On 07/04/2021 11:39, Chris Green wrote:
Andrew wrote:
On 06/04/2021 20:25, ARW wrote:
On 06/04/2021 20:05, Chris Green wrote:
Is there any sensible way to tighten SWA gland earthing ring nuts?
Even on the smallest size (20mm hole) the gland nut is 24mm or 25mm
and I've never managed to find a spanner of that size that has any
chance of getting at the nut.

You can't tighten from the outside because that would twist the wire -
or is the correct technique to tighten the gland in the box before
tightening the cone nut (if so the DIYFAQ needs to be changed or added
to to indicate this is how to do it)?

I guess a short stub of a box spanner with a tommy bar welded on might
do the job but I doubt if you can get a socket onto the nut, it's too
thin.Â* I don't have any box spanners this big anyway.

Hammer and large flat screwdriver?


Ah. The well known Geordie Shipwrights spanner :-)

Would one of those semi-circular spanners used many moons
ago to tighten the bottom bracket nuts on a bicycle do the
trick ?.

OP here. I've searched around quite a lot about this and I'm
horrified by the bodges that seem to be standard electrician's methods
for doing this.

The "Hammer and large flat screwdriver" approach seems quite popular
and the other common approach is water pump pliers, preferably with
smooth jaws so they don't mark the nuts! When you read all the quite
specific, complex requirements of the wiring regulations you somehow
think electricians aren't bodgers but they are!

There are a few spanners around to specifically fit the back nuts but
it's near impossible to find what size the nuts are so it's quite
difficult to get a 'proper' spanner.

I've measure the nuts I want to tighten, they're 25mm (why on earth
aren't they the same size as the gland nuts themselves?) and I have a
i" ring spanner which should fit OK eve if it's a bit loose.

Hammers and screwdrivers!! Grips, pliers and adjustable spanners,
ugh!!! (Mr Royce or was it Rolls supposedly sacked someone for using
an adjustable spanner)

As someone else (I think) said: you could cut a section out of a ring
spanner. Alternatively, grind an undersize open-ended spanner to fit or
cut yourself a bespoke spanner out of some gauge plate.