Tools you wish you'd bought sooner...
Discussion
Chumley.mouse said:
I always thought that a shock from 110 was not powerful enough to make the muscles spasm , so for instance if you were holding a lead and got a shock you could let in go ? Or is that wrong ?
Yes, not a tool, yes, not a work site, but - driving dodgem cars over the weekend, the ceiling was 110V dc+, the floor was 110V dc- , the guy selling tickets said that yes, it did hurt but wasn't as bad as you would expect. (the mast that rubs against the ceiling sometimes lost the internal insulation on the older cars, he seemed to indicate he could still move the car even while being zapped - unsure of what shoes he was wearing though)I did not try.
dickymint said:
finlo said:
gfreeman said:
finlo said:
The 110 thing was more about the isolation provided by the transformer than the level of voltage.
The 230/240 must be protected by a 30ma RCD but you're correct that most sites won't allow but that's more about the ignorance of the site management.
Rubbish!The 230/240 must be protected by a 30ma RCD but you're correct that most sites won't allow but that's more about the ignorance of the site management.
If you manage a construction site you have a duty of care and you must be able to demonstrate that duty in writing and in practice.
A RCD does not eliminate the risk completely, especially when you consider the environment of a typical building site.
At the later stages of a project it is not unusual to remove the temporary supplies and use the permanent supply short term.
To do so and satisfy your duty of care (potentially demonstrating to the Law and the HSE) you have to write a specific risk assessment for each and every use of something that has the potential to kill you -ie 240v.
In practice this involves for each and every use, on a daily basis or task basis, assessing each individual work zone, circumstance of use, visual inspection of tools and cables and to test the RCD before use.
With all that faffing about it is obvious why we use 110v for site supplies, lighting, fire alarms etc.
Battery operated power tools are great and most sites are swamped with them. But they do bring their own problems…
Theft and battery charging. If you have a large site it is not unusual to have 50 to 60 tradesmen all with chargers. Keeping that lot satisfied is a full time job from “that blokes nicked my battery” to the type of skullduggery that would astound the Artful Dodger. It is unfortunately a common occurrence for tools to get stolen and very difficult to police. Battery theft is even worse.
Perhaps you'd get away with it on house extensions but I wouldn't want to work with anyone who didn't have what I call the correct tools.
mickk said:
If i started un coiling a 230v extension lead on any site I've ever worked at I would be kicked off and asked never to return.
Perhaps you'd get away with it on house extensions but I wouldn't want to work with anyone who didn't have what I call the correct tools.
I know and agree I’m just saying it’s not a legal requirement. It’s up to whoever runs the ‘site’. Perhaps you'd get away with it on house extensions but I wouldn't want to work with anyone who didn't have what I call the correct tools.
When I was selling German handheld mixers we were the only market they supplied in 110v, and this was a problem.
Using 230v you’d get more oomph from a smaller motor, but convert it to 110v and it’s physically bigger, so they couldn’t offer direct comparison machines (110v were only 80% as torquey for a given wattage).
That was after much harrumphing just getting 110v made. You’ll notice the continentals don’t seem to have a stack of corpses outside building sites from 230v exposure. They told us the mains power should be safe enough ‘cos of RCD circuits they had as standard.
Despite many years trying to sell UK tradesmen superior 230v machines, you can’t buck the market. So we supplied 110v and a load of replacement trigger switches due to overheating.
As has been said, 230v never was outlawed, they just made it very difficult to use on UK sites. We did have a number of UK based transformer manufacturers back then, too, but I think they’ve all gone now.
Using 230v you’d get more oomph from a smaller motor, but convert it to 110v and it’s physically bigger, so they couldn’t offer direct comparison machines (110v were only 80% as torquey for a given wattage).
That was after much harrumphing just getting 110v made. You’ll notice the continentals don’t seem to have a stack of corpses outside building sites from 230v exposure. They told us the mains power should be safe enough ‘cos of RCD circuits they had as standard.
