Freeze!!! NEC Police!!

[480sparky]

Hey.....it's my truck I will carry what I want and they will learn to like it. :grin:




You do some nice work 480. :smile:

Thanks!

FWIW, I know a lot of ECs who do tract developements will keep costs down by using only one color, and for most cookie-cutter homes, that's perfectly fine, both with me, them and the ultimate HO.

But my company is built on a one-on-one process with the person holding the checkbook. The guy with the tile job above already knows he's getting three colors of devices. When I held a gray recep up next to the tile, the expression on his face was priceless. "Gray!?!?! They make gray outlets?!?!?!!?!?" This approach makes him a happy camper.

And happy campers keep my campground filled, even off-season.

 

[acrwc10]

Thanks!

FWIW, I know a lot of ECs who do tract developments will keep costs down by using only one color, and for most cookie-cutter homes, that's perfectly fine, both with me, them and the ultimate HO.

But my company is built on a one-on-one process with the person holding the checkbook. The guy with the tile job above already knows he's getting three colors of devices. When I held a gray recep up next to the tile, the expression on his face was priceless. "Gray!?!?! They make gray outlets?!?!?!!?!?" This approach makes him a happy camper.

And happy campers keep my campground filled, even off-season.

Whats an off season ??

Is that when someone leaves up there Christmas lights to long ?

I finished a job ( house ) last year where every thing was white except the kitchen back splash because the wall was "tan" some how we got LA on one side of the range and Ivory on the other side. With all the different shades in the marble it was unnoticeable . I put in my proposals " standard devices in white" unless spect otherwise. Why slow down progress.

 

[stars13bars2]

Are the three on the floor listed floor boxes?

 

[Krim]

I for one apparently are going blind,even with my glasses on in front of the monitor,I think that I see 1 receptacle on the floor and 1 on the lower right,2nd log up from the floor, and that's it . Can someone circle them all possibly in the picture & repost ?
This is one excellent job of disguising them 480sparky .

Carl

 

[stickboy1375]

"Sick" in meaning white just don't look good on wood walls.

Can you spot the 5 switches and 3 receptacles in this photo?:

Since you can't, image how they would look if they were white.

(Think of ivory today on nice (contemporary) new white walls.....)

Wheres Waldo????

 

[Krim]

Wheres Waldo????

Hiding in the chimney . ?
Or maybe that's him outside in the driver's seat of the van parked outside . ?

 

[480sparky]

Ok, maybe this angle shows them a little better: (i fibbed, there's 6 switches, not 5) And there's 3 receps, a tele and a CATV in this image:

Here's the 4 switches by the door:

and the 3 devices in the corner for the TV:

 

[Krim]

Ok, maybe this angle shows them a little better: (i fibbed, there's 6 switches, not 5) And there's 3 receps, a tele and a CATV in this image:

Here's the 4 switches by the door:

and the 3 devices in the corner for the TV:

Thanks sparky, even though you added the close ups , I could see them from the different angle and knowing just how many of what I was looking for . It's still an awesome job though " well done " .

Carl

 

[mdshunk]

Curious about 2 things.

• Where are you getting listed cover plates in wood?
• How does your inspector handle the issue that your receptacles aren't at least flush with the cover?

Nice work, and I'm not picking at nits. I am genuinely curious to know.

 

[Krim]

Now sparky , will you tell us if you had to cut the profile and the holes in the timbers or did the carpenters do it ahead of time for you and part deux how the heck did you run the wiring throughout the house , did the logs have to be hollowed out to accomodate that aspect prior to being set into place during the construction ?
Inquiring minds want to know .

Carl

 

[stickboy1375]

Alot of the wood plates I install have a metal backing to them.

 

[480sparky]

Curious about 2 things.

• Where are you getting listed cover plates in wood?
• How does your inspector handle the issue that your receptacles aren't at least flush with the cover?

Nice work, and I'm not picking at nits. I am genuinely curious to know.

What inspector? This place was so far out in the sticks, there's no inspectors. :smile:

I've never had an issue with the recep not being flush. They're thin enough as it is, plus there's a routed edge on the inside that reduces the thickness even more.

