Old style mounting of gangable boxes

[fmdell]

I just finished a rewire of a "rewire" (In other words, someone pulled a lot of wire, but had NO idea what they were doing after that) in a house that is being stripped of plaster and lathe and will then be drywalled. But, because they are living there, they are only doing a couple of rooms at a time. In a couple of rooms in the upper floors, the previous "electrician" used gangable old work boxes and madison bars for the receptacles. I changed all of the devices throughout the house and made sure everything was properly terminated and grounded. What I had intended to do as the customer got to the point of gutting those rooms was to use the bars that we used to use that slip over the box's mounting tabs - one above and one below - and attached to the studs. That way, the electrical work would not need to be disturbed when the rooms are gutted and the customer could actually remount the boxes himself.

The problem is that I can not remember what they are called and could not find anything like them from the predictable source (Raco, Steel City, Crouse-Hind, ...)

Are those type of mounting bars still available and what are they actually called?

 

[mopowr steve]

They are called kruse strips or cruise strips, good luck finding them I bought a box of them several years ago when I had a hard time finding them. The box was even a little ratty. Meanwhile I'll look to see what brand they are and let you know.

 

[jrannis]

Madison clips, some people call them battleships.
I just installed a 30 amp outlet in drywall and used them for the first time knowing it would be the only thing able to hold against the heavy pull out.
I bought them at a Lowes for .29 a pair

 

[Dennis Alwon]

These are madison clips

but I don't think the op is talking about them. He wants the bar that is installed above and below the metal switch boxes and attaches to the ears.

You want Kruse strips and they can be found here page A12 http://www.lawoolley.com/pdf/steel_city_boxes.pdf

It may be easier to use a 1 gang gangable box with brackets for the first box and then add on

 

[jrannis]

Could it be this:

http://www.erico.com/products/CADDYcfcMntngBrcktAnyElecBx.asp

 

[fmdell]

kruse strips is probably correct

kruse strips is probably correct

The kruse strips are probably what I am after. I am familiar with all of the other suggested mounting means, but thanks anyway. The boxes were currently mounted with Madison bars, but the walls are so deteriorated that they will not support the boxes well with these - even with some attempts at plaster repair (Just not enough sound wall)

 

[fmdell]

Huh! there they are!

Huh! there they are!

but I don't think the op is talking about them. He wants the bar that is installed above and below the metal switch boxes and attaches to the ears.

You want Kruse strips and they can be found here page A12 http://www.lawoolley.com/pdf/steel_city_boxes.pdf

It may be easier to use a 1 gang gangable box with brackets for the first box and then add on

Those are the ones! Page Steel City, p. A12 Kruse switch box supports, Catalog # 8100 and 8101. Looked through that catalog prior to posting and blew right past them! The reason I am going with these instead of the gangable boxes with straps is that I would like to avoid tampering with the outlets again. With the Kruse bars, I can mount the boxes as they are. Also, I am unsure of how much slack I do or do not have on the wire once the plaster and lathe is demo'ed. They may need to stay pretty much where they are without shifting left or right toward a stud. Also, the homeowner can do this without having to call me back to tear into the boxes. I have already insured that every device is correctly wired so there is no point in repeating the work.

I'll be going with the 8100 because of the inconsistent stud spacing. Thanks so much for the info!

 

[mopowr steve]

Don't forget that when using these to tell the homeowner to cut or use shorter screws on the devices since they bottom out against the kruse strip! Save them from cussing up and down from stripping screws.

 

[fmdell]

You're right! would have forgotten

You're right! would have forgotten

You're right (about the screw length). It's been so long that I forgot about that. Although in this case, I'll be telling him to take a pair of diagonal cutters and nip the ends off of the bolts because the new devices are already in the box and the idea is for him not to have to disturb them. But, same principle - thanks!