Garage electric funny old cable - help please

Taylortwocities · 14 Jul 2015

I agree, John. In many years of domestic sparking I have never had the need to terminate pyro. We did a couple of hours of 'pyro-mania' at college (236) - in the good old days when the C&G was a proper craft qualification - but there was no level of competence gains as a result of the process from any of my classmates!

It is a skill, you need the proper tools to make a half decent job of it. Strippers, pot wrenches, etc. And a lot of practise.

I do remember that there was a lot of routines on carrying out IR tests on the MICC before and after terminating, and what to do if results were not up to scratch.

flyingsparks · 14 Jul 2015

When I was an apprentice I had the job with a fellow chap to rewire a church in pyro. I loved the stuff as soon as I started using it. Being able to make an installation look neat and tidy and know it will last.
When we got to the pyro part at college, where we terminated a couple glands nearly every other student let the cores twist inside the pot. I was the only one who got a good joint - but then I had by then made off quite a few!
When I went self employed 2 yrs ago I bought all the tools and kit to make sure it could still do it if needed. I have done 2 jobs enviro ing pyro in that time.
I am only 29 so not an old time spark - but I would like to think that as more and more 'electricians' come along who don't even know what pyro is, I can still keep the old traditions going.
Brilliant cable. Bring it back!

JohnW2 · 14 Jul 2015

Taylortwocities said:
I agree, John. In many years of domestic sparking I have never had the need to terminate pyro. We did a couple of hours of 'pyro-mania' at college (236) - in the good old days when the C&G was a proper craft qualification - but there was no level of competence gains as a result of the process from any of my classmates! ... It is a skill, you need the proper tools to make a half decent job of it. Strippers, pot wrenches, etc. And a lot of practise.

Indeed so. ... and, as for 'amateurs', even though I'm probably towards an end of the spectrum thereof, I would never dream of going anywhere near pyro, and could not possibly justify the time, effort and cost that would be necessary to make me able to deal with it competently. I don't doubt that, like most people, I could acquire that skill if I really wanted/needed to - but there would just be no point.

Kind Regards, John

endecotp · 14 Jul 2015

Presumably there must be plenty of alarm installers who use it regularly. Or is that stuff subtlety different?

ban-all-sheds · 14 Jul 2015

What stuff? FPn00 fireproof cable? The difference is not subtle.

skotl · 14 Jul 2015

ban-all-sheds said:
skotl said:

Wow. I know there are frequent debates on here about what's suitable for a DIYer and what's not, but that link makes it absolutely clear why terminating pyro isn't a job for the amateur.

Click to expand...

Subject to the disclaimer that I haven't actually tried it yet, I don't think there's anything "clear" about it being an intrinsically unsuitable job.

A not inconsiderable amount of practice would be necessary, I'm sure, requiring time and financial investments, but that doesn't equate to unsuitable.

Jeez. You are a contrary cuss, aren't you, b-a-s?

Most of the time on here you're extremely quick to instruct someone that they are not competent to perform some task, but all of a sudden you're advocating that an amateur could/should invest in the tools and time required to terminate pyro?

You know what I meant, but you can't resist provoking a ~~debate~~ argument

Taylortwocities · 14 Jul 2015

There's always the "ignore" button. But think of the fun you would be missing

securespark · 14 Jul 2015

Like others here, I did MICC at college in the 80's and plenty once through college. But I know loads of sparks who don't know the first thing about it.
It's not, IME, entirely a generational thing: you've either worked with it or you haven't.

ban-all-sheds · 14 Jul 2015

skotl said:
Jeez. You are a contrary cuss, aren't you, b-a-s?

No - I just have this belief in truth and accuracy etc being good things.

Most of the time on here you're extremely quick to instruct someone that they are not competent to perform some task, but all of a sudden you're advocating that an amateur could/should invest in the tools and time required to terminate pyro?

No - I never said should. But of course they could, if they wanted to.

And why would that be a bad thing, as it would develop a new competence?

You know what I meant, but you can't resist provoking a ~~debate~~ argument

I know what you wrote.

I did not appreciate at the time that you did not mean what you wrote.

RF Lighting · 15 Jul 2015

Dave54 said:
Anyone here done the "glazed" seals? We were shown how to do them by the BICC guys who came to train us when we were apprentices, but I never actually used them.

We were taught about them during my apprenticeship but I've never actually seen one in the flesh.

I was told they're only normally used in intrinsically safe and explosion proof installations.
I've done my fair share of explosion proof work mainly in car spraying booths and GRP solvent stores and only ever encountered standard pot seals.

The company I served my apprenticeship at did a fair bit of pyro work installing it in churches, and maintaining / altering it in factories, theatres and 1960s schools. Once you know how to work with it, you will want to use it everywhere. It's brilliant stuff.

A lot of the really big construction sites I've worked on recently seem to be now wiring the fire alarms in pyro again instead of FP200

333rocky333 · 15 Jul 2015

never heard of glazed seals,

on the Ex courses for petrol stations , you get to use the pink disc seals which are flat with holes in, the stub sleeving has collars pre moulded on, and you thread it through the back of the disc before crimping.

When you crimp the seal, too much pressure bulges the seal and its desighned to split and change colour, if it does then it fails.

This tests your pyro skills and you cant cheat and underfill as they randomly cut some open, I done pyro daily for 5 years as well as throughout the rest of my career and still split the first disc.
Due to the stub shoulders going in the pot, you have to limit the compound fill to account for it, I think it was 3 core plus earth tag so got a bit tight.
With standard seals Slight overfill tends to ooze out and not such a problem, with pink seals no chance.

All the glands and earth tail pots you tend too buy are Ex rated afaik just the sealing discs different I recall.
Still seems to be the choice on petrol pumps as the only other options swa with Ex termination glands and locknuts

Adam_151 · 15 Jul 2015

RF Lighting said:
digs

Just shy of 4 hours to London from leeds isn't it? Could be on site for half eight, you'd be back in the van before noon with just a lesuirely drive home in the afternoon

ban-all-sheds · 15 Jul 2015

Is he Big Spark, aka FWL Engineer?

333rocky333 · 15 Jul 2015

£700, just about cover parking, con charge, etc etc plus his old passion wagon has to be emision freindly or another fine

Adam_151 · 15 Jul 2015

ban-all-sheds said:
Is he Big Spark, aka FWL Engineer?

I just about remember FWL on here... but I'm not sure I get the relevance of the above ??

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Garage electric funny old cable - help please

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