Old school way

[Dazza1976]

Hi all,

I saw some work done by an old school sparky the other day, who has been in the trade for over 30 years. One of the tricks he used for fixing cable to joists e.t.c was to nail in small loops of twin and earth along the joists, and then he would simply thread the new cable through these loops. Has anyone else seen this method, or uses it ?? And would the current regulations allow this as a suitable fixing method ?

 

[jaresquire]

Had to look 'Scutch' up on t'internet - used one without even knowing, been at this malarky for 24 years too!

 

[RogertheBodger]

On ceilings? What did you use them for on celilings?

Can,t beat Telectrix' answer, "making holes" - what did you use yours for? presuming you were at it then.

They didn't have a lot of other uses although I never suspected the wheel spiking option.

 

[nickblake]

wonder what today's young sparks would do if we took away their plastic clips, rawlplugs ( yes we made our own out of bits of scrap wood), power tools ( brace & bit for wood. hammer and rawlplug tool for brick) , and digital all singing & dancing meters.

Probably nail through the center of the cable , ive seen that done in a garage lol

 

[RogertheBodger]

Concrete ceilings?

It would be a bit above and beyond the call of duty using those things on a Concrete ceiling, could get the odd conduit run into a seam if you were lucky, but usually not,

Used them most on Brick ceilings, and my original point was that it wasn't much fun balancing on top of a pair of trestles trying to hit upwards, only apprentices got that job.

Suppose we'll be having WTF's a brick ceiling now?

 

[SirKit Breaker]

I do it if i need to, and its a lot better than the bent nails i have seen used to clip and support cables.

Cheers.........Howard

 

[Deleted member 9648]

I do it if i need to, and its a lot better than the bent nails i have seen used to clip and support cables.

Cheers.........Howard

It's one of those that gets frowned on......but if somebody says.."well whats wrong with it then?"....I'd defy anyone to come up with a valid reason.

 

[rocker]

Ha yes I was obviously blonde for a moment. I've used one on many ceilings as well.... I guess unless you say 'concrete ceiling' I automatically think 'plaster' lol. Spent too long house bashing the last year or so....

I was thinking 'He must have made a right pigs ear of some ceilings' lol!

 

[telectrix]

Probably nail through the center of the cable , ive seen that done in a garage lol

alongside the cpc, missing the phase insulation, has the bonus of accessible test points for cpc continuity.

 

[jaresquire]

Not much fun if it hit the line though, Tel!

 

[glasgowbiker42]

Another old skool trick for clipping to concrete before solid rawlpugs was to drill a hole then hammer small wooden spike in break off and fix your clip to that----simples.
It's got some benefit's i think being old!

 

[telectrix]

Another old skool trick for clipping to concrete before solid rawlpugs was to drill a hole then hammer small wooden spike in break off and fix your clip to that----simples.
It's got some benefit's i think being old!

now you can get plastic plugs for clip nails. sometimes progress just takes all the fun out of doing a job

 

[giio]

Another old skool trick for clipping to concrete before solid rawlpugs was to drill a hole then hammer small wooden spike in break off and fix your clip to that----simples.
It's got some benefit's i think being old!

the small wooden spikes were generally spent matchsticks, the fibre rawlplugs where around then, and remember the star chisels for going through walls, I remember when I was an apprentice,no t&e then every house was conduit and we spent our day raggling out switches and sockets for 3/4 conduit and screwing and bending the conduit,the bends at the loop in boxes for the lights where about 3 inches max,you couldn,t get that in the former so you bend it longer and cut and threaded it, I still stink of tallow to this day, and the foldy wooden rules were in their special pocket in your overall or in the back pocket of your trousers even on the bus home

 

[Geordie Spark]

I use a scutch on an almost daily basis. I've got the chisels and a hammer. They are brilliant tools if anyone doesn't have one I recommend they get one.

I took your advice & am wondering how I managed for so long without one. It's an excellent bit of kit.

Thank you.

 

[Steve1412]

Scutch chisels...rawl tool..now were talking my era!!!!!!!!!! did any of you have a joiners brace and auger bit for drilling joists......I was such an up market apprentice!!!!!!!!!!!lol

 

[Geordie Spark]

Scutch chisels...rawl tool..now were talking my era!!!!!!!!!! did any of you have a joiners brace and auger bit for drilling joists......I was such an up market apprentice!!!!!!!!!!!lol

I had a joiners brace & an auger which I inherited from my Grandad (who had been a patternmaker) & a second hand Black & Decker that I bought for £0-50 for my first rewiring job in 1975, but didn't know anything about scutch chisels until I discovered Rocker's post about them on this thread.