Pyro

[sammyshooter]

Morning guys, bit of nostalgia for you vets.

Wiring up an MOT bay, went to see the excavation so we can draw up the plan, they pulled some pyro out that was buried 1.5m deep, and was amongst a news paper that had a 1970's date on it.

Gave it a whirl on the tester for banter, still returning <199 Ohms on insulation test between live conductors!

Been battered by the jcb as well.

 

[Darkwood]

Morning guys, bit of nostalgia for you vets.

Wiring up an MOT bay, went to see the excavation so we can draw up the plan, they pulled some pyro out that was buried 1.5m deep, and was amongst a news paper that had a 1970's date on it.

Gave it a whirl on the tester for banter, still returning <199 Ohms on insulation test between live conductors!

Been battered by the jcb as well.

Either you don't understand what a good result is on an Insulation tester or your not aware of how to express it in print... hope you don't fill the cert' out!

Insulation test >199 Mega-ohms is what I think you meant.

 

[Pete999]

Strip the ends back about 6 or 7 inches and you will probably get an even better IR reading

 

[Darkwood]

Strip the ends back about 6 or 7 inches and you will probably get an even better IR reading

I think the OP is expressing how good it still is even after been battered (last line) ....so suspect he doesn't know how to represent the reading in text.

 

[Jonspark]

Morning guys, bit of nostalgia for you vets.

Wiring up an MOT bay, went to see the excavation so we can draw up the plan, they pulled some pyro out that was buried 1.5m deep, and was amongst a news paper that had a 1970's date on it.

Gave it a whirl on the tester for banter, still returning <199 Ohms on insulation test between live conductors!

Been battered by the jcb as well.

Glad to hear your pulling out dodgy cables, sell it for scrap!

 

[sammyshooter]

<><><><>

My bad, it was early

 

[sammyshooter]

M M M M

And yes, just expressing it's resilience

 

[Risteard]

Insulation test >199 Mega-ohms is what I think you meant.

Or perhaps Megohms! ;-)

 

[Engineer54]

Gave it a whirl on the tester for banter, still returning <199 Meg ohms on insulation test between live conductors!

Don't think any of the old hands here will be in the slightest bit surprised by that finding. A MICC cable installation installed by competent electricians will out live the installer and his children, even if taking a few bashes over the years, so long as those bashes don't penetrate the sheath.
Probably the best general small to medium multi core cable size system ever produced

 

[ian.settle1]

Don't think any of the old hands here will be in the slightest bit surprised by that finding. A MICC cable installation installed by competent electricians will out live the installer and his children, even if taking a few bashes over the years, so long as those bashes don't penetrate the sheath.
Probably the best general small to medium multi core cable size system ever produced

Rather work on Pyro any day rather than steel conduit

 

[tazz]

No manufacture todate has been able to produce a life saving cable, equal to MICC

 

[snowhead]

I'd be shocked if it wasn't still good.

 

[7029 dave]

No surprise to me what so ever. I have flattened an piece of MICC, put an blow torch to it, then IR the piece, still of scale reading.!! ( experiment of course).

 

[Andy78]

I am not surprised either. I have seen a test similar to 7029 dave's above. Quite astounding the abuse it will take.

 

[tazz]

Shown this video many times on here, but may help newbies to micc.....you can skip to 5.30 for cable test fp200 vs MICC

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N3ZAYFSwInk

 

[Redvanman]

I use to love doing MI but sadly I don't have any call for it now.

 

[tazz]

There is still a major call for it in Chemical, gas production....apart from its fire proof properties, its ability not to compel gas or fluid is another bonus

 

[Silly Sausage]

........... its ability not to compel gas or fluid ....................

Eh? :confused5:

 

[tazz]

ok to prevent a capillary reaction within the cable....

 

[Andy78]

MI.... thwarting the effects of fire since 1938

 

[Engineer54]

What better definitive for, ...I Rest My Case M' Lord!! lol!!

 

[trev]

It's flippin great stuff and as has been said earlier will outlive it's installer many times over if done right.
I find a lot of people are frightened of it but there's really no need to be (as long as you have some decent experience of it I suppose) It's modern equivalent (FP) is utterly useless by comparison.

 

[ipf]

Ahh...sums it up pretty well..nothing to touch pyro in the right situation. I only wish I'd have had my mobile in the 70's and 80's to take a few pics of boiler houses done in the stuff. Drilling 20 or 30 3/4 holes in in the top of a control panel, making and shaping and then standing back admiring the symmetry of it all....and nobody else interested. Then touring a burned out working mens club in South Yorkshire...everything black and charred with even the steel framework twisted and distorted and what was left, strung up between the uprights, laughing down on all the rubble...we all know. Oh for me i phone!!!

 

[Knobhead]

Morning guys, bit of nostalgia for you vets.

Wiring up an MOT bay, went to see the excavation so we can draw up the plan, they pulled some pyro out that was buried 1.5m deep, and was amongst a news paper that had a 1970's date on it.

Gave it a whirl on the tester for banter, still returning <199 Ohms on insulation test between live conductors!

Been battered by the jcb as well.

Use “charmap” on your PC and you could write the reading correctly as >199MΩ

What are you going to replace this “pyro” with bearing in mind it’s a garage pit and falls outside the scope of BS7671 regulations?

 

[sammyshooter]

Swa by the looks of it, is that blasphemous? Turns out we only have to supply 3 phase to lockable rotary isolators, and then the technicians take over.

 

[Fin170]

I can't believe people just painted straight over all of it where I am, same with the massive copper earth bars all over the place...

 

[Bobster]

Remember a service pit can fall under ATEX regs.

I see this a a downfall in lots of garages I've been in.

