Things that make you want to scream

[peter d]

Picture this. 1930's era house with the crunchy old BX. Your friend decides he wants to be an electrician so he takes some old boxes apart. He's in way over his head so you be a good friend and give him a hand. You get there and the conductors coming out of the BX are two inches long and the insulation is crumbling off. There is zero slack whatsoever in the wall to strip back the BX to get at some undamaged conductors. It's Sunday night, it's getting late and dark, and you're running out of options.

But hey, if it was easy, everybody would be an electrician.

 

[sparkchaser1961]

Sometimes when I run into this I try to put a doublegang box in and use two duplexes just so I can gain a little on the wires

 

[Karl H]

Picture this. 1930's era house with the crunchy old BX. Your friend decides he wants to be an electrician so he takes some old boxes apart. He's in way over his head so you be a good friend and give him a hand. You get there and the conductors coming out of the BX are two inches long and the insulation is crumbling off. There is zero slack whatsoever in the wall to strip back the BX to get at some undamaged conductors. It's Sunday night, it's getting late and dark, and you're running out of options.

But hey, if it was easy, everybody would be an electrician.

Everyone is'nt a electrician?

 

[480sparky]

Time for your sales pitch to start......

 

[mdshunk]

That's when you tell your friend, "Darn, I sure wish I knew more about all this electrical stuff. Let me know how you make out."

 

[peter d]

That's when you tell your friend, "Darn, I sure wish I knew more about all this electrical stuff. Let me know how you make out."

Actually, I gave him your number so he could get some advice.

 

[peter d]

Everyone is'nt a electrician?

Well, I'm definitely not an electrician.

 

[tonyou812]

I would have laughed at him and said the same thing as marc. "Let me know how that works out for you"

 

[steelersman]

Actually, I gave him your number so he could get some advice.

he'd be out of luck, and power for that matter at least for the night.

 

[480sparky]

"Why did you call me? Electricity scares me and I'm fearless!"

 

[Karl H]

Well, I'm definitely not an electrician.

Oh you have'nt read Home Depot's Wiring 1-2-3?Great read!

 

[peter d]

Oh you have'nt read Home Depot's Wiring 1-2-3?Great read!

Yes, I did. I also picked up some screwdriver and pliers, a coil of zip cord and 10 rolls of duct tape. Now I am ready to be an electrician.

 

[Karl H]

Yes, I did. I also picked up some screwdriver and pliers, a coil of zip cord and 10 rolls of duct tape. Now I am ready to be an electrician.

I bought a orange apron for service calls.Say's to the customer,
Proooofesssionnaaal! I wrote that with a Sharpie,You know to really
drive it home.

 

[billdozier]

Man I do plcs all day thats out of my league or hey im a piperunner not a magician

 

[aftershock]

Picture this. 1930's era house with the crunchy old BX. Your friend decides he wants to be an electrician so he takes some old boxes apart. He's in way over his head so you be a good friend and give him a hand. You get there and the conductors coming out of the BX are two inches long and the insulation is crumbling off. There is zero slack whatsoever in the wall to strip back the BX to get at some undamaged conductors. It's Sunday night, it's getting late and dark, and you're running out of options.

But hey, if it was easy, everybody would be an electrician.

I would like to read how this story pans out. I have dealt with that old BX before. I was lucky on a few occasions as was able to pull it out with new romex tied to the other end. Kinda like using it as the fish tape. And I think I was only lucky a few times, maybe twice, but was able to actually pull the individual conductors out. If that were to happen it would be pure luck since that old wire tends to stick to the BX.

 

[peter d]

I would like to read how this story pans out.

I was able to reinstall the old pancake boxes, but barely. Naturally when I was connecting the old wire back together, one of the splices broke off leaving about 1" of free conductor to work with sticking out of the box. :roll:

It just amazes me how things were done back them. I looked in a few other boxes inn the house and true to tradition of that time period, there's no more than 3" of free conductor available in every box.

 

[tonyou812]

I guess you could but splice or use a suitcase(or polaris) on new wire if you dont have enough to pigtail to. If the insulation flakes off you can slip over new thhn. If its 14 wire use #12 insulation that you can slip off and re insert on to your wire than use heat shrink to hold it on and some tape . As for the rest it should be ok if its in that tight bundle of wax covered cloth, just make sure it still has a bushing, the paper ones tend to flake away.
Pulling out the bx acually works pretty well too but I wouldnt count on it.

 

[peter d]

Pulling out the bx acually works pretty well too but I wouldnt count on it.

I looked into that, but it wasn't gonna happen on a Sunday night.

 

[masterinbama]

I get $115 an hour $55 per day per diem + expenses when can I start?

 

[acrwc10]

You should ask him if he has any other friends, maybe a sheet-rocker friend, then you could just give him a hammer and a shovel.
I believe it was Forest Gump that said "friends aren't like busses there isn't on around every corner" This would be a good time to find out if Forest is right or wrong.