Just starting, want to know more!

[Jackgill1993]

Hey,

Im a young 19 year old lad who's about to start working with a friend as an electricians mate, he has just been given a big project and wants me to be in his team

We have to first fix a large quantity of timber frame bungalows, I have no electrical background and am pretty much just trying to get ahead of the game and get a bit of knowledge towards the trade

Was just wondering, what are the main components of electrical first fix (on timber frame bungalows) and how do I do each bit?

Also, any advice or tips on what tools are useful or problems I may face would be appreciated, also any tips or tricks to make my work perfect, I plan to impress!

Thanks

 

[Spark92]

Need a combi drill, with a wood bit (20mm or 25) cable cutters. And a pen for marking cables. Avoid plumbers ..short and sweet advice haha

 

[wade88]

Always run out a little more cable then you anticipate or have measured you need, better off throwing away 15p of cable then coming up short and having a useless length, your boss definitely wont be impressed with unnecessary wastage.

Save yourself some time and get a decent pair of automatic cable strippers, they eat twin and earth cable for dinner and make stripping and dressing cable a doddle.

Think and think again before terminating any cable if you are asked to, however seeing as you have no electrical background at all, you will only be doing the donkey work at this stage, pulling cable, drilling back boxes, tacking cable clips etc, do it all with a smile on your face and always offer to make cups of tea.

Do yourself a favour if you plan on staying in the trade and sign yourself on to a college course, read books, watch videos, read up on basic electrical information. Understand the difference between volts, amps, watts etc and learn ohm's law. It's very easy.

Turn up to work on time and get a decent set of steelies, i wear dewalt apprentices and they are like wearing trainers, comfy for all day wear and hard wearing. It's important to be comfy when your neck deep in muck....

All the best on your first job lad.

 

[robbalaar86]

Make sure you mark your cables at the board. Dont twist cable make sure you're pulling it off straight looks so much neater. Have a tool belt with hammer clips and snips. Mark your drops get cabling. Enjoy it. I loved the timber frame flats I did.

Easiest place to learn the ropes no chopping out just drilling.

Lucky boy wish I could go back to it.

 

[trev]

First fix is pulling in cables and mounting boxes. Turn up a little earlier than you need to, don't screw around, put your phone on silent and ignore it if it vibrates-it'll wait till break time, do what you're told when you're told and if you don't understand something ask about it - do not make the mistake of doing what you think someone means, if you run out of things to do ask for more work- if none is forthcoming grab a brush and use it (nb a brush is not a power tool, it requires human input), be prepared to make a brew as and when required but most of all, enjoy it. You're at the bottom of a learning curve which will be as steep or as shallow as you choose to make it. Best of luck young un

 

[KevinS]

Best advice I can give is - don't play with your phone all day. By all means get it out at break time or lunch. Apart from that keep it in your pocket - emergency calls only
good luck with your career