Any ideas....?

[ian.settle1]

it definitely shows that electricians of the past were also skilled carpenter's

That's why you didn't have Electrical Trainee back then only proper trained electricians

 

[Darkwood]

Pulled loads of this out in my early days but it was more likely to be found in the more wealthy houses .... noted haven't seen it for decades

 

[Knobhead]

Lovely isn't it. i have seen more ornate versions, and kept some in one house. The casing not the VIR Cable.

You know how I enjoy domestic installs. I got lumbered with a Victorian town house that had been converted to that new fangled electricity stuff in the 20’s.

It was all done in oak capping and casing. I kept as much as I could in situ and reused it for T+E. I even resorted to using the lead gas pipes that originally fed wall lights for these new fangled light things. Anything rather than drill behind the plaster covings.
I even found an Edison Swan “teardrop” lamp still working in the loft.

It took an age to do, half my time was spent on tea and cakes. The owner of the house was in her 70’s and believed she had to keep the workmen fed.

Sy if you can salvage lengths of that capping and casing it will sell for architectural reclamation.

 

[Engineer54]

It's VIR wiring in wooden casing. They used this way to run it around door frames and skirtings.

http://asad31.webs.com/Asad_Wiring-system.pdf

It was originally used for the complete surface installation, it was the next step up from knob wiring.
Those were the days when the electrician was the bees knees of the building trade and usually wore a suit and bowler to work, with an apprentice walking not less that 3 steps behind him, carrying his tools between jobs...lol!!

 

[Des 56]

Pulled loads of this out in my early days but it was more likely to be found in the more wealthy houses .... noted haven't seen it for decades

The Welsh valleys are not what anybody could call top end housing standard,however,the wooden trunking would be almost universal in the older terrace houses and was and still is often found in attics and under floors

 

[ipf]

The Welsh valleys are not what anybody could call top end housing standard,however,the wooden trunking would be almost universal in the older terrace houses and was and still is often found in attics and under floors

That's true, Des. Wouldn't was say it was for the more affluent. I can remember removing rafts of c+c from terraced houses, painted or papered over a lot of it. When it's been in decent conditions the vir is usually in a really good state.

 

[Lucien Nunes]

While I was looking (unsuccessfully) for some bumf on Octopus wiring, I found a handy article on how to make tees and crossovers in wooden casing. The rule was never to allow cables of opposite polarity to touch, so a very intricate arrangement of the bridge parts was required like a compartment trunking tee, but all made on the spot.

I'll scan the article when I get home, which might be a while (yes I am in the workshop at 4.30 am but there is much to do...)

 

[Tidy Max]

It was originally used for the complete surface installation, it was the next step up from knob wiring.
Those were the days when the electrician was the bees knees of the building trade and usually wore a suit and bowler to work, with an apprentice walking not less that 3 steps behind him, carrying his tools between jobs...lol!!

What's knob wiring?

 

[Jonspark]

looks like an early type of underfloor heating.

 

[telectrix]

What's knob wiring?

here:...

Knob-and-tube wiring - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[Geordie Spark]

here:...

Knob-and-tube wiring - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

So when was the last time you used that Tel??

 

[driverman]

Some say.............Joiners where in fact, the first electricians.

 

[telectrix]

So when was the last time you used that Tel??

last week. rigging up something to hang gobby geordies from.

 

[SPARTYKUS]

Thanks Tel, never seen any of those, or, maybe wasn't looking. Something to look out for.

 

[Geordie Spark]

last week. rigging up something to hang gobby geordies from.

Awwww c'mon Tel ........ you know you like me really dontcha??





Ya Scouse git!!

 

[sythai]

Sy if you can salvage lengths of that capping and casing it will sell for architectural reclamation.

Only managed to salvage a few pieces, definitely putting it up in my museum of electrics

 

[7029 dave]

Yep, 1920/30 trunking system, ripped loads of it out in the past mainly in Victorian,Edwardian houses.

 

[Pete999]

Evening Chaps..... Just wondering when this would date from ? Any ideas please.

Thanks Sy

View attachment 28172

1930s 40s its called capping and casing

 

[telectrix]

you're still using it, aren't you, pete?

 

[7029 dave]

Wooden mini turk. lol