 

[Jonspark]

and how many explosions have happened by people dropping inspection lamps in to pits?

 

[Tidy Max]

When we were taught mi in college we got to beast ot with a rubber hammer and totally flatten it and then test. Good fun, even better when one of thE lads hadn't made the end of correctly..... BANG. On our AM2 the instructor used to put ear defenders in prior to energising the install lol.

 

[Pete999]

Going to get grief over this, what happened to learning to work with MICC on the job?

 

[shanky887614]

Going to get grief over this, what happened to learning to work with MICC on the job?

doesn't happen, i got some ends and a bit of cable and gave it ago.

i knew how to do it from college and online etc

 

[Pete999]

doesn't happen, i got some ends and a bit of cable and gave it ago.

i knew how to do it from college and online etc

A pity is that

 

[Tidy Max]

Going to get grief over this, what happened to learning to work with MICC on the job?

I would compare it to doing your driving test. They teach you how to use the tools and make one off at college. But you learn how to do it properly and efficiently on the job! I did a day of making up about 25 4m lengths of pyro and glanding both ends. The tools at college were abit pap and they didn't have any vaseline...

 

[Pete999]

I would compare it to doing your driving test. They teach you how to use the tools and make one off at college. But you learn how to do it properly and efficiently on the job! I did a day of making up about 25 4m lengths of pyro and glanding both ends. The tools at college were abit pap and they didn't have any vaseline...

Vaseline????????

 

[Tidy Max]

Vaseline baby!

This is where you all lay in to me now!

When using the sheath stripping tool i was shown to put a dab of vaseline on to get it started! Possibly only necessary if the tool is getting blunt however it definitely seemed to help!

 

[Bobster]

and how many explosions have happened by people dropping inspection lamps in to pits?

It only takes once for someone installing it to be in a world of sh!t if it's not done properly.

 

[Jonspark]

i would expect pits to be at least a zone 2 area now so there shouldn't be any standard type portable inspection lamps used

 

[Pete999]

Vaseline baby!

This is where you all lay in to me now!

When using the sheath stripping tool i was shown to put a dab of vaseline on to get it started! Possibly only necessary if the tool is getting blunt however it definitely seemed to help!

I'm really sorry Mate the essence of making off MICC is to keep it dry, clean of any grease and that include Vaseline, someone sold you a pup Mate.
1961 it was my first day at work guess what a pyro job, polishing it as it went into a fuse board, non PVC covered in those days, the sparky in charge stripping pyro like there was no tomorrow, and not a tub of Vaseline insight,
I appreciate that's what you have been told, but nothing beats a well sharp and well set up stripping tool "keep it dry and clean" it stuck with me all through my working life, Vaseline indeed.

 

[tazz]

Bet he went through blades at the same rate he smoked...
The potting compound itself is oil based, hence the low insulation reading on first fix.
Vaseline and oil, are both messy and again don`t help readings. But will save the blade.
Best method I`ve seen and use, is candle wax. Just a plain old candle rubbed over the cutting area, no mess, helps cutting reserves blade.

 

[CockneyReject]

Bet he went through blades at the same rate he smoked...
The potting compound itself is oil based, hence the low insulation reading on first fix.
Vaseline and oil, are both messy and again don`t help readings. But will save the blade.
Best method I`ve seen and use, is candle wax. Just a plain old candle rubbed over the cutting area, no mess, helps cutting reserves blade.

I've got some pyros to do in a few weeks time I'm going to try that and see if I can make my last few blades last

 

[shanky887614]

I've got some pyros to do in a few weeks time I'm going to try that and see if I can make my last few blades last

make sure you do, the blades are expensive.

if there wasnt a rush id be tempted to use snips for stripping

 

[davesparks]

Just use your cutters to strip it, or else one of the stripping tools that works like a big corned beef tin key. No need for new blades the .

 

[ipf]

I'm really sorry Mate the essence of making off MICC is to keep it dry, clean of any grease and that include Vaseline, someone sold you a pup Mate.
1961 it was my first day at work guess what a pyro job, polishing it as it went into a fuse board, non PVC covered in those days, the sparky in charge stripping pyro like there was no tomorrow, and not a tub of Vaseline insight,
I appreciate that's what you have been told, but nothing beats a well sharp and well set up stripping tool "keep it dry and clean" it stuck with me all through my working life, Vaseline indeed.

....Why have BICC provided a small tub of vaselin with a pack of 10 terms for the last 30 years. I've not always used it but when I have, a tiny bit on starting the strip hasn't made the slightest bit of difference to the integrity of the stuff....might do if your stripping an inch but I doubt it.

 

[7029 dave]

I have never used an stripper, always used me side cutters, wrong or wright but that's how I was taught.

 

[trev]

I too have always used a tiny dab of vaseline, never had any problems presented by it.

 

[Pete999]

I too have always used a tiny dab of vaseline, never had any problems presented by it.

Well trev it goes against all I was taught, but hey ho each to his own.

 

[Bobster]

Vaseline has a multitude of uses...

I've never used it with micc, I have used it on bus bar joints, isolator switch blades and fuse carrier blades.

 

[TJ Anderson]

I too have always used a tiny dab of vaseline, never had any problems presented by it.

I just stumbled across this in activity stream Trev and gave it a double take lol.

 

[trev]

Well I was talking about pyro. What's on your mind sweetie

 

[Anthony S]

I always thought the tub of lubricant that came in the packet of ends was to help ease the pot on to stop the cable twisting. How many times you heard the screeching noise where someone is forcing the pot on.

You install and dress it properly, you shouldn't need anything lubricant to strip it with a stripping tool, I use a big screw driver on the bigger gear, using a ringer to get the clean edge.

Smaller gear with a stripper, then ring it off against a pair pliers with the stripper.