Richard Casady wrote:
On Wed, 27 May 2009 08:25:22 -0600, "SteveB"
wrote:

A knife switch is just a straight piece of copper that looks like a knife.
On one end it is bolted to two strips of copper so it rotates. On the other
it fits BETWEEN two strips of copper. It is usually bolted on a board or
base. You've probably seen them in electrical panels. Not real common, yet
still used.

The cabin at the lake has fuses and knife switches.

Casady

I'll bet it has knob and tube wiring as well.

On Fri, 29 May 2009 06:13:25 -0400, jim785 wrote:

Richard Casady wrote:
On Wed, 27 May 2009 08:25:22 -0600, "SteveB"
wrote:

A knife switch is just a straight piece of copper that looks like a knife.
On one end it is bolted to two strips of copper so it rotates. On the other
it fits BETWEEN two strips of copper. It is usually bolted on a board or
base. You've probably seen them in electrical panels. Not real common, yet
still used.

The cabin at the lake has fuses and knife switches.

Casady

I'll bet it has knob and tube wiring as well.

Fireman's Friends.

On May 29, 6:52*am, Wizard of Woodstock wrote:
On Fri, 29 May 2009 06:13:25 -0400, jim785 wrote:
Richard Casady wrote:
On Wed, 27 May 2009 08:25:22 -0600, "SteveB"
wrote:

A knife switch is just a straight piece of copper that looks like a knife.
On one end it is bolted to two strips of copper so it rotates. *On the other
it fits BETWEEN two strips of copper. *It is usually bolted on a board or
base. *You've probably seen them in electrical panels. *Not real common, yet
still used.

The cabin at the lake has fuses and knife switches.

Casady

I'll bet it has knob and tube wiring as well.

Fireman's Friends.- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

Where I lived in western NY there's still a lot of knob and tube
wiring around. It's safe except that now days, people pile insulation
on it, etc. Add to that that when knob and tube was used, the average
house's electrical devices were one small light per room! So, you
overload it, then pile insulation on top of it, and it overheats.

On Fri, 29 May 2009 05:20:26 -0700 (PDT), wrote:

On May 29, 6:52*am, Wizard of Woodstock wrote:
On Fri, 29 May 2009 06:13:25 -0400, jim785 wrote:
Richard Casady wrote:
On Wed, 27 May 2009 08:25:22 -0600, "SteveB"
wrote:

A knife switch is just a straight piece of copper that looks like a knife.
On one end it is bolted to two strips of copper so it rotates. *On the other
it fits BETWEEN two strips of copper. *It is usually bolted on a board or
base. *You've probably seen them in electrical panels. *Not real common, yet
still used.

The cabin at the lake has fuses and knife switches.

Casady

I'll bet it has knob and tube wiring as well.

Fireman's Friends.- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

Where I lived in western NY there's still a lot of knob and tube
wiring around. It's safe except that now days, people pile insulation
on it, etc. Add to that that when knob and tube was used, the average
house's electrical devices were one small light per room! So, you
overload it, then pile insulation on top of it, and it overheats.

Oh, there's no doubt about that - but fighting a fire in one of those
old stick built frame two stories is a piece of cake with knob and
tubing - Romex, not so much.

On May 29, 8:40*am, Wizard of Woodstock wrote:
On Fri, 29 May 2009 05:20:26 -0700 (PDT), wrote:
On May 29, 6:52*am, Wizard of Woodstock wrote:
On Fri, 29 May 2009 06:13:25 -0400, jim785 wrote:
Richard Casady wrote:
On Wed, 27 May 2009 08:25:22 -0600, "SteveB"
wrote:

A knife switch is just a straight piece of copper that looks like a knife.
On one end it is bolted to two strips of copper so it rotates. *On the other
it fits BETWEEN two strips of copper. *It is usually bolted on a board or
base. *You've probably seen them in electrical panels. *Not real common, yet
still used.

The cabin at the lake has fuses and knife switches.

Casady

I'll bet it has knob and tube wiring as well.

Fireman's Friends.- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

Where I lived in western NY there's still a lot of knob and tube
wiring around. It's safe except that now days, people pile insulation
on it, etc. Add to that that when knob and tube was used, the average
house's electrical devices were one small light per room! So, you
overload it, then pile insulation on top of it, and it overheats.

Oh, there's no doubt about that - but fighting a fire in one of those
old stick built frame two stories is a piece of cake with knob and
tubing - Romex, not so much.- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

My brother bought a foreclosure in Hornell, NY, an old railroad town.
It had natural gas lights at first. Then, they ran wiring through
parts of the natural gas piping, and there was knob and tube that
looked like some kid did it!

On May 29, 9:44*am, wrote:
On May 29, 8:40*am, Wizard of Woodstock wrote:





On Fri, 29 May 2009 05:20:26 -0700 (PDT), wrote:
On May 29, 6:52*am, Wizard of Woodstock wrote:
On Fri, 29 May 2009 06:13:25 -0400, jim785 wrote:
Richard Casady wrote:
On Wed, 27 May 2009 08:25:22 -0600, "SteveB"
wrote:

A knife switch is just a straight piece of copper that looks like a knife.
On one end it is bolted to two strips of copper so it rotates. *On the other
it fits BETWEEN two strips of copper. *It is usually bolted on a board or
base. *You've probably seen them in electrical panels. *Not real common, yet
still used.

