An alternative for shims?

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kwired said:
Especially most rings under 1 inch of depth that typically have rounded corners. Square cornered rings I can see being much more like using rotary cutter around a straight edged box and easier to get a close fit cut, I hung my share of drywall before, but mostly around NM boxes, those mud rings I can see being a bit more of a pain to cut out.
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I always use a PVC mud ring since they have square corners.

The other alternative is to just have the drywallers do correctly what their getting paid to.
 
LarryFine said:
I believe the drywallers are cutting the holes too large for the ears to rest against it.
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Walk around with a pencil after the rock is hung and draw a circle around every opening that is cut too large and write FILL next to it. That's what I do and filling is the right way to do it.

Yeah, I know that isn't going to work for you a lowly apprentice, but I wouldn't go out of my way at my own expense either fixing other's mistakes. Let them flop around or the plates get broken and let your boss figure it out.

-Hal
 
nizak said:
I always use a PVC mud ring since they have square corners.

The other alternative is to just have the drywallers do correctly what their getting paid to.
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I guess that sort of has advantages, until you are in a place of assembly and the NM mud ring is improper.
 
There was a discussion earlier at:

Device plaster ears

Should you bend the plaster ears to shim out a switch or receptical? Is the hole in the ears really for bending a hook in wire for under screw head install? Ive seen all sorts of stuff over the years but have never found a definate answer to these questions or guide to proper use of the...
forums.mikeholt.com
 
LarryFine said:
I do it to compensate for the heads of the 8-32 box screws.
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Yes, that too. That's why I said, one of the reasons. Between the screw heads and the radius of the drawn mud ring, you need the extra 1/8" to get the ring close to being flush with the surface of the drywall.

I'm curious why the OP's contractor "doesn't believe in upsizing" the mud rings.
 
Boxes with mounting bracket usually will set the front of the box about 1/8" back from face of stud if the mounting bracket is flush with face of stud.

Listing could possibly be issue with PVC mud rings. Metallic ones shouldn't require listing, non metallic should though.

Other than that I already mentioned places of assembly could be a problem also because of restrictions on non metallic wiring methods.
 
hbiss said:
By "plates" do you mean raised rings on 1900 (4x4) boxes? If you (correctly) use a 1/2 inch raise with 1/2" sheetrock it will be about 1/8" from the face. The sheetrock opening should be cut tight to the ring or box. You WANT it to be recessed rather than sticking out, that way the ears can rest on the sheetrock. You tighten your screws enough so that when you install your plate and tighten those screws the plate pulls on the device screws and supports and holds the device in place. So it's the finish plate PULLING on the screws and pushing on the wall that secures the device from moving.

I have no idea why you would normally need washers or shims on the screws. Sounds like you aren't doing something right.

-Hal
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I don't believe this is the way it's meant to be done otherwise self grounding yoke receptacles wouldn't exist. Upsizing rings an 1/8 inch doesn't bump them out it makes them flush where u don't have to rely on rockers for your devices to be easy to install. It's also a lot harder for them to cake your boxes with mud if they are flush too. This is just something I've learned I dont know any rule that forbids this but I do know u aren't allowed to have a box recessed more than 1/4 inch
 
Jon456 said:
Yes, that too. That's why I said, one of the reasons. Between the screw heads and the radius of the drawn mud ring, you need the extra 1/8" to get the ring close to being flush with the surface of the drywall.

I'm curious why the OP's contractor "doesn't believe in upsizing" the mud rings.
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What about the caddy hangers, dimeheads for track and blocking in metal framed buildings? Do u really think 2, 8/32 screws are gonna show on 4 square boxes? And this would be no issue in residential with nail on boxes why do u think nail on boxes are marked at 1/2 for 1/2 rock? It's designed to be flush your securing means should not be drywall or some weak mud they patch in. At least in my opinion. Just seems nit picky I guess everyone has a personal acceptable margin of error and what's okay.
 
If your box is near a corner and you do have it set 1/2" from stud face, it still may be set back some after they mud the corner.

A 3 or 4 gang box may be set back more near the corner than it is on the side away from the corner.
 
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