Anyone else having trouble with those "cheapo" cross bars?

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bjp_ne_elec

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I worked some ceiling lights today that I was about ready to toss out the 2nd floor window. The cross bar that came with these globe type ceiling lights were thinner than I'm used to, and when you run the two screws that hold the fixture, the screws run smack in to the plastic part of the box that receive the screws that hold the crossbar to the box. And before I even ran in to this snag, the slots in the bracket weren't wide enough to put the 8/32 through. Can't believe the junk that's out there.

Wish I could remember the name brand, but I'm sure the owner got them from Home Cheapo. A good reason not to let the HO pick out and provide the fixtures.
 
I use allied molded boxes, and usually you dont need a fixture bar, the boxes have two screw holes on each side and one set or the other will line up with the fixture holes.
 
The only thing that's worse is trying to hang a fixture that has that little all-thread tube in the middle of the fixture strap, and it's roughed in with a saddle box. :mad: You need to saw off the fixture all thread to a pretty exact length, in that case.
 
Dave--
I think those screws that come with the fixture are a metric version of our 8/32 screws. I hate them--- Usually throw them out and use my own but I have had the bar be too small for my screws so I used the ones that came with the fixture and they held firmly.
 
Dennis - exactly - I think they're 7-32's (actually probably metric as you suggested), but they won't tighten in to the holes in the boxes. Both sets of screws that came with the particular brand of fixture were this size. One had a larger head, and was intended for the two screws that would eventually hold the ceiling light, The other two are probably intended for the box, but no one must have told them that we have 8-32 holes here in the states. Who knows what third world country this trash is manufactured in.
 
bjp_ne_elec said:
Dennis - exactly - I think they're 7-32's (actually probably metric as you suggested), but they won't tighten in to the holes in the boxes. Both sets of screws that came with the particular brand of fixture were this size. One had a larger head, and was intended for the two screws that would eventually hold the ceiling light, The other two are probably intended for the box, but no one must have told them that we have 8-32 holes here in the states. Who knows what third world country this trash is manufactured in.
Click to expand...

Just use your klien tap driver and make that metric into a 8-32. simple done in a flash.
 
That would fix the holes in the cross bar - but the screws that go in to those holes run smack dab in to the plastic section of the box. Then the slots aren't big enough to get the 8-32's in. I did find out that you can get new cross bars - and the wider version - at the box stores. They go for $1.99. Probably more than the customer paid for the ceiling light.

All future bids will be adjusted, if I'm not supplying the fixtures. Live and learn - and believe me, I've got a whole bunch more learin' to go. The business side of this is where I need the learnin' - and again, having access to this forum (Thanks Mike!) and the feedback of a great bunch of guys is making that learning go much quicker.
 
When possible, I, like Stickboy, prefer to run the 8-32's directly into the box, and place the fixture keyholes over them.

When I must use a crossbar, like when the fixture uses studs and nuts, I prefer to use the 2-piece rotating X crossbars.

Like the one seen here:

20030301_Hang_a_light_page004img001.jpg
 
Stickboy - in the situation I seem to be running up against, if you cut the screws, then they're not long enough to get the key holes. From the cross bar to the plastic that it's hitting in the box, I'm talking about four threads.
 
I probable would have just inserted the screw upside down and just used a nut & washer on the fixture side... that would work just fine... I've been doing this for 10+ years and I know where your coming from, but i've yet to come across a fixture that I could just not install easily...
 
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Stickboy - I hear ya. These screws are an odd thread as well (and I didn't have the odd size nut for them to do what you suggested), and I think just tapping them out, and running the screws through would be one solution I'll keep in mind. I did quite a bit of commercial work before getting back in to the trade again recently, and on commercial fixtures you generally wre dealing with good quality hardware. I never did much residential before, and it's just a new learning curve I'm working up. What I find most bothersome is the quality of some of the stuff that's out there - it's just junk - and I'll need to pick up some tricks so that I can reach the level that you're at.

Don't get me wrong, I don't want full days of things being so easy that I can do everything in my sleep. It's the challenges that you run across that make each day exciting.

Thanks
 
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