The cabin at the lake has fuses and knife switches.

Casady

I'll bet it has knob and tube wiring as well.

Fireman's Friends.- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

Where I lived in western NY there's still a lot of knob and tube
wiring around. It's safe except that now days, people pile insulation
on it, etc. Add to that that when knob and tube was used, the average
house's electrical devices were one small light per room! So, you
overload it, then pile insulation on top of it, and it overheats.

Oh, there's no doubt about that - but fighting a fire in one of those
old stick built frame two stories is a piece of cake with knob and
tubing - Romex, not so much.- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

My brother bought a foreclosure in Hornell, NY, an old railroad town.
It had natural gas lights at first. Then, they ran wiring through
parts of the natural gas piping, and there was knob and tube that
looked like some kid did it!- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

When we bought our home in Essex it was all knob and tube. Took 4 of
us two weeks to rewire the whole house. The weird thing was there was
a 200 amp breakerbox there, apparently put in after a big truck took
the old wires and box out. Seems the old man knew the building
inspector pretty well, got it passed. What a pain in the ass but at
least I know the whole system and got to design it myself...

wrote:
On May 29, 9:44 am, wrote:
On May 29, 8:40 am, Wizard of Woodstock wrote:





On Fri, 29 May 2009 05:20:26 -0700 (PDT), wrote:
On May 29, 6:52 am, Wizard of Woodstock wrote:
On Fri, 29 May 2009 06:13:25 -0400, jim785 wrote:
Richard Casady wrote:
On Wed, 27 May 2009 08:25:22 -0600, "SteveB"
wrote:
A knife switch is just a straight piece of copper that looks like a knife.
On one end it is bolted to two strips of copper so it rotates. On the other
it fits BETWEEN two strips of copper. It is usually bolted on a board or
base. You've probably seen them in electrical panels. Not real common, yet
still used.
The cabin at the lake has fuses and knife switches.
Casady
I'll bet it has knob and tube wiring as well.
Fireman's Friends.- Hide quoted text -
- Show quoted text -
Where I lived in western NY there's still a lot of knob and tube
wiring around. It's safe except that now days, people pile insulation
on it, etc. Add to that that when knob and tube was used, the average
house's electrical devices were one small light per room! So, you
overload it, then pile insulation on top of it, and it overheats.
Oh, there's no doubt about that - but fighting a fire in one of those
old stick built frame two stories is a piece of cake with knob and
tubing - Romex, not so much.- Hide quoted text -
- Show quoted text -
My brother bought a foreclosure in Hornell, NY, an old railroad town.
It had natural gas lights at first. Then, they ran wiring through
parts of the natural gas piping, and there was knob and tube that
looked like some kid did it!- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

When we bought our home in Essex it was all knob and tube. Took 4 of
us two weeks to rewire the whole house. The weird thing was there was
a 200 amp breakerbox there, apparently put in after a big truck took
the old wires and box out. Seems the old man knew the building
inspector pretty well, got it passed. What a pain in the ass but at
least I know the whole system and got to design it myself...


So, your home electrical system was designed by a loud-mouthed, drunken,
semi-literate nincompoop, eh?

On Fri, 29 May 2009 06:13:25 -0400, jim785 wrote:

Richard Casady wrote:
On Wed, 27 May 2009 08:25:22 -0600, "SteveB"
wrote:

A knife switch is just a straight piece of copper that looks like a knife.
On one end it is bolted to two strips of copper so it rotates. On the other
it fits BETWEEN two strips of copper. It is usually bolted on a board or
base. You've probably seen them in electrical panels. Not real common, yet
still used.

The cabin at the lake has fuses and knife switches.

Casady

I'll bet it has knob and tube wiring as well.

It has floor outlets that are holes threaded like a standard light
bulb, Turn type light switches. A floor lamp that takes Mazda base
bulbs. Built in 1907.

Casady

Richard Casady wrote:
On Fri, 29 May 2009 06:13:25 -0400, jim785 wrote:

Richard Casady wrote:
On Wed, 27 May 2009 08:25:22 -0600, "SteveB"
wrote:

A knife switch is just a straight piece of copper that looks like a knife.
On one end it is bolted to two strips of copper so it rotates. On the other
it fits BETWEEN two strips of copper. It is usually bolted on a board or
base. You've probably seen them in electrical panels. Not real common, yet
still used.
The cabin at the lake has fuses and knife switches.

Casady
I'll bet it has knob and tube wiring as well.

It has floor outlets that are holes threaded like a standard light
bulb, Turn type light switches. A floor lamp that takes Mazda base
bulbs. Built in 1907.

Casady

I've seen the surface mounted switches but not the outlets. Mazda based
bulbs? Stuff from that era usually has gas plumbed to wall sconces and
fireplaces. Maybe not in rustic cabins though.