socket box hell!

[sparks1653]

the company i work for are currently doing a re-wire of a fairly old flat. the job of putting all the galvanized 35mm boxes in was given to me :-/... when you chip out the brick for the boxes the hole is left really uneven as all the brick crumbles so none of the boxes will be perfectly straight or level....does anyone have any tricks to help?!

cheers,

a trainee in need!

 

[Electricalserv]

Nightmare mate. Neutrals at switch's?:50:. Nightmare mate. All you can do is try your best to get them as level as poss.

 

[SirKit Breaker]

Have a look at an earlier post where someone was having problems fixing them to stone.

Cheers........Howard

 

[Deleted member 26818]

There are some guides on sale out there.
Basically you fix the guide to the wall, and drill to the same depth through holes in the guide, then chisel out using a scutch chisel.

 

[mechelec]

Use plaster board adhesive mixed a bit thicker than you would use for dot and dab. Chop out and set the box level on a bed of adhesive, use a screw through through the middle and dont tighten until the adhesive has set.

 

[Richard]

Expanding foam i;v always found quite good, especially i'f you can only get one good fix.

 

[i=p/u]

bit of bonding and laser level round room, wait to harden before pull cables

 

[Pat Tester]

Ensure the hole is a little larger around but deeper than the metal box, brush all the **** out from the hole and paint with a solution of 50-50 PVA & H2O, mix up some bonding with a small amount of cement and mix to a nice workable state. fix the boxes in with this and then only screw fix the following day. Sticks like you know what.

 

[The Cavalry]

Use plaster board adhesive mixed a bit thicker than you would use for dot and dab. Chop out and set the box level on a bed of adhesive, use a screw through through the middle and dont tighten until the adhesive has set.

Been doing the same only bending a couple of tabs out to grab the adhesive:cool3:

 

[sythai]

Expanding foam........ gets you out of all sorts of trouble.... handy stuff

With one of these guns attached, happy days

 

[High Tower]

on common bricks dont try and chop out too much at once, if you wade into it with a 2" bolster and take no prisoners then you will end up with a lumpy --- hole!!

Remember.....more stone mason than demlitions guy!!

 

[Goody]

How about "Liquid Nail" and some filler!

 

[Robinson]

Agree with high tower. If you cant get hold of foam or anything to knock up some then think slow . and precise scotch chisel nice new blade and just tap it like
a stone mason.....aS said above if you go in at it like heavy weight it will just come of in deep chunks leaving as you say probally the worse possible area you could imagine to fix anything too.....

I actually find some of those old soft bricks the crumbly type dont even need hitting just take a little back and scratch out rest with scotch...same as i do on some breeze blocks

 

[Amp David]

Buy a scutch chisel too, will help to get better chases

 

[electromonkey]

Try and always chisel towards the centre of the brick. If you chisel outwards i.e. to it's edges, you're more likely to break the brick.

I find chain drilling the section you need to chase out helps too.

 

[telectrix]

i've always found the best way is to stitch drill to required depth with a 8mm or 10mm bit, then scutch or sds depending how hard it is and whether or not i can get some other poor guy to chip it.

 

[Benn]

1 inch scutch chiesel, plenty of combs. Draw round the box and chase outside the lines so you get a hole bigger than the box. To flatten the back of brick I just go from one side and hit accross with the scutch. Works for me. Put box in hole and level up, use a 5.5mm bit and drill through back of boxes so you dont have to mark and drill and miss holes. Also if your hole is wonky, not level or not level depth, don't tighten your backbox up fully, because you will pull your box all over.