It's better to just use the plastic saddle fan box. That way you can run quite a few cables into it and still mount it to the bottom of the joist like a pancake.LarryFine said:
That's the best method.
Like Abe Lincoln, I can't tell a lie. I do this all the time. I do it as often as I need to. If I'm adding a new switch box or outlet box then I usually use a plastic cut-in box. But let's say that I'm changing an existing one gang box to a two gang or three gang box, well then I cut off the nail brackets and screw away. I do prefer to use cut-ins where I can as opposed to just screwing to nearest stud. If done right cut-ins are just as sturdy, except for if you were trying to put a flush mount dryer or range outlet in it then you beter just surface mount it.Jim W in Tampa said:
This is the first time for me hearing about the smart boxes. If I can find them at the big box stores then I will definitely use them. They would be easier to use than altering the nail ons anyway so I would like to use those instead, but I doubt that the box stores have them, maybe they will soon though.iwire said:We could just stock a few smart boxes in our trucks then we could fasten through the side professionally .......... Just a thought.
To me, part of what separates professionals from DIYs is the professionals ability to do the work and stay within the rules. If the HO has decided to part with their money to pay for a professional to do the work doesn't the professional owe the HO a code compliant job?
We use them all the time . We have them on the shelf in the shop and carry a few on the trucks. They work great and secure a lot better than the altered boxes. All our supply houses have them. Big box ?Dennis Alwon said:Here is what they look like. Notice that the screws have a hub to recess into. This avoids accidental energizing of the screw. Smart Home
Next time, try pushing the receptacle into the box and securing it in with the four 6-32's before you mount the box to the drywall. I install the box and receptacle into the cut-out as an assembly. I do this with many, if not all, old-work-box installations for exactly the reason you describe.aftershock said:
The holes would have to have been moved closer to the joist, or a piece of 1x scabbed onto it. The half-saddle boxes (that's the kind you mean, right?) must be more than half-way lapped over (or rather, under) the joist for the mounting holes to be in line with solid wood.steelersman said:
Well, being the best includes being criticized by the best.brian john said:
Yeah; that's the box a Big Mac comes in. :grin:SEO said:
There's a funny home video where a guy is working on a switch while a banana-eating friend is watching. The guy pretends to receive a bad shock and the watcher gets so upset that, when he realizes the guy was faking it, he shoves the banana he's eating into the now-laughing guy's face.hillbilly1 said:
