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Worker falls through roof light

Dylan Garton
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Worker falls through roof light

A scaffolding company based in Dorset has been fined for safety failings following an incident where an employee fell through a roof light.

Weymouth Magistrates’ Court heard how Weller Scaffolding Limited of Dorset had been contracted to erect access scaffold and perimeter handrails around the roof of a small industrial unit at East Road, Bridport.

An employee of Weller Scaffolding accessed the roof which was constructed of asbestos cement with intermittent roof lights when he fell through one of the roof lights. He suffered three fractures to his face, breaks in his left arm and wrist and dislocated fingers.

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found the incident which occurred on 17 July 2014 was due to the work not being properly planned, or appropriately supervised which led to it being unsafe.

Weller Scaffolding Limited of Westway Business Park, Dottery Road, Bridport, Dorset, pleaded guilty to breaching Regulation 4(1) of the Work at Height Regulations 2005 and was fined £10,000 with £5,628 costs.

For more information on scaffolding visit: www.hse.gov.uk/construction/safetytopics/scaffoldinginfo.htm

Product review: Thermal Economics – Isosonic Dekfloor 30

Dylan Garton
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Product review: Thermal Economics – Isosonic Dekfloor 30

Roger Bisby takes a walk across some Isosonic Dekfloor 30 from Thermal Economics as it is being installed in a refurbishment project.

Sound insulation can be a tricky business, things that work well in the laboratory may fair less well on site. There are so many things that can undo all that design work, a nail, a screw or a badly filled service duct. Even a tiny air gap is enough to let the sound through so it is essential that the installer understands what they are trying to achieve and that the devil is always in the detail. Fortunately in the case of Thermal Economics the company has a wealth of experience and a team of good technical sales people who will guide you through the products and process.

I went out to meet one of them on a conversion project in the Midlands to see the installation of  Isosonic Dekfloor 30. The product comprises a 22mm t&g chipboard with a resilient rubber sheet that is bonded to the underside of the board. From the builders point of view the boards are glued and laid like any other chipboard floating floor. It is essential that no fixings are used and that a gap of 20mm  is left around the edge. This must  be filled with acoustic foam before the floor coverings and skirtings are fitted. The skirting boards must be fixed clear of the decking on an Iso edge 6/75 strip to prevent sound transmission into the wall.

Not your typical refurbishment
The job I went to see was perhaps not your typical refurbishment. The building is just over 200 years old and the evidence of countless changes of use was everywhere. It has stood empty for seven years but  is now about to see a new lease of life as luxury flats. In some ways it would have been quicker and easier to remove all those old floor joists and start again but shelling out a 200 year old building can often lead to problems with structural stability so leaving those huge timbers that were built into wall sockets is no bad thing. They have also done all the moving and shrinking they are ever going to do so why go through all that again.

However the problem for the builders was the floor was 70mm higher at one end of the building than the other and it went up and down a bit so they had to find the high spot and work from there using a laser level to mark and scribe the new build up laths on every single joist.  It was a demanding task but they achieved it with considerable speed and success. I am not sure how it would have worked out without a good laser but they deserved a bit of help from modern technology.

It is important that the floor has minimal deflection so getting those joists nice and level was key to success. The rubber back has far more compressive strength than PUR foam backed boards so you wouldn’t expect to see the floor bed in or settle over years. Interestingly that increased resilience doesn’t lead to sound transmission because the make up of the rubber is granular so impact noises are absorbed in a very localised area rather than across the sheet.

Efficient installation
By comparison the laying of the  Isosonic Dekfloor 30 was a piece of cake; the builders said it provided real time and cost savings over some of the multi component systems  they have use where you have to build the layers up. Apart from the fact that the rubber backing blunted the circular saw blades a little more rapidly there was really nothing else to distinguish it from ordinary floor deck. The only thing I noticed is that the rubber backing prevents it from sliding so instead of being able to kick it in as you would normally with chipboard sliding on joists they had to give it a hefty whack. It would have helped to have a couple of knocking blocks to protect the t&g.

The joints are glued in the usual manner to prevent any squeaks and also prevent airborne sound coming through. The fact that they were using existing joists meant that the board ends didn’t land on the joist. In an ordinary floor you might have trimmed them back and butted the board ends but the T&G has to be maintained. The usual practice is to build in a couple of noggings to take the board ends but as this deck was being over laid with some Gypsum board and underfloor heating topped off with some engineered oak there was no chance of those board ends receiving a point load. The very fact that they are using hardwood floors in an apartment is a testimony to the effectiveness of the system. In many flats it is a condition of the lease that you have carpets which is a tacit admission that the sound insulation isn’t that effective.

