Surface mounted plastic patresses

[Barry White]

I dont do much house bashing and hate the surface mounted plastic pattresses. They are brittle and smash if put on an uneven wall,breaking the tabs for cable entry can even smash the box too. Then a good woman with a hoover or similar appliance can pull a double pattress off the wall:bow:
Noticed a few that are made from a flexible plastic and seem stronger you can drill to fit plastic conduit etc.
Well as I hate these they are a last resort but have there place so how do I order the strong plastic boxes if I need them.

Cheers Myke

 

[jackhammerJIM]

ask for a surface patress with conduit knockout.

 

[Andy78]

Ask for PVC knockout boxes for conduit rather than plastic patresses.

 

[stevethesparks]

I believe you are on about the range made for plastic conduit. PVC accessory boxes

 

[Swcfisher]

PVC back box.....

 

[jackhammerJIM]

been there . Last job on a friday , last patress , fixed with battery drill . nooooooo !

 

[Swcfisher]

Oops 3 replys at the same time.

 

[Leesparkykent]

http://www.fastlec.co.uk/wiring-accessories/click-mode/pattress-blanks?sort=20a&page=1

 

[Barry White]

Wow lots of answers in a flash Cheers guys :yesnod:

 

[telectrix]

and you can get them with trunking entry adaptors, so your rough cut trunking looks good.

 

[Darkwood]

been there . Last job on a friday , last patress , fixed with battery drill . nooooooo !

Fixing a brittle pattress with a battery drill :6:.... is this anything to do with your name tag? lol

 

[telectrix]

better than using clout nails into a noggin.impossible to get out.

 

[NDG Elecs]

been there . Last job on a friday , last patress , fixed with battery drill . nooooooo !

Torque setting on less than 5 and it's normally OK with my 10.8V drill driver. But have done exactly the same thing a few times myself mate!

 

[meridian911]

We use the Mita PVC ones, they do trunking and conduit versions

 

[NDG Elecs]

better than using clout nails into a noggin.impossible to get out.

Yep that can be a right old ball ache. Had several sockets like that recently that all needed moving by a few inches. Reckon it took upto an hour longer dealing with the bloody things. Can't remember exactly how I got them out but it involved a lorra lorra swearing!

 

[davesparks]

How do you break a pattress taking the knockouts out? Just pinch them out with you cutters.

I just ask for soft pattress at the wholesalers if that's what I'm after

 

[mattg4321]

Click Mode Pattress Boxes | Fastlec.co.uk

I buy these in bulk whenever I do a big order from here. Around half the price of the wholesalers, and very good quality I've found.

http://www.discount-electrical.co.u...-surface-mounting-box-with-round-corners-32mm

 

[Skimpy Wan]

If you need to use the brittle patresses using a cone / step cutter give a clean hole without breaking the patresses ... If you don't force the bit in to hard

 

[Barry White]

How do you break a pattress taking the knockouts out? Just pinch them out with you cutters.

I just ask for soft pattress at the wholesalers if that's what I'm after

Thats exactly what I did but it broke had one left and managed to do that ok but dont want to use the crap hard brittle things again.

 

[sam400]

Marshall tufflex surface box, drill them with wood bit and fix with an impact driver - bomb proof!

 

[ipf]

Thats exactly what I did but it broke had one left and managed to do that ok but dont want to use the crap hard brittle things again.

2 slots with a mini hacksaw and break out between....then again, if you've not got 30 secs to spare?

 

[davesparks]

2 slots with a mini hacksaw and break out between....then again, if you've not got 30 secs to spare?

Sod that, just snap it straight out with a pair of cutters.

 

[davesparks]

Thats exactly what I did but it broke had one left and managed to do that ok but dont want to use the crap hard brittle things again.

The trick is not squeezing the cutters but using a kind of twisting motion.

Or, fix the pattress in place then place the tip of a small flare head driver against the inside of the knockout and tap the end of the screwdriver with you cutters, the knockout should just pop out.

 

[gnselectricals]

The trick is not squeezing the cutters but using a kind of twisting motion.

Or, fix the pattress in place then place the tip of a small flare head driver against the inside of the knockout and tap the end of the screwdriver with you cutters, the knockout should just pop out.

Classic tips there however I hate these for the #smashing the last one in the van and being stuck right down the Gower haha.
Always use the MT ones or the cheaper bendex ones.

 

[Oi!Sparky]

How do you break a pattress taking the knockouts out? Just pinch them out with you cutters.

I just ask for soft pattress at the wholesalers if that's what I'm after

I gently tap the knockout with the closed point of my cutters. Always works, never breaks. (Until I fix it to the wall with my battery drill I forgot to take off hi-speed hammer)

 

[hightower]

I find my pliers are the perfect size for pulling the thicker outer tab off. Then I open my pliers up and use one point for smashing through the thinner inner. Then I use the jaws of them and run it up and down the rough sides. Leaves a nice smooth square hole.

 

[LankyWill]

the official name for the boxes with a 20mm hole and a trunking knockout is a surface box. I only ever use these as the case take a beating unlike brittle weak as F*** patresses.

 

[ipf]

Sod that, just snap it straight out with a pair of cutters.

Sod what? He needs to take a bit of care.... doesn't want to fluk his last box up. I'm same as you and use cutters but not everyone has your experience in the great art of sorting out a pattress knock out.

 

[SJD]

2 slots with a mini hacksaw and break out between....then again, if you've not got 30 secs to spare?

That's my method, plus I then briefly file the flat of the hole level with a small file. I know, whenever I do it, I think this is wasting time, but the perfectly rectangular holes look so neat!

 

[jackhammerJIM]

Fixing a brittle pattress with a battery drill :6:.... is this anything to do with your name tag? lol

It happened a long time ago . Lesson learnt .

The jackhammer incident was at a similar time .

 

[Dave OCD]

That's my method, plus I then briefly file the flat of the hole level with a small file. I know, whenever I do it, I think this is wasting time, but the perfectly rectangular holes look so neat!

That's what I do too, and it's the only way you'll get anywhere near the required IP rating with surface clipped cables going into the top of the box.

 

[HandySparks]

That's my method, plus I then briefly file the flat of the hole level with a small file. I know, whenever I do it, I think this is wasting time, but the perfectly rectangular holes look so neat!

I used to use an ordinary metal file for taking the sharp edges off. Then I remembered I had some of these tungsten carbide grit ones bought for a different job. They're really good. Think I have a square and a half round.

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