Every month, we pick the top Ideas That Work submitted by you, ELECTRICAL CONTRACTOR readers. These ideas can't be found in any code or guidebook and are only learned or devised through years of experience and thinking, "There's got to be a better way to do this!" Please remember, the ideas presented in this article are for consideration only. Before using such ideas, make sure codes and safety standards have been fully adhered to.

For a note on "game-changing ideas" from the Ideas That Work editor, Anton Mikec, click here.

Now, without further ado, here are this issue's Ideas That Work!

Two useful tools

When it comes to commercial remodels, I have found two tools to be indispensable time-savers. The first is a stud finder made by taping a zip tie to a cow magnet. It is compact, portable and strong enough to find metal studs behind drywall. It takes the guesswork out of making cut-ins.

The second time-saving tool is a “fish tape” made by cutting the head off an old tape measure and covering the sharp end with tape, which keeps it from retracting into the casing. It is rigid enough to fish through congested ceilings and behind insulation in walls, yet it’s pliable and compact enough to fit in areas where tight clearance won’t allow for fish sticks or other devices.

Nathan Daniels
Portland, Ore.

Conquer the block

We do a considerable amount of work that involves installing electrical conduit in masonry block walls. It is difficult for a mason to get a conduit to stub out at a precise height. If you take a scrap piece of conduit about 24 in. long and then run a piece of ¼-in. or 3/8 -in. all-thread through the conduit at about the center point, you can attach a 90-degree EMT to the stake and adjust for the desired height. Then the mason only has to put the stake in place, and the EMT will be where it is needed.

Eric Branning
Fort Wayne, Ind.

Tape measure tricks

Larger conduit can sometimes be difficult to keep straight when cutting. I like to mark my measurement, flip over my tape, wrap the conduit and mark the edge. This gives me a straight line to guide my cutting blade. A second trick is for subtracting measurements. Try folding back your tape and placing zero at
the
overall length. Read down to the measurement you want to subtract, and the new shortened length is directly across from it. There is no dealing with
fractions, and it’s just quick and easy.

Daniel Byrne
Modesto, Calif.

IF YOU HAVE AN IDEA that has saved you time or money on the job, ELECTRICAL CONTRACTOR ­readers would like to hear about it. Be sure to include a good photo of your idea—hand sketches are often hard to interpret. Note that some similar ideas are submitted by more than one person. In these cases, the one that is more clearly written and includes a photo is given precedence. Send your letter and photo to Jack Pullizzi, Ideas Editor, ELECTRICAL CONTRACTOR, 3 Bethesda Metro Center, Suite 1100, Bethesda, MD 20814-5372, e-mail [email protected], or use the online submission tool at www.ecmag.com/ideasthatwork.

CASH AND TOOL PRIZES FOR WINNING IDEAS Each published author in Ideas That Work receives a $50 American Express gift card from ELECTRICAL ­CONTRACTOR. In addition, Southwire (www.southwiretools.com) will send the following set of electrician’s tools to each month’s first-place winner:

• Cable cutter
• Fish tape
• Long nose pliers
• Side cutting pliers
• Diagonal cutting pliers
• Pump pliers
• Screwdriver
• Wire stripper
• Crimpers
• Multimeter

DISCLAIMER: The ideas presented in this article are for consideration only. Before using such ideas, make sure codes and safety issues have been fully adhered to. ELECTRICAL CONTRACTOR disclaims any liability from your use of these or any other ideas. ­ELECTRICAL CONTRACTOR reserves the right to reprint the words herein at its discretion.