Capping required?

[ban-all-sheds]

So are you saying you actually bash your fixing nails through the steel capping that's an absolute recipe for nicking a cable sooner or later. I always nail down the outside so the nail head holds the capping in place not nail through the capping, totally safe & no way can you can nick the cable.

Never use the stuff, but I thought the flanges had holes in for nailing?

The ordinary masonry drill bit used by most DIY's will give a very noticeable resistance when it hits steel, even thin steel cable capping; they are not designed to cut through steel, the cutting angles are all wrong. I did say "limited protection"; someone brandishing a decent hammer drill with enough intent & no thought will eventually go though capping but when you first hit it, the resistance you feel may just spark a warning!

 

[RF Lighting]

someone brandishing a decent hammer drill with enough intent & no thought will eventually go though capping but when you first hit it, the resistance you feel may just spark a warning!

We aren't talking about and instructed or competent person here.
We are talking a DIYer with a hammer drill.
If the drill doesn't go in he(she) just leans on it until it goes in - thru the capping and thru the cable.
I know
I've seen the results
It's not pretty

I did exactly that as an appo fitting some trunking above a fuse box.

Never occoured to me that there might be some wires coming out of said fuse box.

That was the day my boss taught me about safe zones

 

[ban-all-sheds]

I bought a new clock for a room here - it hangs on the wall above the light switch.

When I went to hang it, I thought "It's always annoyed me the way it's not in line with the switch, rather than just put it back up I'll take a few minutes to put another screw in an inch or so to the right".

I actually got as far as the tip of the drill bit touching the wall before I thought "Err, hang on a minute...."

 

[ColJack]

that story's changed since the last time you told it..
you drilled through the cable last time before realising why it was off to one side..

 

[Richard C]

All very true & I’ve also seen the results. But hitting steel capping will present noticeable resistance to your average masonry bit, certainly more than plastic or cable clips; the cutting angles just arn't right to go easily through steel.

I’ve also “done the deed” & I can personally vouch it was enough to make me think, “hang on something isn’t right here” It was the steel capping that saved the cables & I’ve used it over cable drops ever since; it won’t stop the determined but may just give enough "thought" time to save the cables & at around 50p a drop, it's well spent IMO.

PS. Don't know where you get your capping from BAS but I've never seen any with holes in the flanges; unless it's 2nd hand

 

[ban-all-sheds]

that story's changed since the last time you told it..
you drilled through the cable last time before realising why it was off to one side..

No.

What has changed are the circumstances of the almost drilling, not the outcome.

//www.diynot.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=1198683#1198683

I remembered the incident, but I thought it was when I got a new clock, not when I replaced the switch.

I've never drilled through a cable.

A water pipe yes, but never a cable.

 

[ebee]

"You'd have to have a pretty weedy drill for capping to stop it"

A mate of mine quotes the "Black & Decker Safety Drill"

He reckons B & D are safe to give to toddlers as the drills are so weak that if a child were to try to drill thru their hands then the drill would burn out first therefore protecting the child from harm. He thinks they are weedy.

LOL.

Capping serves no usefull purpose (save for the plasterers trowel) in fact has been know to constitute extra danger (metal capping that is) . I never use it.

 

[Richard C]

"
You'd have to have a pretty weedy drill for capping to stop it"

It has nothing to do with the drill; it’s the design, point & cutting angles of the drill bit.

"
A mate of mine quotes the "Black & Decker Safety Drill"
He reckons B & D are safe to give to toddlers as the drills are so weak that if a child were to try to drill thru their hands then the drill would burn out first therefore protecting the child from harm. He thinks they are weedy.
LOL.

They are built to a price; I had one years ago but wouldn’t buy one now; but then I wouldn't buy Bosch now either.

"
Capping serves no usefull purpose (save for the plasterers trowel)

Already covered that one; as I said, urban myth . No decent spread would ever damage cables in the process of plastering; he might be inclined to if you ****ed him off but usually, he’d just plaster over your boxes.

"
in fact has been know to constitute extra danger (metal capping that is).

Interesting, what “extra danger” does steel capping present

"
I never use it.

Personal choice is fine.

 

[mikhailfaradayski]

Hi Richard,

Im sorry, but it does happen. I know a very good plasterer, who BTW would never let anyone touch his trowel, ever! ( like you say, a well run in trowel is effectively a honed edge cutting tool ) The quality of his work is outstanding, not just flats, but arches/moulds etc.
But even he has nicked the odd cable or two.
I have come across it aswell, as a result of another plasterer, whose work was good aswell.

I accept that you may not have seen it, but it is not an 'urban myth', sorry.

WRT why it can be more dangerous, i think Ebee and other may agree.

Consider this,

-Metal capping will not prevent a 2" nail being walloped in by 16oz hammer, it will go through with easy.
-Nail goes directly through the line conductor and nothing else.
-Capping is in very close contact with the plasterwork.

What happens when Mr. DIY now hangs picture on nail, where picture frame has some of that very fine wire attached for hanging and his fingers are touching the wire?

or

He doesn't make contact with the nail, but some months/years later, he has a water leak from above, causing the plaster to become damp?

IMHO, if you really feel that you must use capping, use the PVC stuff, never the Galv. However, there is no reg which says it is necessary at all.

 

[mikhailfaradayski]

Oh, just thought of another thing.

You are right about drill cutting surfaces, normal metal HSS bits, chisel point, 112 deg included angle, 10-12 deg rake angle, will sail through thin galv, but a tungsten-carbide tipped drill in an SDS will aswell.
(I used to have cause to bolt a lot of aluminium extrusions to concrete floors, 5mm dia sds goes through 5mm thick alu like hot knife through butter)

 

[flameport]

Metal capping - also known as a finger slicer.
Plastic capping - rubbish, bends all over the place when installing, cracks easily, useless.

Should additional protection from trowels and whatever else be required, then oval plastic conduit is far easier and quicker.

Power tools:
Black and Decker - junk
Dewalt - overpriced black and decker in a different case.
Makita - good quality but grossly overpriced and likely to be stolen.
Bosch - hugely variable quality, some are ok but you don't know which ones until you have purchased them.
Ryobi - they were good once, but are now poorly made rubbish imported from China.

All battery powered tools - useless.

 

[holmslaw]

..

 

[RF Lighting]

I usually use oval conduit my self.

Also I'd like to stick up for makita. I've had a 24V SDS drill heading on for three years, getting daily heavy trade use. Still going strong, and just as much grunt as a mains drill.

 

[Richard C]

I still think it's better than plastic & certainly better than nothing but not for the reason generally given by sparks. I'm obviously unique in the spread world as I’ve never nicked a cable & I can't think of any way I could possible achieve it at any stage of the plastering process. Plastering is a skill & you'd have to physically attack a cable to damage it to any extent with a trowel & if a spreads trowel is honed to a "cutting edge", something aint quiet right in his plastering world

It’s getting boring & I give in ; at least till the next time someone says capping is necessary as a guard against plasterers damaging cables.

It's light hearted but I'm surprised at the lack of support from any of the other spreads

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Maybe it's mainly necessary when electricians do the plastering?