A Squirly 'GE' is the logo for 'General Electric' a company which has its
fingers in many pies.

Anyway, you can probably find information on the product you have he
http://www.geindustrial.com/cwc/products?famid=19

Thanks

Seri

"Andrew Gabriel" wrote in message
...
In article ,
T i m writes:
Hi all,

I recently bought (eBay, cheap) an old but unused, neat, little 8 way
metalclad mini CU (the make looks like a squirly 'G E' ?) with the
thought to using it in my workshop as a split CU (lights / ring).

It came with an 80A 30mA RCD on what looks like a 'half rail' type
mounting system (the module clips over the top of the rail and is held
down onto / by the busbar).

I've not seen a GE CU, but what you describe sounds like
Federal Electric -- it is designed so that MCB's can be added
and removed without switching off the CU (although I don't
think they actually advertise that feature). The breakers
have a heafty clip which snaps into the busbar.

I was thinking for my 8 module spaces .. ..

2 module incomer switch
1 m 16A MCB (32A?) (radial to socket for welder or maybe lathe?)
1 m 6A MCB (lights)
2 m RCD
1 m 32A (ring)
spare

Now I know I could go out and buy something simple (the little 2 way
RCD CU like I recently did for Dad's garage / workshop rewire) but
once you go 'split' the prices seem to go up quite a lot and the boxes
get much bigger (and I fancied 'playing') ;-)

So, I can make some new busbars on the bandsaw (if needed) out of
some suitable brass (?) sheet, once I know a std MCB will fit
reasonably.

Don't start hacking around with the CU. Take it in to a few
electrical wholesalers and see if they stock breakers for it,
and if you can't get them, chuck it or use it for something
else, or put it on eBay ;-). If it is compatible with Federal
Electric breakers, some years back they increased the size of
front panel cutout required for their breakers and it is generally
acceptable to neatly cut the front panel of their older CU's to
take their newer breakers.

I could even fabricate / machine the lower 'rail' from a strip of
steel and fix it on to of the existing backplate to clip the modern
modules onto? I've a new MK MCB spare somewhere so I'll see how it
fits.

You can buy lengths of DIN rail easily (electrical wholesaler is
one source). There are a few different sizes and a couple of standard
heights, and it's cheap. However, I wouldn't hack around this way to
create a CU.

--
Andrew Gabriel