This is the only log home I've done where the owner wanted wood covers. So truth be told, i never checked for a listing (yea, go ahead....kick me while I'm down now!). But I got them at the local Big Blue store, so next time I go there, I'll check.

Now sparky , will you tell us if you had to cut the profile and the holes in the timbers or did the carpenters do it ahead of time for you and part deux how the heck did you run the wiring throughout the house , did the logs have to be hollowed out to accomodate that aspect prior to being set into place during the construction ?
Inquiring minds want to know .

Carl

I work closely with the logging crews when they start setting the walls. The two builders I have who do log homes don't do full-timber jobs.... they're called D-logs, based on their profile, so the logs (yes, they are logs, not milled lumber) are in reality a veneer. They're flat on the back and screwed to the studs. I don't set a box during rough-in, I just leave a tail of wire long enough to work with.

I give the log crew a 1-gang, 2-gang 3-gang and 4-gang boxes so they know how big they need to cut the logs. I mark what gang of box I need for each cut-out on the stud next to the wire tail in case I'm not there when they put up the logs.

Sometimes they're aren't perfect, and I need to get out a sawzall, but that's only 2 or 3 boxes in the whole house, so I don't complain.

On this house, there was one guy on the log crew who would use a chainsaw to flatten out the log around the box. He did it freehand. It was amazing to watch him do that... I would not have the stability or patience to attempt it.

Alot of the wood plates I install have a metal backing to them.

Yes, I remember they all had metal on the back.

 

[480sparky]

Here's a wall that's partially done:

You can see it's being installed on a stud wall. The back of the log is flat. The crew uses a 2" screw (called an Olie) at a 45" angle across the top into the stud to secure the top. To secure the bottom, they use a 10" Olie stright down into the log below.

You can also see two box cutouts behind the ladder.

 

[480sparky]

It took me a while, but I found a photo that shows the profile of the log: (Sorry for the poor quality, it's a small portion of the entire 7.2mp image):

As you can see, it looks like the letter D, flat on the back, with about 1-1/2" of flat on the top and bottom.

Make sense now?

 

[mdshunk]

What do you/they use to make the flats for the device plates to lay right? A jig of some sort w/ a router? Deft hand with a chainsaw?

 

[480sparky]

What do you/they use to make the flats for the device plates to lay right? A jig of some sort w/ a router? Deft hand with a chainsaw?

One outfit has the guy do it with a chain saw... that's what's in the close-up photos above.

Another crew uses a special, custom made tool that utilizes a circular saw moving back & forth that is adjusted using a threaded rod. Wish I had a photo of it, but the results are much better:

 

[mdshunk]

One outfit has the guy do it with a chain saw...
Another crew uses a special, custom made tool that utilizes a circular saw moving back & forth that is adjusted using a threaded rod.

Do they cut the rectangle for you too?

What box do you prefer for this application?

 

[480sparky]

Do they cut the rectangle for you too?

What box do you prefer for this application?

Yes, that's why I give them the 1-, 2-, 3- and 4-gang boxes, so they can use them as templates to cut the opening out.

I prefer (and I know there will be a lot of you guys cringe when I say this) Carlons Blue boxes.... and not the rigid ones, the ones that are soft & flexible. I need that flex sometimes to get the box to fit because they use a small chainsaw to cut them by hand, and they can end up night quite square and rather tight.

 

[mdshunk]

I prefer (and I know there will be a lot of you guys cringe when I say this) Carlons Blue boxes.... and not the rigid ones, the ones that are soft & flexible.

I'd probalby do the same thing, but what's your box fastening scheme? I suppose you have to nip off the piece that the nails go through first to get the thing stuffed back in the hole, but what do you do then? I think I see a couple drywall screws from the inside in your picture.

 

[480sparky]

I'd probalby do the same thing, but what's your box fastening scheme? I suppose you have to nip off the piece that the nails go through first to get the thing stuffed back in the hole, but what do you do then? I think I see a couple drywall screws from the inside in your picture.

You are correct. I pull the nails and snip off the clips. Then screw through the side into the log. Not much else I can do, unless someone out there has a better idea.