Hi guys,
Does anyone know where I can buy a "Socket Template" like the one shown here:
Although it's shown in B&Q's fitting guide, it seems that they no longer sell it.
Thanks, jamie.
I'm puzzled as to why you need this? To me, and I could be wrong, it is unnecessary in circumstances that I have experienced, hence why it perhaps did not sell well? Seems like the marketer's joy for an unnecessary product.
Use the box to pencil out the area you need to drill ( having taken the appropriate precautions regarding wires, pipes, etc.) and drill. To drill just the depth required ensure that either the drill length is right by placement in the chuck or if required which I have often found to be the case, put a collar on the drill bit.
IMO the template has obvious time-saving benefits. It attaches to the wall at the pre-drilling stage, allowing the user to check alignment with a spirit level. It also includes a plastic 'lip' which shows where the faceplate will sit after installation - handy if you need to align it with adjacent sockets or switches. Drilling depth and ideal positioning of holes is take care of also.
Had one of those years ago, loved it, haven't touched it since I had an SDS with a rotary stop for chiselling.
They're obsolete. Great idea when all you had was a small round drill, but things have got better since.
We were somewhere around Barstow, on the edge of the desert, when the drugs began to take hold. I remember "jamie powell" saying something like:
You'd be better off with a proper box sinker.
Grimly Curmudgeon wibbled on Wednesday 24 February 2010 06:00
lots of holes with an SDS then chisel them together.
jamie powell wibbled on Wednesday 24 February 2010 02:02
What I did was print an outline template on paper, laminate it, cut a few "dashes" with a knife around the perimeter then use it to mark up the wall with a can of spray paint. I was doing a house load though.
For the odd few, I'd print off the template X times, tape to the wall and drill though it.
Think I've seen them instore recently, just beacuse one part of a site calls it one thing doesn't mean any other part is going to use the same term.
Not every one can drill lots of holes, free hand, close to each other, square to a surface, and to a consistent depth?
Depth is the easy one just wrap a bit of coloured tape around the drill at the right point. The others are just practice...
What you need to realise is you're talking to jamie. Easily led by adverts.
Saw some in our local B&Q last Wednesday, so they're still being sold at Brierfield - E Lancs
John
If you dont have an sds, get one.
NT
Think the idea of trying to make a perfect hole into brick etc likely to end in frustration. Much easier to make a larger one and make good afterwards. Not that a plastic guide will stop a drill wandering into brick etc anyway.
Hi Jamie,
I bought one from B&Q last year. It's called a "Patress Jig" and has a barcode of 0361 9377. If they still do them, you can find them on the electrical dept. Might be worth asking in store if they can check the barcode on their system to see whether is has been discontinued.
I recommend you have washers available as the screws you use to fix back to the wall tend to go through the plastic after a while.
That's one persons ideal positioning of holes. Your going to belt the shit out of the wall with a chisel to make the real hole. Do you really think you are going to end up with a perfectly aligned rectangular hole of even depth afterwards?
MBQ
Well true, but since having the SDS it has been a non issue really.
My technique:
Offer backbox to wall and draw round it. For hard bricks, sink a 20mm chisel bit straight into the wall just outside your line, to a depth appropriate for the box. Continue this all around the edge. Once you have the perimeter cut, switch to a wider chisel, and chop out the rest. Work from the middle toward each side. When you are the right depth at each side then level off the back. If you drill has a decent speed control its quite easy to plane down the back to a fairly level surface. Total time under 10 mins per double.
I used one for about 50 sockets in this house. It worked fine, and the holes were pretty even apart from where I had blown plaster (which would have gone anyway). All into brick. Nice neat holes, a few blows with a lectrician's chisel and that was it. Yes, the back of the hole wasn't always quite flat, but near enough. The start of the work pre-dated the SDS gadgets, so I carried on as before. The plastic stood up to use fine, apart from using washers as you mention. It guided the drill well.
It's a logical choice.
No shit sherlock.
Alignment should be fine. See examples here:
PS. Bet you don't really work at B&Q.
Thanks Dave - one of the few seemingly-useful posts amongst all the noise! Searching for pattress jig in B&Q's website still shows nothing, but I'll definitely ask them to check the code on their system.
Well well well, if it isn't Plowfool - the total idiot - often referred to in uk.tech.digital-tv as "The man whose brain is made from broken biscuits" - and with good reason too.
I shudder to think how many newsgroups you must be polluting with all your gobshite. I had initially hoped it was confined to one or two.
Yes I saw one in action a few years ago, and it did work well. The holes once chiselled were clean-cut, too.
This page also shows some examples:
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