Pyro

[Anth]

Don't you just love it lol, been doing a job and it's a Nitemare lol

 

[pennywise]

what more could you ask for!

For it to be a cheaper alternative to FP

 

[Sintra]

As stated earlier pyro is an artform and takes skill and time to install correctly so why is it not being taught to the new generation of sparks. I believe that they don't even teach galv conduit anymore which is crazy. We have to do in house training to our apprentices and new recruit sparks as these skills are all still necessary in our daily work and need to be passed on to the next generation.

 

[Jurassic Sparks]

when I did my apprenticiship the old guy who taught me how to make off and use mineral cable was ex navy
they used it on subs and ships, also it was used on fire alarms and in fuel stations and many military and government buildings
in most municipal cites it was a requirement that MICC was used on fire alarm and emergency lighting systems
my tutor had blocks of wood, wire wool polish and a proper pyro stripping tool, plus a tool for sealing the pots and crimping them
I bought a set and only recently sold them
you can use a pair of cutters if you are careful to strip the micc but its better to use the correct tool a joistripper and set the blade correctly and keep it sharp
you engage the tool and start running it round and when you need to stop you simply hold your pliers on the sheath and twist the tool against them, it leaves a nice edge
big thing that was drummed into me
KEEP YOUR HANDS CLEAN, small bits of swarf from the cutting can contaminate the putty
you then use a pair of waterpump pliers to thread the pot on nice and tight, that takes a bit of practise
once its on hold the cable in one hand and pull each cable one at a time in a straight line in the direction of the cable, this stops little kinks forming where they often short out against the pot
next apply the putty, try to use the polythnene wrapper to force it in not your finger, this keeps it clean
then apply the ferrule and using the correct tool you crimp it to the pot
lastly sheathing and then insulation test and polarity test
when we used to run the pyro down to the big fire alarm panels we fitted the panel to the wall and then marked the top of the panel on the wall and the centre lines of the cable entries, then removed it and made fo the cables
the bends were formed with care and oftne using formers to exact the same curve
we had blocks of wood shaped with grooves in then and curved bits of timber
then after fitting the pots we drilled for the cleats making sure they all lined up
and then after connecting to the panel the MICC was cleaned and polished
the fronts of the control panels were stainless steel
another trick we used ( I worked with real craftsmen) was to clean all ther finger marks off with meths adn then get a clean cloth and brush baby oil into the panel in the direction of the grain
then wipe off
it looks the dogs doodads

 

[Sintra]

The one bit of advice i would give is to IR test after each stage of glanding.
Test after fitting pot as there could be swarf stuck in there or moisture in the cable.
If there is moisture heat with a blowlamp and re test.
Test again after filling the pot with compound and before crimping.
Lastly test again when complete.

One other thing is to use a galv conduit coupler when terminating into a surface box. This allows the pot to have some movement within the coupler which means that the pot does not protrude into the box or accessory.

 

[Mr Mark Sparks]

dont blow into the pot to get the dust out as moisture in your breath can send the end down

 

[Mr Mark Sparks]

[video=youtube;aQLkUgQd_6U]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aQLkUgQd_6U[/video]

i havent watched this apologies if its ..........


its only a partial clip i will try to find the rest

 

[Mr Mark Sparks]

YouTube - learninglounge's Channel

sorry all the clips are trailers but a little help goes a long way

 

[Des 56]

Jurrasics description was spot on.the only bit that was not listed was to do with inserting the putty,insert from one direction only so that any air is expelled as you fill it up

 

[Jurassic Sparks]

yes sorry des
so old I forget
I was trained to start on one side and keep pushing down then it fills out.
some years ago i had a petrol station where another employee had drilled through a wall and nicked a pyro, it shut all the pumps off
trouble was it was a bank holiday and the pyro was imperial!!
i managed to get a long adaptable box, some glands and some shrinkfit pyro sleeves
not sure they sell them any more you cleaned the pyro after cutting back then slide this plastic thing on, it looked like a pair of trousers, then you used a hot air gun and heated it and it shrunk
funny thing was this petrol station was on the A38 at Moreton Valence near Gloucester, I got all the pumps working and the owner of the place calmed down a little and soon they started taking some money
I told him it was only a temp repair and I would come back in a weeks time at night when they were closed and replace the cable from control box to switchgear ( if its on the forecourt you need a special ticket)
my boss was pooping himself wondering how much money it was going to cost with four hours lost business plus my time and the repair later
lady luck smiled on us and my daft mate who had drilled the cable
the owner unknown to us was being watched by the old bill
seems he had a pilots licence and a small plane, moreton valence was a WW2 airfield now the main runway is the M5
this chap it seems diverted on of his flights onto the old runway left unused adjacent to his premises and the police arrested him and shut the business, seems he was drug running, he got a long stretch and we got out of an expensive repair
the stupid boss moaned though as he never got paid for the job!!!!!!
I think he came out of that on a profit though