Despite many years trying to sell UK tradesmen superior 230v machines, you can’t buck the market. So we supplied 110v and a load of replacement trigger switches due to overheating.
As has been said, 230v never was outlawed, they just made it very difficult to use on UK sites. We did have a number of UK based transformer manufacturers back then, too, but I think they’ve all gone now.
Help! I have a cutlery draw liner that is probably 3mm too wide.
It’s some cheap plastic thing, about 3mm thick, I’d use a jigsaw but the issue is the trays are close to the edge, so I can’t easily get a big tool to the side.
What tool do you guys recommend? I was thinking some straight tin snips. Not sure a sharp blade would do it.
It’s some cheap plastic thing, about 3mm thick, I’d use a jigsaw but the issue is the trays are close to the edge, so I can’t easily get a big tool to the side.
What tool do you guys recommend? I was thinking some straight tin snips. Not sure a sharp blade would do it.
illmonkey said:
Help! I have a cutlery draw liner that is probably 3mm too wide.
It’s some cheap plastic thing, about 3mm thick, I’d use a jigsaw but the issue is the trays are close to the edge, so I can’t easily get a big tool to the side.
What tool do you guys recommend? I was thinking some straight tin snips. Not sure a sharp blade would do it.
Steel rule and a fresh stanley knife blade. It’s some cheap plastic thing, about 3mm thick, I’d use a jigsaw but the issue is the trays are close to the edge, so I can’t easily get a big tool to the side.
What tool do you guys recommend? I was thinking some straight tin snips. Not sure a sharp blade would do it.
illmonkey said:
Help! I have a cutlery draw liner that is probably 3mm too wide.
It’s some cheap plastic thing, about 3mm thick, I’d use a jigsaw but the issue is the trays are close to the edge, so I can’t easily get a big tool to the side.
What tool do you guys recommend? I was thinking some straight tin snips. Not sure a sharp blade would do it.
DremelIt’s some cheap plastic thing, about 3mm thick, I’d use a jigsaw but the issue is the trays are close to the edge, so I can’t easily get a big tool to the side.
What tool do you guys recommend? I was thinking some straight tin snips. Not sure a sharp blade would do it.
illmonkey said:
Help! I have a cutlery draw liner that is probably 3mm too wide.
It’s some cheap plastic thing, about 3mm thick, I’d use a jigsaw but the issue is the trays are close to the edge, so I can’t easily get a big tool to the side.
What tool do you guys recommend? I was thinking some straight tin snips. Not sure a sharp blade would do it.
You'd probably cut that with a good pair of scissors, don't tell the missus though.It’s some cheap plastic thing, about 3mm thick, I’d use a jigsaw but the issue is the trays are close to the edge, so I can’t easily get a big tool to the side.
What tool do you guys recommend? I was thinking some straight tin snips. Not sure a sharp blade would do it.
Lotobear said:
I think Noah used that saw in it's Elu guise to build the Ark
. The stand is great, always meant to buy some extra brackets for mine and make a shelf to rest tools/ timber on. One day...wolfracesonic said:
Lotobear said:
I think Noah used that saw in it's Elu guise to build the Ark. The stand is great, always meant to buy some extra brackets for mine and make a shelf to rest tools/ timber on. One day...
snotrag said:
illmonkey said:
Help! I have a cutlery draw liner that is probably 3mm too wide.
It’s some cheap plastic thing, about 3mm thick, I’d use a jigsaw but the issue is the trays are close to the edge, so I can’t easily get a big tool to the side.
What tool do you guys recommend? I was thinking some straight tin snips. Not sure a sharp blade would do it.
Steel rule and a fresh stanley knife blade. It’s some cheap plastic thing, about 3mm thick, I’d use a jigsaw but the issue is the trays are close to the edge, so I can’t easily get a big tool to the side.
What tool do you guys recommend? I was thinking some straight tin snips. Not sure a sharp blade would do it.
The plasma cutter is on order for next time
PS - is snotrag a reference to Rik Mayall? And have I asked you that before
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