Grub screws - awesome invention or useless pile of sh*te, discuss
 

I've just spent an hour taking down an old light fitting and wiring in the new one. Everything was going swimmingly well until I attempted to screw the rose cover bit on which is fastened on with two minute grub screws.

Bear in mind I'm doing this on my own whilst balancing on the kitchen table with the light fitting on my head and trying to hold that and the screwdriver AND the bloody grub screw so that I can get the thing in. Will it go? NO :mad:

I realise that maybe I should've waited until I had some help but for gawds sake, it's not exactly rocket science fitting a light is it? If it wasn't for the stupid grub screws it would now be fitted, as it is at the moment it's hanging by the wires and I've lost the will to live :cry:

Someone please suggest how I'm supposed to hold the heavy four spot light fitting, a grub screw, my balance and a screwdriver all at the same time and get the stupid thing in the hole :mad:

Either that or can someone please come round and help me? :cry:

Thanks for listening :D

Well, quite obviously it is Sal. Shouldnt you be worrying about the ironing and washing up. Light fitting is clearly a mans job. Wait for Bob to come home and sort it in seconds ;)

Shaddit you, it's the fault of the grub screw, they are rubbish :mad:

A bit of blu tack should hold it in place on the end of the screwdriver.


See, it's easy... :smug:

Excellent, I'll try that, thank you :thumb:

Which is why you now get lightfittings that have a two piece rose fitting that consists of a plate that you screw to the ceiling with a threaded flange :norty: and then the cover screws into the base. Job done :thumb:

Rather like those bell end tax disc holders for your scoob that first came out with some god awful mutha ****ing tiny tiny weeny screws and a tiny tiny weeny allen key that meant if you placed the holder down on the windscreen you couldnt access the bottom two screws :brickwall

Now, well the same tax disc holders come in a screw on format. Now why didnt they think of that in the first place.

Now grub worms, well they are a complete different story :Suspiciou

Don't they do magnetic screwdrivers that hold the screw in place so you don't need 3 hands? dl

It is if you're fitting a light to a rocket! :p

Yes but MOST grub screws use allen keys. ;)

Screwdriver with interchangable ends ;)

Done it :smug:

I'd tightened the base plate a little too tightly into the wood (old plank and beamed ceiling) and unbeknown to me the plank wasn't quite flat which was why I was struggling so badly. I loosened the base plate off slightly and used my magnetic chubby screwdriver and in they went (albeit a bit cross threaded :D).

So now I have one lovely, if ever so slightly wonky antique nickel finished, old fashioned but modern, metal spotlight thingy which looks a zillion times better than the hideous Ikea thing which it has replaced :thumb: It's such a shame that the ceiling is a bit wonky *ahem* :lol1:

Unfortunately I dropped one of the stupidly expensive bulbs whilst fitting it into the bulb holder but luckily it landed on the cushion on the table that I was kneeling on. Then it bounced off, rolled to the edge of the table and exploded into a million pieces on the floor :cry:

Fortunately I knew that I'd break at least one so bought an extra six :thumb:

Oh and I've grazed my knuckle but I've no idea how :confused:

Thanks for all your help :D

now get back in the kitchen :D

The light is in the kitchen so :p

Ahh that explains it then, still chained to the sink :D

imagine the state of Bob's dinner if she was cooking in the dark :eek:

Microwaves have their own light though. :thumb: :D

not if sally replaced the bulb in the microwave ;)

My light has now been up for three hours and it's still working :smug: :p

Are you sure it's on? :wonder:



:D

that's the sun sweetheart :thumb:

I think your problem was that you hade two minute grub screws. If you'd bought ten second ones the job would have been done in no time. :)

AWESOME INVENTION :-

discussion over :D

were you using a left handed screwdriver ? :)

Hade? :Suspiciou

:razz:

Ah ha, I know it's not the sun as this is North Yorkshire and we don't get it here :smug:

PRAISE THE GRUB SCREW!

They are most probably brass and as all MEN know.... they have dubious ferro-magnetic properties.

You have broken so many NICEIC and H&S rules that if your house burns down many "experts" will have to be called in, maybe even the Air Accident Investigators, when you attract passing Hawks with your flickery lighting antics.

LOL

DunxC

This thread although containing humourous content is too high-brow for the average SN reader.

Whilst you wuz on this table like, balancing precariously, what wuz youse wearing?

<blokes solution>
Hit it wiv a hammer until it a) fits or b) breaks. If "b)", throw in bin muttering "useless foreign muck", replace with "sturdier" item.
</blokes solution>

Fitting a light on your own can be seriously tilting!! As you say, you have to hold and balance about 10 different things whilst standing on a dodgy chair with your arms above your head and usually in the dark with a torch in your mouth :D