Brass Dolly Switch Installation?

[liamlalor]

Brass Dolly Switch Installation?

I want to install a few of these switches in a newly rewired victorian style house but i'm having issues trying to come up with a solution for installing them.

I need to mount them without compromising the fronts and the back is just flush with no fixing points just the holes where the terminals are thats it.

Anyone have any experience installing these switches?

Cheers.

 

[DPG]

Are there mounting holes in the wood under the brass dome cover? Daz

 

[ruston]

I fitted a lot of those type in an old hall years ago.
I do not remember any problems fitting them.
If there are no standard fixing holes , maybe a round fastfix would do, or try another supplier.
I am sure they will not be meant to be butchered.

 

[liamlalor]

No. Even on the back there seems to be no pilot holes or anything. Maybe it's a matter of taking the dome/switch off altogether, mounting the wooden back onto the wall then putting the switch back together.

 

[ruston]

Yes , they surely will be designed for the fixings to be invisible.
I doubt you will be expected to drill the wood.

 

[DPG]

No. Even on the back there seems to be no pilot holes or anything. Maybe it's a matter of taking the dome/switch off altogether, mounting the wooden back onto the wall then putting the switch back together.

Sounds like a plan. Customer will go mad if you leave screws showing on them Daz

 

[DPG]

Posted at same time as Ruston!

 

[liamlalor]

Thanks guys.

I would never have it with the screw heads showing, i'm to much of a perfectionist in all honesty haha.

I'll figure something out and i'll post and update if i remember to.

Been registered for a few years but i've never really used the site. Proves handy in situations like this.

 

[DPG]

Thanks guys.

I would never have it with the screw heads showing, i'm to much of a perfectionist in all honesty haha.

I'll figure something out and i'll post and update if i remember to.

Been registered for a few years but i've never really used the site. Proves handy in situations like this.

Yeah let us know. Yep, it's a good forum this. Daz

 

[ruston]

Well honestly, I would have remembered if they had been difficult to fit.
We got ours from a specialist supplier , but the name is long gone from my memory now.

 

[Pete999]

Mark the wooden block where the cables need to go into the switch, drill small holes just big enough for the conductors, drill fixing holes with the area covered by the switch, countersink these fixing holes, offer block to the wall mark the wall ready for drilling, drill fixing holes, affix Rawlplugs, feed conductors through the holes in the block, fix switch, Bob's yer Uncle Simples

 

[Andy78]

Well honestly, I would have remembered if they had been difficult to fit.
We got ours from a specialist supplier , but the name is long gone from my memory now.

Oliver's are a large supplier of this type of thing.

 

[telectrix]

Mark the wooden block where the cables need to go into the switch, drill small holes just big enough for the conductors, drill fixing holes with the area covered by the switch, countersink these fixing holes, offer block to the wall mark the wall ready for drilling, drill fixing holes, affix Rawlplugs, feed conductors through the holes in the block, fix switch, Bob's yer Uncle Simples

and no mention of a hammer. tut, tut.

 

[Pete999]

and no mention of a hammer. tut, tut.

Was going to mention a Rawlplug jumper, but not many would get the meaning,

 

[Aindowsimon]

I've installed a few different types and one instance

Remove the round switch there was 4 screw holes to be mounted on normal 1g back box and on double we coupled together two 1g box with bush and ring( dual 1g compartment will not do ) with no spacing between boxes touching each other

2nd instance boxes came with plastic mounting strip

All came with all required wood screws machine screws and required holes


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Sidlittle]

Excuse my ignorance- I’m just a DIY-er here. When mounting one of these switches on a round wooden patrass do you remove the square back box and plaster around the cables? Or plaster into the corners of the back box around the round wooden block?

 

[brianmoooore]

Speaking as someone who has installed these kind of switches and patrasses the 'first time around' (just), that's the way they were fitted then, on a flat surface with the cable emerging from the wall, or more often, a surface fixed cable anyway.
I doubt that the modern repros are meant to be fitted like this though. A square wooden patras, slightly bigger than a flush metal box, would be the best way, although if you insist on round, there are plastic round flush boxes available.

 

[Sidlittle]

Speaking as someone who has installed these kind of switches and patrasses the 'first time around' (just), that's the way they were fitted then, on a flat surface with the cable emerging from the wall, or more often, a surface fixed cable anyway.
I doubt that the modern repros are meant to be fitted like this though. A square wooden patras, slightly bigger than a flush metal box, would be the best way, although if you insist on round, there are plastic round flush boxes available.

That’s brilliant- thanks Brian! Great advice and interesting to hear the way you did them back in the day! Cheers, much appreciated. ??

 

[littlespark]

I once fitted some of these but there was a square wooden back plate that covered the old switch box.
A bracket screwed to the switch box lugs, then the plate to the bracket… finally the switch on the plate. No screws showing.

I think I posted on the forum about it… I’ll have a look


Edit. Found it

Fitting retro switches

Been round to a mates this morning fitting these things. He bought them new, manufactured by Clipsal, from some online electrical store £150 quid! Took a few photos to show you what I mean, and how fiddly they are. so there’s 2 x 1 gang and 1 x 2 gang to fit. Dark wooden surround, and a bag...

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