shoddy items

Just a quick moan about the derogatory use of "shoddy." I feel almost as strongly about it as when people say they are going to Nick a bike or a car. Up here in t'north, shoddy is something proudly made in factories - mostly around Dewsbury - and there's nothing shoddy about Shoddy.

PS. I've come across multiway strips like that in Argentina but I had no idea they had arrived in the UK. Any sign of a UKCA or CE mark or a kitemark on it?

Nick

Oh, I'd never heard of "shoddy" as anything other than being low quality, wikip has further enlightened me. I have to say it feels like someone should have been fighting for shoddy and mungo's corner about 50 years ago, the original meaning has been overwhelmed now?

No independent certification marks, just the relevant BS number, which I think is taken as a declaration from the manufacturer that it meets that standard?

SMJ Electrical Ltd, according to Companies House they folded 2 years ago, but I see various products still sold by several retailers/wholesalers.

Batley and Dewsbury were known as the "shoddy towns" - according to my geography teacher, but that was a long time ago...

The topic probably came up because the "Woolmark" for Pure New Wool was only introduced in 1964 - I started at the school in 1965

Shoddy was shoddy. Made from recycled clothes IIRC

I bought a "wireless controlled" 4-way mains block a little while ago. It was needed for some remote testing at $WORK. The Wifi control needed a custom Android app to run, but my idea was to rework this using the open source Tasmoto firmware, so that it be controlled via a linux PC just connecting and sending messages etc.

I opened this thing up and identified the wifi module which I intended to replace (or reprogram, can't remember) ... but what I saw inside terrified me. it was all copper parts just rubbing up against each other, bit of plastic sheet folded over just using friction, etc. Yours sounds very similar. The prospect of putting all this back together and me being responsible for the safety of anyone using it put me off, and I ended up binning the project.

I have never heard the term 'snake eye bit' before!

J^n

What else do you call them?

Not heard that term before so had to look it up. I call them two prong bits or two prong security bits. Never come across a use for them yet ... perhaps one day!

One eyed trouser snakes?

The cheapy 6-way was the first time I'd used them, which was why I was annoyed that the small bit broke straight away. The 'Laser' ones have just arrived and look a lot more up to the job (I ought to throw out the other ones, but suspect the temptation to keep them as spares will win).

"those security bits with the two prongs on the side"...

Light has finally dawned: are you talking about something that looks like a flat screwdriver bit with the middle nibbled out?

I didn't need the other 71 shapes and sizes in a kit so I grabbed the nearest bit of scrap steel rod[1]and with a grinding wheel, fashioned a flat driver and cut the middle bit out. That was years ago and I'm still using it today.

Nick [1]Which just happened to be an old cello spike but other sources of steel rod are available.

For the hand tool version just butcher a flat screwdriver blade.

Dog-tooth driver?

I've still got a very cheap screwdriver like that, made years ago, I don't recall using it or making it. Many things disappeared during the house rebuild, and other things were left behind...