Have just installed a new antenna and have reminded myself that securing the
coax downlead using cable clips (into brick) using a hammer takes skill,
patience and more clips than clip locations.
Is there a purpose designed tool for this job? which gets the hardened pin
into the wall without shattering pin, mortar or brick? My neighbour's
installation looks so neat with clips every few inches....

TIA
--
M Stewart
Milton Keynes, UK
http://www.megalith.freeserve.co.uk/oddimage.htm

Malcolm Stewart wrote:
Have just installed a new antenna and have reminded myself that securing the
coax downlead using cable clips (into brick) using a hammer takes skill,
patience and more clips than clip locations.
Is there a purpose designed tool for this job? which gets the hardened pin
into the wall without shattering pin, mortar or brick? My neighbour's
installation looks so neat with clips every few inches....

If the wall is really hard, then drill holes and use pin plugs...


--
Cheers,

John.

/================================================== ===============\
| Internode Ltd - http://www.internode.co.uk |
|-----------------------------------------------------------------|
| John Rumm - john(at)internode(dot)co(dot)uk |
\================================================= ================/

I guess something along the lines of a Hilti gun would do this... (They
can put nails through steel joists AFAIK)

Maybe hire it from somewhere?

I have found that holding the pin with narrow nose pliers helps a great
deal - also prevents the fingers from being mashed...

Malcolm Stewart wrote:
Have just installed a new antenna and have reminded myself that
securing the
coax downlead using cable clips (into brick) using a hammer takes
skill,
patience and more clips than clip locations.
Is there a purpose designed tool for this job? which gets the
hardened pin
into the wall without shattering pin, mortar or brick? My
neighbour's
installation looks so neat with clips every few inches....

In article ,
says...
Have just installed a new antenna and have reminded myself that securing the
coax downlead using cable clips (into brick) using a hammer takes skill,
patience and more clips than clip locations.
Is there a purpose designed tool for this job? which gets the hardened pin
into the wall without shattering pin, mortar or brick? My neighbour's
installation looks so neat with clips every few inches....

TIA


Pin into the mortar only. Works for me.

--
Paul Mc Cann

On Sat, 22 Jan 2005 01:43:20 -0000, "Malcolm Stewart"
wrote:

Have just installed a new antenna and have reminded myself that securing the
coax downlead using cable clips (into brick) using a hammer takes skill,
patience and more clips than clip locations.
Is there a purpose designed tool for this job? which gets the hardened pin
into the wall without shattering pin, mortar or brick? My neighbour's
installation looks so neat with clips every few inches....

TIA

The trick is to use lots of little taps, not a few heavy clumps.

In article ,
Paul Mc Cann wrote:
Pin into the mortar only. Works for me.

They just fall out for me. ;-)

--
*Men are from Earth, women are from Earth. Deal with it.

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

"Dave Plowman (News)" wrote in message
...
In article ,
Paul Mc Cann wrote:
Pin into the mortar only. Works for me.

They just fall out for me. ;-)


'Snow nails' used to be the standard way of fixing cable into mortar, these
consisted of a largish wedge shaped nail, with a strip of lead which could
be wound around the cable. I've still managed to hang on to a few for
special jobs, but for some reason they now appear to be no longer available.


--
*Men are from Earth, women are from Earth. Deal with it.

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

In article ,
Mike Harrison wrote:
The trick is to use lots of little taps, not a few heavy clumps.

And of course hit the nail square - often not that easy when up a ladder,
etc.

I also prefer a club hammer - or at least a heavy one - and light taps
with that rather than harder ones with a light hammer.

However, as has been said, for a really neat job drill the bricks and use
the special plugs.

--
*No word in the English language rhymes with month, orange, silver,purple

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

In article ,
says...
In article ,
Paul Mc Cann wrote:
Pin into the mortar only. Works for me.

They just fall out for me. ;-)


You're not supposed to 'test' them. Put in plenty and pray for luck. It
also helps if you don't go back to inspect the work. ;-)

Which leads me to one of lifes little mysteries. How is it that when one
has finished a job all one can see are the mistakes/bodges made, yet
when one looks again after a period of time one is surprised at how
perfect it looks ?


--
Paul Mc Cann

On Sat, 22 Jan 2005 11:39:29 +0000 (GMT), "Dave Plowman (News)"
wrote:

In article ,
Mike Harrison wrote:
The trick is to use lots of little taps, not a few heavy clumps.

And of course hit the nail square - often not that easy when up a ladder,
etc.

I also prefer a club hammer - or at least a heavy one - and light taps
with that rather than harder ones with a light hammer.

However, as has been said, for a really neat job drill the bricks and use
the special plugs.



There are some plugs that I found on the Screwfix site 89036 which go
into a drilled hole and then a cable tie can be attached. I bought
some and they work well.

--

..andy

To email, substitute .nospam with .gl

Andy Hall wrote:

There are some plugs that I found on the Screwfix site 89036 which go
into a drilled hole and then a cable tie can be attached. I bought
some and they work well.

Yep, I'll second the vote for these plugs, especially if you are running
multiple cables; BUT beware the effect of UV light on the ties. Unless
a special grade is used they can fail in 3 years. (seen it, replaced
them, got tee shirt etc)

Andy Hall wrote:

There are some plugs that I found on the Screwfix site 89036 which go
into a drilled hole and then a cable tie can be attached. I bought
some and they work well.

There are a few varieties on that theme:

http://www.towerman.co.uk/pdf/fixings/hammerfix.pdf

I quite like the fifth one down with conventional cable clips.

--
Cheers,

John.

/================================================== ===============\
| Internode Ltd - http://www.internode.co.uk |
|-----------------------------------------------------------------|
| John Rumm - john(at)internode(dot)co(dot)uk |
\================================================= ================/

"Dave Plowman (News)" wrote in message
...
In article ,
Paul Mc Cann wrote:
Pin into the mortar only. Works for me.

They just fall out for me. ;-)


The nails bend for me :-r

Tim..

On Sat, 22 Jan 2005 01:43:20 -0000, "Malcolm Stewart"
strung together this:

Have just installed a new antenna and have reminded myself that securing the
coax downlead using cable clips (into brick) using a hammer takes skill,
patience and more clips than clip locations.

Yep.

Is there a purpose designed tool for this job? which gets the hardened pin
into the wall without shattering pin, mortar or brick?

Yes, a hammer.

My neighbour's
installation looks so neat with clips every few inches....

Did I do that one?
--

SJW
Please reply to group or use 'usenet' in email subject

Have just installed a new antenna and have reminded myself that
securing the
coax downlead using cable clips (into brick) using a hammer takes
skill,
patience and more clips than clip locations.

Use good clips (Unifix, Tradefix) as cheap ones have weak nails and
plastic. Tap quite gently many times with the hammer. Use eye
protection.

Bill

Oh I meant to say, for some reason the softest mortar is often in the
vertical joints between the bricks, about a third of the way from the
top edge of the bricks.

Bill

ivan wrote:

'Snow nails' used to be the standard way of fixing cable into mortar,
these
consisted of a largish wedge shaped nail, with a strip of lead which
could
be wound around the cable. I've still managed to hang on to a few for
special jobs, but for some reason they now appear to be no longer
available.


BT engineers seem to use something similar (or maybe the same?). After
getting bored of seeing normal masonry pin+plastic clips fall out of my
wall the last one fetched what I thought was a device made wholly of
lead.

After drilling a hole these were tapped into place with a single sharp
tap. I think they were a lead 'plug' with a clip shaped head. I guess
the hammering deformed the plug to grip the hole.
I'd be handy to know their name to be able to get a few.

IanC