Another difference with this refurbishment was that the ceilings were very high so there was ample room beneath the first floor for a suspended ceiling, in-filled with Rockwool, In a more typical build you would suspend the ceiling directly below the joist using Isonic cleats. These have resilient rubber pads to reduce sound transmission.

Once the boards were down I had a chance to jump up and down on them and there was absolutely no detectable deflection. The  builder then had to walk some hefty steel beams across the newly laid floor and unbeknown to them I sneaked into the flat below to see what was happening on the underside of the decking. It was proof that even with a 6oo kg  steel being walked across the floor there was no noticeable compression or deflection. I can’t imagine a more extreme test but of course we have to bear in mind that these huge old joists were set at 400 centres. If they had been at 600 it could have been a different story but a 22mm board is always better than an 18mm.

www.thermal-economics.co.uk

acoustic floor 9 acoustic floor 10 acoustic floor 017 acoustic floor 21 acoustic floor 31 acoustic floor 034 acoustic floor 67

Hedgehog Easy Air Wedge review

Dylan Garton
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0
Hedgehog Easy Air Wedge review

Roger Bisby looks at the benefits of investing in an inflatable wedge which has been designed to make fixing and levelling easier.

We have looked at pump up bags fairly recently but these are called Hedgehog Easy Air Wedge from easy innovations and have a subtle difference that you can’t see from looking at them. The secret feature is a piece of stiff plastic inside the bag. This allows you to slide the bag into a very narrow gap and then, by operating the little hand pump,  you can increase the gap. They were originally a locksmiths (and thieves) tools for forcing a gap in a door. Back in the day when you flicked a button to get into a car you could open a gap in the door and slip in your wire coat hanger. Before you accuse me of corrupting the nation’s youth this is no secret on the streets and a brick through the side window is now the preferred method.

The secret feature is a piece of stiff plastic inside the bag. This allows you to slide the bag into a very narrow gap and then, by operating the little hand pump,  you can increase the gap.

Now the use for Air Wedges is generally more law abiding; window fitters use them for centring a window and they are also useful for carpenters putting in door liners. I used them recently to lift a bi-fold sliding door that had dropped slightly on its hinges. The amount of weight they will lift is remarkable and you can lift or shift by tiny fractions  so you get exactly the right adjustment. We are talking precision here which is unusual in the building industry.

The bags are available in singles as well as sets of four and the price is very competitive even though they are very well made and tough as old boots.  If you have looked at these bags in the past and not been sure if you need them then the lower price may change your mind. Quite honestly once you have them they make so many jobs quicker and easier that they pay  you back almost daily. Gone are the days when you have to stick a pry bar in against that new hardwood frame and risk damaging it.

www.easyinnovations.co.uk/products/easy-air-wedge

panasonic action 050

Construction Company Guilty of Bricklayer’s Death

Dylan Garton
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Construction Company Guilty of Bricklayer’s Death

A Cheshire construction company has been prosecuted following a fatal accident in 2011 at a site in Wimslow.

Liverpool Crown Court heard that Edgemere Projects Ltd of Tarporley, Cheshire, was the main contractor at a construction site in Wilmslow.

On the 7th January 2011, Andrew Dytiche aged 23, sustained fatal crush injuries when a pack of bricks fell on him.

An HSE investigation found that the storage of materials was poorly organised and pallets used to store and move bricks around the site were also in poor condition.

Edgemere Projects Ltd pleaded guilty to breaching Sections 2(1) & 3(1) of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and was fined £97,500 with £300,000 costs.

HSE Principal Inspector Neil Jamieson said: “This was a tragic accident which could have been prevented had the company ensured that materials on the site were stored and stacked safely”.

See more information at the HSE.

See more on safety failings with Skill Builder.

Cuts almost anything

Dylan Garton
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Cuts almost anything

Husqvarna has introduced the  VARI-CUTTM blade, a cost efficient premium diamond blade designed to cut almost anything a general contractor comes across on a workday including pipe, steel rebar, bricks, blocks and concrete slabs.

No need to switch blades

The versatile, fast and durable diamond blade is launched as a universal blade, combining a wide application window with fast cutting speed and good life.

The blade combines different segment types: 10mm Turbo segments for increased cutting speed and 10mm straight segments for increased tool life.

VARI-CUT series

VARI-CUTTM is also designed with safety in mind. The blade complies with the European Safety Standard EN13236. Additionally, VARI-CUTTM is equipped with a perforated core that allows optimal cooling of the blade, and with angled gullets, designed in such a way that they protect the blade against cracks. This makes the blade suitable for both dry and wet cutting applications.

The VARI-CUT series consists of:

• Husqvarna VARI-CUT: For optimal cutting performance in most construction materials.

• Husqvarna VARI-CUT Turbo: For optimal cutting performance in harder construction materials like granite or hard concrete.

• Husqvarna VARI-CUT Plus: For optimal cutting performance in abrasive construction materials like abrasive blocks and asphalt.

Read the Skill Builder review of the Husqvarna VARI-CUTTM blade.

www.husqvarna.com

Dunlop releases rapid-drying filler

Dylan Garton
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Dunlop releases rapid-drying filler

Dunlop has launched a brand new rapid-drying filler as an addition to its Pro Décor range.

Now available at builders and decorators merchants across the country, Rapid Rescue Repair Filler, with Hydroloc is suitable for quick fix or emergency repairs.

Available in 1kg bags, the rapid-drying filler helps decorators sort out the multitude of problems often faced before applying paint or wallpaper without having to wait hour or days to complete a job.

Fully dry and hard in 90 minutes, whatever the temperature or conditions, Rapid Rescue is useful for filling chases, cracks around doors and coving, large cracks and holes. It can be used internally or externally, on the majority of backgrounds from plasterboard to concrete steps, to reliably fill and repair damage up to 50mm deep.

Hydroloc technology

Rapid Rescue contains Hydroloc technology which works by using the mix water as part of a chemical reaction to dry the filler instead of relying on water evaporation. This means that the product dries quickly and evenly regardless of thickness. After 20 minutes the product starts to begin its hardening process and can be easily cut or carved – useful for repairing a missing piece of skirting board.

Once dry and hard, the rapid-drying filler can be sanded down, but you can also simply smooth it over with a damp sponge to achieve a perfect finish due to its super-fine formulation.

www.dunloptrade.com

Quickslide launches 70mm casement window system

Dylan Garton
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Quickslide launches 70mm casement window system

Quickslide has been celebrating the kick off of 2016 by introducing a new 70mm casement window system. To coincide with the launch of the new system, we’ve also introduced a range of new wood-grain finishes as standard across both the casement and vertical slider range.

www.quickslide.co.uk/

Yale partners with O2 and AT&T to create new smart home offering

Dylan Garton
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Yale partners with O2 and AT&T to create new smart home offering

Yale has announced a partnership with O2 and AT&T to bring a new smart home platform to the UK this summer.

The platform will be introduced in selected areas north of London, before having a wider rollout later in the year.

Speaking at the AT&T Developer Conference in Las Vegas, O2 said it will be the first to offer services based on the AT&T Digital Life smart home platform in Europe.

The operator is positioning O2 Home as the ‘complete smart home experience’ and is also partnering with thermostat company, Tado, as well as Samsung and Serco for cameras and Yale for locks.

Yale’s Keyfree and Keyless connected smart locks provide users with the ability to remotely unlock their home from anywhere in the world, so guests, cleaners, carers or anyone who’s forgotten or lost a key or PIN code can be granted quick access.

The Yale smart locks can also keep track of who’s coming and going through the door and at what time, ideal for parents keeping an eye on teenage children or anyone paying for home services by the hour.

www.yale.co.uk

Asbestos Awareness Course

Roger Bisby
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Asbestos Awareness Course

National risk management expert Lucion Services is offering a free online training course aimed at helping busy construction industry workers refresh their knowledge of the hazards and risks posed by asbestos-containing materials (ACMs).

The online course takes just 45-60 minutes to complete and provides a quick and efficient refresher for those who need to be compliant with regulation 10 of the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012 (CAR 2012).

Topics such as the properties of asbestos, health effects of asbestos, asbestos materials in buildings, asbestos legislation, and emergency procedures are covered in the course which has been designed for anyone who has taken part in a classroom-based UKATA Awareness Course in the previous 18 months. Upon successful completion, certificates are awarded which are valid for 12 months.

Since launching the online training in November 2014, over 400 individuals from companies and organisations across the UK such as Carillion, British Gas, Northumbrian Water, Sir Robert McAlpine and Sodexo as well as staff from local authorities and universities have completed the course.

Ross Boulton, sustainability director at Lucion Training Services, said: “Raising awareness of the risks of exposure to asbestos and on how people can protect themselves and others plays a key role in helping to reduce the incidence of asbestos-related diseases.

“We recognise that not everyone can down tools to attend courses so we designed a short e-learning course that’s free and certified to make it as easy as possible for busy workers to keep their asbestos training current and in-line with industry regulations.”

Lucion Training courses are delivered across the country and bespoke courses can also be developed to meet the individual needs of companies and organisations. Sign up to free e-learning at luciontraining.com

Dewalt adds visibility and power to self-levelling laser line-up

Roger Bisby
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Dewalt adds visibility and power to self-levelling laser line-up

Dewalt has combined its power tool battery and laser technology know-how and added a 10.8V red and green beam self-levelling cross-line and 360° line lasers to its portfolio. The DCE088D1G and DCE089D1G are the first models in the DEWALT range to feature a green diode.

Industry trends have shown that green lasers are the future for applications in construction, specifically for indoor tasks, as the beam is four times brighter to the naked eye than red.

Industry trends have shown that green lasers are the future for applications in construction, specifically for indoor tasks, as the beam is four times brighter to the naked eye than red. They provide greater visibility, especially in very bright, light conditions, and over longer distances. They are also ideal for the precise installation of drywall, drop ceilings and ventilation systems, amongst other applications.

The 10.8V XR Lithium-Ion platform is said to offer extended laser runtime compared to regular AA batteries as well as added versatility. The 10.8V battery pack can be easily removed and transferred between the new lasers, or to another compatible DEWALT power tool, and vice versa.

The green beam self-levelling cross-line and 360° line lasers provide a working range of 30m with an accuracy of +/-3mm at 10m. Additional useful features include a pendulum lock for safe transportation. Furthermore, the durable over-moulded casing has been designed to maintain calibration of the tool, and to protect components in extreme construction environments. Drop-tested to 2m, and IP65 certified, it has been engineered for sustained resistance to solvents, water entry and debris.

Featuring the same technical product specification as the green diode lasers (enhanced visibility rating excluded), the latest extension to the DEWALT portfolio also includes red beam self-levelling cross-line (DCE088NR) and 360° line lasers (DCE089NR) with a range of 15m and an accuracy of +/-3mm at 10m.

*DCE088D1G and DCE089D1G models only

Key features:

  • 10.8V XR Lithium-Ion battery pack for extended laser runtime and fast charging
  • Locking pendulum to prevent internal component damage during transportation
  • Wear-resistant IP65 rated over-mould to withstand harsh jobsite environments
  • Integrated magnetic pivoting base with ¼” thread
  • Full-time pulse mode allows use with a detector (increasing working range to 60m)

www.dewalt.co.uk

 

Mumford & Wood product library

Roger Bisby
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Mumford & Wood product library

Mumford & Wood, the manufacturer of timber windows and doors, has announced compliance with NBS National Building Information Modelling (BIM) Library Data for core Conservation entrance, balcony, bi-folding, single and French doorsets as well as Conservation casement windows, box sash and spring sash windows.

This is in accordance with the Government’s mandate on all publically-funded new-build projects by spring 2016. Architects, specifiers and contractors can now visit the company’s technical page at www.mumfordwood.com and download the full Mumford & Wood NBS BIM Library Data.

In this 3D modelling of the company’s core and standard Conservation products detailed specification parameters are shared in relation to thermal performance and U-values, acoustic specifications, PAS24 compliance, product design details, paint, glass and warranties.  Non-standard products can be analysed on request using the same criteria.

“Now all parties, manufacturers, architects and contractors will pool this design information to create the footprint of a building,” says Owen Dare, technical director, Mumford & Wood. “This will effectively lock the specification which will remain unchanged for the life of the building.  It is quite a complex and very sophisticated platform but the benefits are huge.  Once approved, the specification will be carried through to manufacturing making the whole process easier for everyone.”

BIM Level 2 approval

Mumford & Wood has achieved BIM Level 2 approval. At this level the product data using 3D CAD models enables contractors and architects to combine and share their own 3D models, for a specific project, to a minimum Industry Foundation Classification (IFC) or COBie (Construction Operations Building Information Exchange) standard. It is available in a common file format, either an IFC or more probably a Revit plug-in. The core of Level 2 BIM is to provide accessible, up to date, accurate, verified information for use and re-use for all projects.

Asset management and asset construction both need an information management system and process, support by a number of tools to manage data. The data can then be used through many activates to realise and add value.

Level 2 BIM components are information management, classification, digital planning of work and information exchange method COBie. There are many other benefits that will make designing a project with reduced risk and cost which allows management of the building to be controlled through the life cycle of the building.

www.mumfordwood.com

“Don’t underestimate role of PVC-U in flood resilience”

Dylan Garton
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“Don’t underestimate role of PVC-U in flood resilience”

“The extreme winter weather, having ruined Christmas for tens of thousands and likely to cost the country up to £1.5bn, serves to remind those concerned with building design, construction and management of the important role PVC-U building products can play in adding flood resistant and resilience to homes actually and potentially threatened with disaster”, says Chris Coxon, Head of Marketing at Eurocell.

EP1601FR Eurocell Flood Resilience January 2016 #2

Not only has the insurance industry estimated the cost of flood damage as being between £900m and as high as £1.5bn; it is also being said that it will strip 0.2% from UK Gross Domestic Product this year.

Flood resistance refers to buildings constructed so that water cannot get into it; while flood resilience means building houses such that while water may enter, the impact is reduced, structural strength is maintained and property recovery is easier and quicker.

These are respectively referred to as ‘water exclusion’ and ‘water entry’ strategies by the Government in its guidance Improving the Flood Performance of New Buildings – Flood Resilient Construction.

“While it would be a significant overclaim to say that PVC-U windows and composite doors would play a major part in a ‘water exclusion strategy’, there is no denying that their inherent weather tightness would at least slow the ingress of water to a degree – and keeping low water thresholds at bay for even short periods buying a little extra time for sandbagging, or a chance to move furniture, valuables and appliances out of the way”, continues Coxon.

“However, PVC-U products – including fittings such as plastic skirtings – have an unequivocal and obvious contribution to make to flood resilience: being resistant to twisting, swelling, shrinking, rotting or warping – unlike the many porous timber windows and doors undoubtedly wrecked in the recent deluges”.

“Not only is this of benefit to the poor homeowner – who is saved the hassle of replacing ruined joinery items; and is able to maintain the security of the home in the face of looters, like we shockingly witnessed in York recently – but also to the insurance sector, reducing the cost of claims by thousands of pounds”.

“While no-one wishes to profit from the misfortune from others, our sector’s products meets a very specific – and increasing – need for resilience in the face of severe weather conditions”.

The Government implicitly agrees, with Improving the Flood Performance of New Buildings stating under General Advice for Resilient Design saying: “The main principle is to use durable fittings that are not significantly affected by water and can be easily cleaned (e.g. use of plastic materials; or stainless steel for kitchen units)”. It then goes on to use an illustration of PVC-U skirting – like Eurocell’s Roomline – as an example of resilient fittings.

www.eurocell.co.uk

Heating a kitchen with a Smith’s Space Saver kickspace heater

Roger Bisby
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Heating a kitchen with a Smith’s Space Saver kickspace heater

In this installation video Roger Bisby demonstrates a great product for anyone looking for heating ideas that save space and money. The key is that the Smith’s Space Saver heater runs off the existing central heating.

You’re probably wondering how this tiny little heater is going to heat a kitchen, and you’re almost certainly thinking it’s an electric fan heater — but it isn’t.

This heater connects to the existing central heating system and works just like a radiator in that it comes on and off with the timer settings/controls.

A hydronic plinth heater this product is made up of a heat exchanger (like the radiator in your car), a small fan and some controls.  The hot water from your heating system passes through the copper pipe and heat from the water is transferred to the aluminium fins.  The fan draws in cooler air; this is heated as it passes over the aluminium fins and the warmed air is pushed into the kitchen. That simple!

smithsep.co.uk

How to cut your worktop for an inset sink or hob

Roger Bisby
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How to cut your worktop for an inset sink or hob

In this quick How-to video Roger Bisby shows how to cut an inset sink into a worktop. The same technique an be applied to cutting a hob.

Product review: Polyco Gloves

Roger Bisby
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Product review: Polyco Gloves

A lot of building workers, me included, struggle to do a job wearing gloves. My hands bear testament to the fact. These days it is more or less taken out of your hands, if the site rule is that you wear them then you wear them. But if you are going to wear them you might as well wear some good ones.

Polyco is a British glove manufacturer based in Enfield North London. They makes gloves both here and abroad for all kinds of trades from butchers and bakers to brain surgeons and even make an anti syringe glove, something I would have found invaluable in my early days of plumbing and drain clearing when I sub contracted for an inner city council.  I got called into all sorts of dodgy dives and you could never be sure where you were going to turn up a used syringe.

For those of you with more run of the mill requirements Polyco have some excellent builders gloves. The ones I am using in the picture wouldn’t look out of place on Spiderman and, given the fact that they are super grippy,  they may well be the ones he uses?  They are coated with a kind of sticky rubber very similar to the stuff they use on Formula one tyres and climbing shoes. It makes you want to go off and climb a building. When I say it is sticky that doesn’t mean it picks up dirt, it has a kind of clingy quality.  The obvious drawback to these gloves is that you will soon develop sweaty hands wearing these for a prolonged period, so perhaps a pair of their breathable interwoven rubber-coated gloves would suit you better. One thing is sure, they will have a glove for your requirements. Looking through their catalogue, I was amazed to see just how many gloves there are and for jobs including chemical workers and glass handlers. There is also an intriguing little video showing somebody performing conjuring tricks wearing a pair of their gloves. If they allow enough dexterity for a person to make a coin or card appear and disappear from his palm then they will be plenty good enough for the average building worker.

polycohealthline.com

Polyco 2

Product review: Milwaukee staplers

Roger Bisby
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Product review: Milwaukee staplers

Roger Bisby tries out two Milwaukee Staplers – The 48-22-1010 hand stapler and the  48-22-1020 Hammer Tacker.

Earlier in the year Skill-Builder  was given a preview of the new range of Milwaukee hand tools. It makes sense for a company that has a loyal following among tradesemen/women across the world to build on that customer base and bring in a range of well made hand tools. We have seen this with the merger between DeWalt and Stanley so you can expect more and more power tool manufacturers to introduce hand tools. Does it mean that they will be the same quality as their power tools?

Happily these Milwaukee  tackers seem to be well made. At first glance I thought they looked  a little too delicate for a  rough life on a roof  but beneath the plastic shrouds are steel bodies  and both have a steel striking plate to knock the odd staple down if it hits a knot. You can also pull the staples out with the built in hook. I thought this might be  a gimmick but having tried it I found that it works surprisingly well.

The hand stapler has a two mode power setting to prevent staples being drive straight through the surface and it also takes brads.  On the highest setting you will find that the stapler achieves a  disproportionately powerful action. This is done by altering the lever that re-cocks the powerful spring. The nose of the stapler is chamfered to allow you to staple into corners. It might not always drive the staple fully in at this point but it will stop the sheet riding out of the corner.

Refill
If you are working on a roof and only have one hand free you can refill the staple magazine in either stapler with one hand. Simply turn it upside down and load the staples from the bottom. The brads sit in one side of the magazine but not the other side so you need to get this right and to help you there is a little symbol to show you which side to load. The spring shuttle stays captive so there is no chance of dropping or losing it.

The hammer tacker  is more suited to jobs that don’t require a precise positioning of the staples.

It works very well and keeps working without jamming. This is not something you can take for granted.  I have tested quite a lot of theses tackers over the year and some  suffer from jamming, rust and even, in the case of the Fatmax,  magazine spring shuttle flying out. I kid you not there are unbelievably rubbish staplers out there and you wonder how they can get it so wrong. I doubt that Milwaukee makes these staplers but they have chosen well and may well have had considerable input on the design side. It is good to see that they are looking after their brand.

uk.milwaukeetool.eu

Milwaukee 18V Power Tools

Roger Bisby
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Milwaukee 18V Power Tools

Roger Bisby looks at two 18 volt power tools from Milwaukee.

Judging by the number of new power tools launched by Milwaukee this year they are on a mission to become the leading power tool manufacturer in the U.K and, as if that wasn’t enough, they are also introducing some high-quality hand tools into their range.

Inevitably, with so much choice we have to do a bit of cherry-picking and bring you reviews on the tools we think are likely to be the most popular.

The first tool we are featuring this month is the 18 volt brushless combi drill M18 BL PD-0.  It is a compact lightweight general-purpose percussion drill with a 2-speed gearbox and a 13mm chuck.

The 50Nm of torque is not going to handle large hole saws and auger bits but it has enough guts to drill up to 38mm in wood and on the percussion setting 16mm in masonry which is very respectable.

Certainly, you would not be looking for anything bigger to hang radiators and a boiler. The compact dimensions, just 187mm front to back, gets you in between 400-centred joist with no difficulty.

A plumber or electrician would be able to run pipes or cables through joists with plenty of room to spare so he/she may never need to buy a cordless angle drill.

That is a shame because Milwaukee has a very nice one in its range, but more of that another time.

The other tool we are looking at in this review is the 18-volt brushless impact driver, again using the same drive technology. With 170nm of torque, it is no match for larger 18volt impact drivers which top the 100Nms but it is lightweight at 1.4 kg and compact at 137mm front to back.

Again this makes it perfect for the plumber or electrician working in confined spaces.  With any impact driver you must use impact driver bits and Milwaukee has a nice range of driver bits but has also branched out with impact driver hole saws for drilling through metal.

They will happily handle stainless steel but don’t expect to get more than 4 or 5 holes out of them on really tough metal.

Both tools can be run off the 4Ah or the new 5Ah Red Lithium Ion batteries. We will be carrying out some runtime tests on the 5Ah battery in the next issue but from our past experience of running the 4Ah to exhaustion (800 screws) we expect to be working late into the day.  The run time on these batteries is nothing short of phenomenal.

Roger’s verdict

If you are looking for a drill to use day in day out then this is it. Couple that with the impact driver and you are in tool heaven.

You may still need something heavier from time to time and I would suggest their 18-volt SDS hammer drill, that way you can run everything of the 18-volt platform.

Check out the Milwaukee range of power tools at uk.milwaukeetool.eu

Product review: Irwin Lenox Gold recip saw blade

Roger Bisby
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Product review: Irwin Lenox Gold recip saw blade

Have you ever seen that trick where they saw a car in half? Well in our case it is no trick, we really did do it and we haven’t had so much fun in ages. In fact to tell you the truth it’s quite  addictive. Once you have cut your first car you start looking for other suitable cars and when I say ‘suitable’ I mean ones where the owner has given you permission.  That we would say is the number one rule of car cutting,  always ask first. Yes we know it is tempting  to trim a little off the back of that car which always seems to get parked across your drive but in most countries there are laws against such things.

So, assuming  someone gives you the green light, what do you need to perform this trick?  One reciprocating saw, one pair of safety goggles and one Irwin Lenox Gold recip saw blade. The last item is really important. The teeth are titanium coated and this helps them last longer and also dissipate heat into the metal you are cutting which help prevent overheating. Once a metal cutting blade over heats it is pretty much done for so using the best blade you can buy is an economy because you will only need one to cut the average car in half.

What really amazed us in our test was not only just how quick and easy it was to cut through the metal body work of the car but that the blade also did a perfect job of cutting through the laminated screen. Laminated windscreens are made up of two pieces of glass with a thin film of clear plastic sandwiched  in between. Since they are specifically designed to stay intact during a collision  you might reasonably assume that cutting through one  would be tough going. Not so, which is why fire and rescue services the world over use them to cut the roofs off crashed vehicles. The Lenox gold blade saves them having to change blades mid way through the job and in their case that could be the difference between life and death. Fortunately for us the stakes weren’t so high, it was just a good day out and a fun way to test out an industrial grade power tool accessory.  We also tested the blades through a whole range of other materials such as iron pipe and square section steel. It wasn’t half so much fun but it is the sort of thing that builders, electricians and plumbers do daily and as our site is called ‘skill-builder’  and not ‘car cutters’ we felt duty bound  to do it.

Product review: Husqvarna Diamond Blade

Roger Bisby
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Product review: Husqvarna Diamond Blade

Every diamond blade manufacturer claims to have a blade that cuts everything but we all know that no blade can be optomised for best performance in all materials. If it performs well on one material it will perform less well on another. Usually the division is between hard and soft and Husqvarna has acknowledged that fact in giving you the choice of  a blade that is optomised for hard and one for soft and one in the middle that will cut both hard and soft but not as well as a specialist blade.

