I'm trying to replace a ceiling fixture. The old box is black metal,
shallow, appears to be intended for bx cable, and I can't figure out
how the heck to get the darn thing out in order to put an old work box
in there. I can't just reuse this box because the center pole juts out
too far below the ceiling level. The box itself is plastered in, and
seems to be held on by the metal brace that runs through it, not above
it. Likewise, the center pole seems to be held on via this thin metal
brace, which extends from either side of the box into the plaster and
woodwork. Can anyone offer suggestions on how to get this thing out
without having to completely rip/cut it out and replaster the entire
thing? Thanks for any suggestions.

problemchild wrote:

I'm trying to replace a ceiling fixture. The old box is black metal,
shallow, appears to be intended for bx cable, and I can't figure out
how the heck to get the darn thing out in order to put an old work box
in there. I can't just reuse this box because the center pole juts out
too far below the ceiling level. The box itself is plastered in, and
seems to be held on by the metal brace that runs through it, not above
it. Likewise, the center pole seems to be held on via this thin metal
brace, which extends from either side of the box into the plaster and
woodwork. Can anyone offer suggestions on how to get this thing out
without having to completely rip/cut it out and replaster the entire
thing? Thanks for any suggestions.

Take a screwdriver and carefully remove the plaster where the brace
meets the edges of the box. You should find a 8-32 machine screw on
each side of the box that holds the brace to the box. Once the screws
are removed, carefully chip away enough plaster to remove the brace.

die grinder w/ carbide rotary burr.................

been there, done that


use ear protection

cheers
Bob

I think I've seen some turn of the century black, round,(not octagonal) bar
boxes with an integral bar running through them. If that's what you have, I
think you'll need a sawzall. Slip it into the ceiling between the box and
plaster and cut the bar right off. Also, be sure the "center pole" is not an
old gas pipe



"problemchild" wrote in message
ups.com...
I'm trying to replace a ceiling fixture. The old box is black metal,
shallow, appears to be intended for bx cable, and I can't figure out
how the heck to get the darn thing out in order to put an old work box
in there. I can't just reuse this box because the center pole juts out
too far below the ceiling level. The box itself is plastered in, and
seems to be held on by the metal brace that runs through it, not above
it. Likewise, the center pole seems to be held on via this thin metal
brace, which extends from either side of the box into the plaster and
woodwork. Can anyone offer suggestions on how to get this thing out
without having to completely rip/cut it out and replaster the entire
thing? Thanks for any suggestions.

Thanks very much each of you for helping. I really appreciate it. Now
to get it the heck out of there :-).