Lost or forgotten installation tips from the past!

[Pete999]

That's a nail

Ringshank nail, sometimes refereed to as a screw nail by some, not by me though, never actually seen a screw nail, unless of course you are referring to a screw that your screwdriver wont work on. so you transgress and belt it with a hammer

 

[Deuce]

Ringshank nail, sometimes refereed to as a screw nail by some, not by me though, never actually seen a screw nail, unless of course you are referring to a screw that your screwdriver wont work on. so you transgress and belt it with a hammer

You called it a screw nail in the first place mate - I've never seen one either

" Use a rusty screw nail it won't split the wood so easily."

EDIT!!! Sorry, it was @sparkdog haha

Still lost as to what a screw nail is...

 

[sparkdog]

Looks like they call 'em "wood screws" now, must be getting old.

 

[Deuce]

Looks like they call 'em "wood screws" now, must be getting old.

So a screw nail is a wood screw (or as us kids call them, a screw...) or a nail?

Surely nothing is a screw unless it has a thread? Unless it's the result of a lucky night out.

 

[DPG]

You can get threaded nails, ie a nail with a screw thread but a plain flat head for knocking in with a hammer. Haven't seen any for years but I think they were supposed to drive in and grip better than annulars.

 

[static zap]

Seen all sorts of "one-way" nails , including including bits of steel wire sticking out ,holding Pallets together. ( my past frugality revealed ! )
forward+reverse twisted , ring ridged . (proper names unknown)

 

[Deuce]

You can get threaded nails, ie a nail with a screw thread but a plain flat head for knocking in with a hammer. Haven't seen any for years but I think they were supposed to drive in and grip better than annulars.

Yup, those are the designed to hammer in and hold tight. But the ones I've seen isn't a thread as such, more like a ribbed nail. I doubt they would 'screw in' to anything even if you could look a tool to the head.

I'm gonna say it doesn't qualify as a screw unless it can be screwed in or out

You can however hammer a screw, but that doesn't make it a nail imo. It's a screw

 

[Deleted member 26818]

What about those ones they use for door frames?
Screws come with a rawlplug already attached, have to hammer them through the frame into the wall, and then tighten with a screw driver.

 

[DPG]

Yeah frame fixers them spin.

 

[Deuce]

What about those ones they use for door frames?
Screws come with a rawlplug already attached, have to hammer them through the frame into the wall, and then tighten with a screw driver.

That's just another screw you can hammer. Try using it as a nail without a pre-drilled hole, and you will see that it fails to meet the definition.

 

[Deuce]

I've go the day off work by the way, I have time to argue this as long as the rest of you can be bothered

 

[Shoei]

Useful tips to get you out of (or into) a hole when you've forgotten your meter..

 

[DPG]

Brill.

 

[Deuce]

Useful tips to get you out of (or into) a hole when you've forgotten your meter..

All seams fair enough, I mean... Relatively speaking it's not that dangerous. It's just modern sparks have grown soft and lost all sense of humour for a bit of current.

You don't see plumbers worrying about touching the water in the pipes, or the bogs.. Nah, they slosh that sh*t all over the shop.

 

[Pete999]

Useful tips to get you out of (or into) a hole when you've forgotten your meter..

Wonderful stuff

 

[Pete999]

Wonderful stuff

First housing job, working with a Sparky called Terry Selway.
Good Spark, long before cavity cabling was frowned upon, Terry would knock a hole in the ceiling void, eyeball a line down the wall (Breeze block in those days) knock another hole under the down stairs floor, drop a weighted string line down the hole in the ceiling void and get me to fish the string out with a straightened out wall tie, once he had decided there was enough string down the cavity, and using a draw wire joined to string pull whatever cables were required up the cavity, usually a lighting feed, got very good at this during my time working with Terry, if he is still around, thanks for the experience Terry, RIP if you have gone to the big Electrical Contractors in the Sky.

 

[Pete999]

Useful tips to get you out of (or into) a hole when you've forgotten your meter..

I worked with a bloke when I left School and started my Apprenticeship, who would, if he wasn't sure, if the circuit was dead ( no safe isolation in those days) touch the wire to the back of his hand, why the back I would ask, cuz your muscles contract when you get a belt, so the back of your hand is best. Go figure the logic. Bib and Brace coveralls with the ubiquitous Neon tester clipped in the top pocket, you weren't a Spark until you could carry a neon tester in your pocket with pride, he even had one in his jacket when he turned up at work in the morning, I wanted to be like him, hero worship I think it would be called these days. Funny how things change!!!!

 

[DPG]

Even after testing for dead in the proper fashion I don't think it's a bad thing to just give the conductor a gentle touch before grabbing it firmly.

Note, that's an electrical conductor, not a bus conductor. I'm not allowed to grab bus conductors firmly any more.

 

[Pete999]

Even after testing for dead in the proper fashion I don't think it's a bad thing to just give the conductor a gentle touch before grabbing it firmly.

Note, that's an electrical conductor, not a bus conductor. I'm not allowed to grab bus conductors firmly any more.

They don't have conductors on the buses in N/ton Mate cost to much, not that I use Buses if I can help it, never know what you are sitting next to, or on, and yes I do have a Bus pass before anyone asks.

 

[Deuce]

I worked with a bloke when I left School and started my Apprenticeship, who would, if he wasn't sure, if the circuit was dead ( no safe isolation in those days) touch the wire to the back of his hand, why the back I would ask, cuz your muscles contract when you get a belt, so the back of your hand is best. Go figure the logic.

I've heard of this done in factories and asked the same question. The theory being that if you use your fingers/front of your hand you could inadvertently 'grab on'. Also 240v, you swipe your hand over and the momentum will ensure your hand travels over and past the power source. As a fleeting current, providing you're not earthed across your heart-line (for example, holding on to adjacent plumbing with your other hand), then most people would just feel a moments mild discomfort. I'm sure there are plenty on here that have caught a shock and whilst it's.. erm... 'shocking', it's not normally actually painful as such. I think if you were ready/expecting it you would probably pull it off without even a murmer.