Ok, this is particularly for the electricians out there. Several simple questions.
– Do you use these style conduit fittings much?
– I’ve seen them a few places, but never used them. What are they actually called?
I now have a box of 15 lbs or so of these fittings now. Not sure what to do with them. Can I slide the conduit in and use a punch and hammer to secure them together? Or should I just sell them to someone who knows what to do with them?
Thanks for any info.
Billy
Replies
If you're talking about thinwall (EMT) crimp fittings, I've seen them in installations that were put in 30 years ago,but have never used them myself,or worked for a contractor that used them.I think there was a Hy-Press tool for using them,but that's only my recollection of what an oldtimer told me.Maybe someone else has the tool.Setscrew type fittings would be so much easier to use and they're so cheap I'd just $hitcan the crimp stuff if it was taking up space in my garage.
E-BAY! The rare hard to find collector items. I've seen them out in the field but never in the supply house. My guess is it was something that had more shortcomings then benefits.
Who Dares Wins.
As far as I know the technique is still approved. I don't know where you can get the indent style fittings or special tool. They were used quite a lot around here 20 years ago. They seem to work well if installed correctly. Tough to modify. They fall apart if the indent is not done correctly. Same with a set screw connector but a set screw model can be reset, repositioned and often reused. All without resort to a specialized and bulky tool.
Klien, Square D and Ideal make tools for the occasion. 90$ to 215$. You decide.
Thanks to all. My garage has a little bit of conduit that is done with these, just wasn't sure if they were used much anymore. My garage is the only place I've seen them used.
What happened is I bought two big lots of misc. conduit stuff at a thrift store. $13 total. All told there were 2 5 gallon buckets, 3 milk crates, and 2 boxes full of stuff. I've been sorting it out. Have thrown away at least a bucket full of badly rusted stuff. Have 10-15 lbs of the crimp fittings. Hate to toss them, I just hate waste, so I guess I'll try ebay, someone may still use them. Also, lots of set screw type fittings, and compression fittings. I shouldn't need to buy any 1/2" conduit fittings, probably for life.
Also about 20 pulling elbows, one 2", a bunch of 1.25" and 3/4", and some inbetween. Then lots of misc. rigid & emt conduit stuff: Couplings, reducers, nipples, offsets, anti-short bushings, grounding bushings, split bolts, etc.. All the way up to a few 3 & 4" pieces.
Even have 6 plastic weatherheads; 1 2", 1 1.5", and 4 3/4". Plus 2 metal 1.5" weatherheads.
I plan to ebay a bunch of it, I'm a hobbyist, used to do electrical work for the army, but now it's just for myself. And a little for family now and again. Way more then I'm likely to use in this lifetime. Figure I'll keep an assortment of the bigger stuff, and all of the 1/2 and 3/4 stuff. Just need to buy a 3/4 bender.
Just been slowly sorting through it. Nearly have that done now. Now the hard part, what do I keep, and how do I store it? I intend to do some conduit in my garage, but that's all small stuff. Someday I'll build a shop out back, so I'll need some of the bigger stuff. My BIL is gonna build a shop, which I'm sure I'll wire. I'll probably run power to both of these underground, so I can probably sell the weatherheads (is this the right name?).
Anyone ever feel too blessed? I mean long term this will save me lots of money, but sorting, selling, and figuring out storage is gonna be a pain. Not to complain or anything.<G>
If your on good terms with any electricians, particularly ones who do commercial work, ask about any that might use the fittings. If your close you might ask or post a notice at any local electrical supply houses. Some of the older companies may still have the tool on hand and would view the fittings as valuable. I don't think you will get much but being local payments and shipping would be less an issue.
Thanks, good idea. I am good friends with a local electrician. I'll ask him if he knows anyone that uses the things. Heck, he's welcome to them if he has any use, or knows anyone that does. I just hate to throw away good things.
If I decide to ebay them, I'll start them at a dollar or two, just to see if they'll sell.
Thanks for responding. I just wasn't familiar with this crimp fittings, wasn't sure if I should try to find someone who could use them, or toss them.
Not sure anyone really cares about this topic, but I talked to my friend the other day. He said he started out using those crimp style fittings. Said they were absolute garbage. Noone sells them anymore, and he wouldn't use them if I gave him a lifetime supply with the tools to install them.
I guess I'll toss them. Told him to come by and see if he has a use for any of the other fittings. I'll use some, but 8 weatherheads is a bit much. Will keep a couple in case I decide to put overhead power in when I build my shop, but I'll probably go underground unless the power company insists on a seperate meter.
Thanks for the response.
Later
Billy
Hey, I found a use for some of these crazy fittings last night.
I am remodeling our master bedroom. I was putting up some sheetrock, and there's one area where the wires had to be ran in a spot where they may get nailed into, not real likely, but something I worried about. I'd already put anti-nail plates where they passed through a 1x2.
Last night I took a few of the 1" crimp conduit straight connectors. I took a hacksaw and split one side, cleaned up the chips with a file, pried it open, slipped it over the wires and pinched it back closed with some channel-locks. 3 of them, and now the wires are well protected from accidental punctures.
I also found a big tent that is new, but the poles had been lost. I'm gonna try to make new poles out of 1/2" conduit. Just to see if I can. Gonna try using the straight connectors as couplers. Using a punch to lock it to one end, then slip the other piece of the pole into the fitting. Not sure it'll work, but if it ever stops raining here I think I'll stake the tent out and see if I can work up some simple poles.
Maybe I should get a wood obsession like Frenchy. Instead of this obsession to use anything of value, rather then throw it away, whether I have a use for it or not. Nah, wood would take up more space.<G>