Clotheslines

[George Stolz]

I recently bought a cheap $20 digital camera, so I can illustrate my rants now. :)

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v334/georgestolz/Electrical/th_clothesline.jpg (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v334/georgestolz/Electrical/clothesline.jpg)
--Click on image to enlarge--

The vantage point of this shot is downward - I was standing on the top of a ladder, looking down toward the top of the doorframe. This stupid piece of security wire (and several of his buddies) were strung in front of a corner that I was piping in, before the cold snap sent us to warmer projects over the weekend.

There was no support for the cables, from what I could tell, at all.

They wouldn't have irritated me so much if it weren't for the fact that it was continually hanging me up, catching my hard hat, tools, throwing me off balance, and getting in the way of putting conduit up. I would have taken more pictures, but the cold and my cheapo camera went through batteries like crazy. Maybe I'll take some more tomorrow.

[mdshunk]

"I have no idea how those cables got cut". :grin:

It is frustrating. I was doing some work in a factory on a ladder, in amongst some machines that were operating. The machine operators in that work area had a boom box type radio set up, with little fine brass wire strung all over the place in the bar joists as their antenna. It was like a Veit Cong booby trap. You could barely see it, until you got clotheslined in the neck. Snip, snip, snip, went every one I could find. I am my own safety advocate. (I'm not recommending that you snip those security cables, but I feel your pain. It's just one of those facts of life.)

[LarryFine]

George, one of the resposibilities of the GC is coordination of the various trades and vendors. Drop this in his lap, and casually mention OSHA. :wink:

[George Stolz]

To clarify, I was working in a soon-to-be grid ceiling.

[mdshunk]

To clarify, I was working in a soon-to-be grid ceiling.Knowing that, perhaps the alarm guys are waiting for the grid, then they'll attach their support wires from the bar joists to the grid, and fix their wires to the support wires? Just a guess. Nine chances out of ten, that's their finished product.

[jeff43222]

Let the responsible party know that you can't pipe in anything until the security wires are dealt with properly. Offer a free demonstration showing how your wire cutters work on improperly installed security wires. :D

As for your camera's appetite for batteries, you should really switch over to rechargeables. I was floored at the difference it made. My camera can do about 30 shots before brand-new regular batteries are dead. One night I tried to drain a set of rechargeables by taking hundreds of shots (with flash) while I was watching TV. I finally got bored and stopped.

[LarryFine]

As for your camera's appetite for batteries, you should really switch over to rechargeables. I was floored at the difference it made. My camera can do about 30 shots before brand-new regular batteries are dead. One night I tried to drain a set of rechargeables by taking hundreds of shots (with flash) while I was watching TV. I finally got bored and stopped.
Probably due to a difference in discharge-vs-voltage curves and the camera's shut-down voltage setting.

[donselectric]

whats the peice of emt with open wiring ??

[George Stolz]

The wiring you see is an MC cable stubbed into a box not yet made up. The pipe with the bushing is a stub for a thermostat that hadn't been pulled yet. Shortly after the picture the t-stat wire was pulled in much the same fashion, it didn't help much. :D

[Luketrician]

Well look at it this way, atleast you were'nt having to work around duct work, sprinkler pipes, suspended ceilings. Seems like we electricians are always having to work around and accomodate the other trades. :)

[George Stolz]

Well, I was armed with the camera again yesterday after work. There's no flash on the camera, so I've enhanced the images (and am actually pleasantly suprised at the results).

Unfortunately, the dinky little viewfinder on the camera doesn't work so hot, so I tended to take pictures of the wall below what I was intending to take pictures of - but hey, it's $20. :D

Here's the same room, shot from the ground. I was working on the pipes with multiple 90s in the corner.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v334/georgestolz/Electrical/Hangar%20Pictures/Hangar017smaller.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v334/georgestolz/Electrical/Hangar%20Pictures/Hangar014.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v334/georgestolz/Electrical/Hangar%20Pictures/Hangar2002.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v334/georgestolz/Electrical/Hangar%20Pictures/Hangar2004.jpg

Here's the wires running through the kitchen (past some of my pipework).

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v334/georgestolz/Electrical/Hangar%20Pictures/Hangar2006.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v334/georgestolz/Electrical/Hangar%20Pictures/Hangar2001.jpg

Here's a nice one in the bathroom:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v334/georgestolz/Electrical/Hangar%20Pictures/Hangar008.jpg

Not to stray off topic, but here's the same junction box, straight on (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v334/georgestolz/Electrical/Hangar%20Pictures/Hangar009.jpg) (I'm starting to get better about straightness, slowly but surely.) The pictures revolve around the room, from corner to corner. The pipe that is in the middle on the wall runs down the wall, and 90s at an angle (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v334/georgestolz/Electrical/Hangar%20Pictures/Hangar010.jpg) at the corner, and then kicks over 4' later to run along the wall (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v334/georgestolz/Electrical/Hangar%20Pictures/Hangar011.jpg).

It may be simple stuff to the experienced, but I was pretty happy with how it turned out with no wasted bends or pipe. Also, I did this (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v334/georgestolz/Electrical/Hangar%20Pictures/Hangar005.jpg) too, not that there's much to look at. Above these two switches, it was pretty apparent that I was not planning very well, adding several pipes (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v334/georgestolz/Electrical/Hangar%20Pictures/Hangar006.jpg) to what was originally two. I thought the 90s coming in from all different altitudes looked a little off.

Also, check out the woodwork in the entry (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v334/georgestolz/Electrical/Hangar%20Pictures/Hangar007.jpg) to this hangar. With the skylights in it (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v334/georgestolz/Electrical/Hangar%20Pictures/Hangar013.jpg) I think it's gonna turn out pretty cool.

[mdshunk]

What was the caddy number of the bars you used to support the EMT between the metal studs? How is the EMT fixed to those bars? Just wondering. I normally use scrap steel stud pieces, but it looks like you used something Caddy-like.

[George Stolz]

It's definutely Caddy, but I'm not sure of the part number. They're referred to around the job as spanner bars (I think! :D ) but I'm not sure of the official name.

[JohnJ0906]

It's definutely Caddy, but I'm not sure of the part number. They're referred to around the job as spanner bars (I think! :D ) but I'm not sure of the official name.
As long as it's the official nickname (romex, BX, etc) we'll let you slide.:D

[LarryFine]

What was the caddy number of the bars you used to support the EMT between the metal studs? How is the EMT fixed to those bars? Just wondering. I normally use scrap steel stud pieces, but it looks like you used something Caddy-like.
Caddy-like, indeed:
http://www.erico.com/products/CADDYcfcScrwGnBxBrckt.asp