That said they have a very interesting ( I think unique) design feature that makes their new Varicut blade stand out from the crowd. If you look closely at the teeth you will see that one has segments and the next one has smoother edges. The idea is that the segments increase the speed by clearing  the material and straight edge teeth are made to increase the life by cutting the material but not clearing it. In essence you are talking about an idea that has it’s origons in chainsaw teeth where you have a cutting tooth followed by a raker. The fact that Huqvarna make chainsaws may have something to do with this line of thought but it may equally have nothing to do with it. What is apparent is that the blade cuts well, not only on their K70 saw but also on other petrol cut-off saws.

We have had the blade out on site for a few weeks now and it is doing well. Interestingly the guys are telling me that it isn’t quite as fast as the blade they have been using but it cuts well and seems to resist wearing. It is a hard job to persuade them to use a little water on the blade which would help keep down the dust and cool it but that is a common problem among operators, nobody it seems wants the mess of a wet slurry around the cutting area but I have found that the tiniest spray of water is sufficient to damp down the dust and stop it flying.  It would help if  Husqvarna could make their water delivery systems run from a pump on the saw rather than relying on hand pumping bottles the pump could then run when the blade is turning and not when it is standing still.

Gledhill horizontal solar cylinder

Roger Bisby
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Gledhill horizontal solar cylinder

Roger Bisby visits Gledhill in Blackpool and finds products that are British through and through.

Earlier in the year when I fitted an unvented Gledhill horizontal solar cylinder into an eaves cupboard I really had no idea how much design and work went into making that item. In the building industry we fit a lot of products and like it or not you have to trust the process. But for me there is nothing like seeing inside the guts of a product to boost your confidence in it  and when that product is made in Britain I also feel that warm glow of partiotic pride even if I had nothing at all to do with the making of the product. Funny that but then  I have known the family run business of Gledhill for many years,  as have most plumbers of a certain age. Back in the day if you needed a non standard copper cylinder for a pipe for pipe replacement you could give them a sketch with a few dimensions and they would make it almost while you waited. In fact they would sometimes say “Go off and get yourself some breakfast” and provided you didn’t rush they would have the cylinder ready to go when you returned.  What surprised me in these days of stainless steel is that Gledhill still has a  thriving business making specials. Now of course with emails and instant  photographs you can communicate your requirements a lot more easily than turning up with a bit of paper. This business, like their stock cylinders, is channelled exclusively through merchants but plumbers in a hurry still turn up to collect the order.

While the satellite Gledhill branches concentrate on copper,  the main factory in Blackpool makes stainless steel cylinders of the vented and unvented variety. Actually the biggest difference between vented and unvented is the kit that comes with it. The stainless steel and the welds for a vented cylinder are identical to an unvented and you get the same 25 year guarantee. In these days of cheap Chinese cylinders I asked what more the Gledhill cylinders offer?  I was taken on a tour of the pickling plant. This is where the cylinders are chemically cleaned to make sure that nothing contaminates the welds. This pickling is an essential process if you are to guarantee a leak free life but it costs money and is not done on many cheap imported cylinders.

The welds on the bosses are also state of the art, carried out automatically and unseen by lasers inside a chamber.  The coils, however, are configured by hand and secured to frames to stop them rattling. With water being pumped through the corrugations at speed it would be all too easy for a cylinder to rattle if this detail was neglected.

The corrugated stainless coils are easy to wind around by hand but the real reason for using them as opposed to machine bent coils is that they are 20% more efficient than plain tube, partly due to the greater surface area but also to the way the water pulses through the corrugations.  I was shown other areas of the factory and not allowed to take photographs. Presumably those Chinese readers of Professional Builder scour our pages looking for trade secrets. They are safe with me, my lips are sealed which, anyone who knows me can testify, is a rare thing. What I will say is that there is a lot more to Gledhill cylinders than meets the eye. They take the quality of their product very seriously and are constantly looking for ways of improving it,  and I am pleased to say they have expanded the operation in recent years, acquiring land and building a new production area. It is still owned by the Gledhill family and they are very much hands on. I had a good chat about plumbing and heating and was surprised by how much knowledge they have built up on everything from solid fuel to solar. You might think that is a given but it is by no means universal with manufacturers of plumbing products, sometimes they know very little of the world outside their factory gates and care even less. So discovering people who have a passion for their products is reassuring and made visiting their Blackpool factory a real pleasure.

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