Home DIY

Can't find an answer to this online. Google only wants to tell me about cookers and sinks.

Is there a minimum distance between a fused spur and the recipient(?) socket?

Alternatively if there aren't any rules or guidance or reasons, what is a "good" distance?

Basically I want a switched fused spur and a socket more or less next to each other, or to put it another way within easy reach of each other.

Cable would be in plastic conduit and boxes wold be surface mounted. If that makes a difference.

Cheers.

It looks like the Festool hose end. Twisty bit seems to work to allow hand positioning in some cases but mostly just lets go of the hose.

Thank you for the links, I'm putting in some long days at the moment so that really helps.

Any London based tool obsessed DIY thread inhabitants might want to go to Elex 21 at Sandown next week. It's a great opportunity to empty your pockets and buy some toys before Christmas makes that a guilty pleasure.

Asking for advice, will there be issues with replacing a 5l hot water expansion vessel with a bigger 12l one?

Is there a minimum distance between a fused spur and the recipient(?) socket?

Not as far as I’m aware. I’ve had them right beside each other before. The cable running straight from the FCU into the socket (through the side of each box).

Cheers.

Anyone got any thoughts or experience on this Bosch palm router vs Makita?

https://www.screwfix.com/p/makita-rt0700cx4-2-710w-electric-router-trimmer-240v/10140#product_additional_details_container

Vs

https://www.screwfix.com/p/bosch-gkf600-600w-electric-palm-router-240v/68002#product_additional_details_container

The later being more expensive* and not having a case, but obviously comes in teal.

Open to other options too, if someone has a similar, or lower priced alternative. This Ryobi battery one is a bit of a curve ball as can imagine a cordless router is much easier https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B071KKWVRK/ref=cm_sw_r_awdo_navT_g_G790YG75NFSFS744R8QT

In terms of use, its just general stuff. As an eg the cladding on my shed is a funny size so it'd be handy to be able to add the right mating shape after trimming a larger standard size. Or making a chanle in something. That sort of thing.

Cheers.

*£35 more if you factor in buying a Festool 202544 Mini-Systainer to carry it.

1 Attachment

...aaaand I'm remembering why I still haven't bought a router. It's just such a fucking minefield.

Think getting one of those cheap Makita ripoffs is the way to go. It uses all the same accessories apparently. Then upgrade if I feel I'm missing something. For diy I'm a big believer in buy cheap first.

I’m very happy with my Dewalt mini router with plunge and fixed base. At the pricey end but it’s great.

That's sort of where I end up, probably the coreless one as I've got the batteries.

Obviously that's £300 (or £260 corded). But it's a plunge router as well, with all the bells and whistles. Whereas for my use I'm wondering how much benefit I'd see between +£100 for the Bosch/Makita over a £40 one. I'm unlikely to be disappointed with a £40 router not being exactly what I need/want, but would be with a +£100 one.

Worth saying I unexpectedly came into a small amount of money, which my OH has given me license to just spend. So that's what's funded my recent tool purchases. I've got ~£300 left which would get me a cheaper router, mitre saw and a grinder, and some clothes. I can top up, but Nov-Jan has a shit load of birthdays, Xmas car and motorbike insurance renewals so would rather not. Which would mean waiting until spring.

Thinking it through a mitre saw would have made loads of aspects of making my work bench faster and easier. So I've sort of answered my own question there.

tbh in your shoes I’d go for the Makita knock off. As I’m investing to make money with tools I get to go top dollar, guilt free 🙃

Incidentally, on the cordless thing, a router should always be hooked up to a vacuum so I can’t really see the benefit of cordless, unless you’re a site chippy or something. Even then I’d want extraction.

I have a Makita rip off from Rutlands.
https://www.rutlands.com/sp+routing-routers-1-4-routers-precision-1-4-router-with-trimming-offset-and-tilting-bases-rutlands%C2%AE+r5059

It was on sale when I bought it, so you got the plunge and trimming bases and a set of cutters for £70 down from £130 so it seemed like an absolute steal. About 4 people where I work bought one, lol.

The router in the link above looks slightly different in that the body is black and mine is makita green but I’d assume they were identical really.

It had a ridiculously short flex on it so I replaced it with a tougher and longer one. But tbh, it’s fucking noisy, all routers are but this one seems particularly offensive. It does feel cheap, it doesn’t have a soft start, and all in all even though it was incredibly cheap, I wish I’d just bought a cordless Makita one on the basis that although it’s small, the cord massively reduces how handy it is, and it also just feels like a fairly poorly made tool.

I’ve used one of those corded Bosch ones and it seemed fine, I imagine the Makita at a similar price would be virtually identical.

Also, a mitre saw is generally much more useful than a router IMO, or at least I’d want a saw before buying a router anyway.

If you’re a non-daily user, just go for a trend t5. They’re not amazing or anything but they’re good value and they router things well.
The lure of a palm router and it’s manageability is not wrong-headed, but you lose a bit of versatility.
Either way, don’t go for the Makita knock off. The one I’ve experience of has dogshit height adjustment, a base that is not perpendicular to the shaft, and makes a sound like they forgot to put bearings in it.

Because I use a palm router for trim cutting and rounding over edges primarily, often on large or in situ things, being able to grab it and quickly run it over the edge without faffing with a cord or extraction is super handy.

I’d rather wear a dusk mask and hoover up after rather than try and faff with an extractor hose while trimming something one handed up a ladder, lol.

Either way, don’t go for the Makita knock off. The one I’ve experience of has dogshit height adjustment, a base that is not perpendicular to the shaft, and makes a sound like they forgot to put bearings in it.

This is exactly my experience/regret with mine.

Yeah horrid noisy little things! I don’t enjoy using a machine that feels like it’s about to explode in my face at any second.

I think I'm going to get the surface on my work bench and buy an inexpensive mitre saw, (probably the Screwfix Titan or Evolution ones). I'll then revisit the router situation next year.

Assuming there aren't any Black Friday deals that change my mind.

Door strike plate query. Any pointers as to a supplier of a brass strike plate - 125mm x 25mm double. Google isn’t helping.

Always been impressed by the evolution mitre saws, you’ll just need to spend some time making sure the fence is square when you first get it.

Recently had some doors fitted and the plates are made by Zoo, not sure how good they are but had to take them off to paint and they seem pretty sturdy

They usually come as part of a set. Does the lock body have a manufacturers name?

Had a quick look. The lock is Union.

Edit - I may have made a boob when measuring - I measured the total length, it may be the case that the length measurement is between the screw holes. Any advice appreciated.

I have one of those. It's been excellent, and has done sterling service on many pieces, from flush edging to routing out complicated finger pulls in American oak.
I'd think about also buying the plunger attachment. I didn't but it would have come in handy a couple of times.