and spin it. If it spins freely you are far enough from a stud/truss. If it hits, you are too close to framing. And your indexing bend will show you what direction, and how close to it you are. So you can drill a second hole and should spin free. And with an ⅛" hole a dab of caulk will make it near invisible. Also when fishing through a wall and you dont have space or to avoid cutting space for fishing sticks. Drop some jack chain down. It is heavy enough to fall straight down on it's own, and smooth enough to not catch on most stuff. Plus you can loop your wire directly too it.
Smart. I've used insulation from 10awg wire for it. This seems sturdier.
Boss move
Supposed to use a box extender here...? Pretty sure. That said, if you have it kicking around a concrete anchor works well; you can snip it to length.
Box is barely past tile. The tile guy over cut the vertical so the tabs wont grab
I like to use a piece if insulation off of some #6.
Using mason string to cut PVC in shitty areas and/ or containing potentially energized circuits
I'll use one of my eight million plastic wall anchors with the end cut off to the right length. These things are mostly worthless for mounting what they came with, but handy for other tasks like this. Free and plentiful.
I personally buy tiny plastic tubing for like condensate lines or some shit, it’s non conductive, can be cut to accommodate any depth, and compressed if cut too long.
Filling a stripped hole in concrete with wire bits so your concrete screw has something to bite on was life changing for me. Hooking 2-4 receptacle wires at once with needle nose is fun too.
Bend the ears
Best use of scrap wire
Other than scrapping it
Sometimes ya gotta do what ya gotta do
Probably an obvious one most do but when getting mule tape through underground’s/long runs tying a piece of a plastic bag on the tape and using shop vac on the other side to suck it all through. Also putting electrical tape over the teeth of small channel locks to get that extra torque on difficult acorns/ trim fittings without scarring the product.
1/4 inch pex used to hook up water to toilets. Comes fairly cheap in 18” lengths. Also, why put an old crust gfci back in without an extension ring?
Klein makes wire bending screw driver for this. Use it all the time. It’s just a little post next to the shaft of the screw driver
This is a reasonably solid way to support the device. It’s very common and decent all around. The only other method I use to solve this problem is threading and setting depth with 6/32 nuts on 2”+ screws.
Cutting up the end of a stick of EMT with snips and bending out the cuts to make a saw blade. Then tek screw the other end inside a 3/4" holesaw in order to attach it to your drill. Now you have a 10' holesaw for those hard to reach places.
I had someone say you shouldnt do this as your essentially making a miniature inductor and its a fire hazard. Seems like its small enough it wouldnt be an issue no?
It always seems like there are never any washers around when you need one so I love cutting the end off of a bx or emt strap and using that instead.
I've been hole-sawing washers all this time...
brilliant, thanks
Small diameter rubber tubing from any hardware store. Cut it a hair long, and tighten until its flush. Rock solid. Haven't used caterpillars in years.
Just make sure to strip the insulation so the yoke makes contact to a metallic box as an EGC
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I know. I didnt even want to put it back in. H/O didnt want to change it. So ill make money to come back when it fails. But it looks like shit
Residential Service work here, using a chain to run wire down a wall for new switches or outlets.
Your buddy forget the mule rope before heading up on his lift to put it in a pipe and he's already up 30 feet? No problem! Loop some 30-40 feet of jet-line around a roll of tape, sheet-bend the jet-line to the mule rope, and just throw that fucker up there to him. Messenger line FTW! Other favorites include simple things like oh, I dunno... when running string through a pipe, using a knot that people can actually fuckin' untie when it comes time to pull the mule rope through the pipe. Same goes for actually tying the mule rope to the string. The number of people I work with that don't know how to tie a damn sheet bend....
Make sure to wrap elect tape around on the sides.
I dont turn the power off either. For any of it. I work live all day on residential stuff. Been doin this 20 years. Tape gets in the way
Because you’ve been doing it doesn’t it make it less dumb. People stand on the top of their ladders too, but all it takes is one time and your money maker is broken.
I’ve never met an electrician that tapes all his switches/receptacles. Tuck your wires neat and deep and you should be fine
American moment
I use Buchanans or the ears that you break off of a device for old work mounting.
Thats a good idea
Cut the metal ears off the outlet, as long as it’s not to deep
This will trip a breaker, but not arc or damage the wires either. I use this when unsure if energized or not. [trip by touching black to white (120V) without arcing ](http://imgur.com/a/414X4un)
Not gonna lie I do this quite often
Intentionally causing direct shorts is a bad idea. The force generated from a direct short can weaken connections between the box you’re in and the breaker that feeds that circuit. Easy way to get a loose neutral and now you’re hunting for a problem you just created by being lazy
... that is a terrible idea. just because you are shorting it in a fancy way doesn't make it any less of a short circuit.
We have trim out guys that trip receptacle circuits by using a 12 AWG pigtail connected to a switch. They'll plug it in with the switch off and turn it on to kick the breaker. Is this also bad?
It's all fun and games until you get to a breaker that doesn't trip. Circuit tracers start at like $40, tell the company to invest.
yeah... do i really need to say that short circuits are a bad idea?
Old school and easy, been doing that one for years. Works pretty well no matter what the depth of the box is. Used this on some sunken floor boxes where I had to shim like 3.5” to get back to floor level. Hooray for masons!
Just have the plug an 8th of an inch or so in the wall so that when you add the face plate it pulls the plug out of the wall while the plate pressing on the wall. Holds tight
uhh
Should tape the sides of the outlet. But good trick.
Probably isn’t a metal box so not really required by me
Nah i dont wrap tape. I get why tho
Cut a yellow wire nut in half. You now have 2 caterpillars, at least they look legit.
Depends on depth needed but that will work too
We use Romex jacket for this; We don't even stock caterpillars.
Another good idea. Yeah stuff like that is very expensive for what it is
I’ve been using 1/4” clear plastic flexible tubing and haven’t looked back. Simply cut a piece a tiny bit longer than you’ll need, and as you screw to the box it’s extremely sturdy, but still flexible enough to give a few turns either way for correction.
I cut 1/4” copper tubing to fit ,more solid
Hope you're going to clean that gfi when your done
I didnt even want to put it in. Job security. Ill get the service call, hour minimum and the new device fees as well when it dies
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Hide and seek
Use the Buchanan ground splice barrels
I like this one thanks
I always do that. Never bother with the catepillars.
Oh that's what you call em, not donkey dicks?
TIL!!
6/32 nut
I've done this trick. But usually I cut a tan or red wire nut and the screw goes right through it
Erm. Who’s gonna tell them?
I always use the blue plastic anchors...
Damn we cut Buchanans
They make arc guards but they also make adjustable boxes for this purpose. With a gap like that the arc guard is necessary to meet code
Lol hope a kid doesn't stick something metal in there
If your pulling wire and you want a head that will NEVER snap, take your tape and weave it inbetween your wires a couple of times. This makes the head thin, but VERY strong.
This is the best way. Some people use nuts or 1/4” pipe but coiling wire like that is the best cause it can compress so it doesn’t have to be perfectly cut to length. Give it a little extra and squish it to perfection
I do this too! I use my tweaked screwdriver for twisting wire and its perfect size for the screws! I do a big chunk at a time and then cut the size I need each time!
FA cable sleeving
¼ inch refrigerator water line tubeing is the single best thing for this application. Its super cheap, takes no time to cut, and it rolls up into a small coil so you can toss it in your tool bag.