Lost skills?

spanner · Dec 7, 2015

I quite enjoyed the leadwork although it was being discontinued in the times of 6129 plumbing.

Ray Stafford · Dec 7, 2015

We still sell shed loads of lead. There are still some proper leadworkers about.

Unregistered · Dec 7, 2015

Don't see nothing wrong with using the conventional leadwork. It won't surprise me if it'll be back. Has some very good properties and I think most definitely a lost skill. But just don't forget to wash the hands before eating smoking and the wearing of proper PPE gloves

spanner · Dec 7, 2015

Unregistered said:
Don't see nothing wrong with using the conventional leadwork. It won't surprise me if it'll be back. Has some very good properties and I think most definitely a lost skill. But just don't forget to wash the hands before eating smoking and the wearing of proper PPE gloves

As above

12poi · Dec 7, 2015

Anyone else had to learn using Bobbins for thin wall lead waste and soil pipe bending - up to 4"?

Accessible lead flashings are nowadays obviously gone - but high lead flashings on stacks etc is still the way to do it.
Lead burning is still a useful skill.
So is lead bossing. Instructor "You have 120 mins to boss that Code 5 16" x 16" piece of lead into a hopper head. Do not use a wedge chase or a mallet or hammer, only use the bossing & dressing sticks. The bossed lead must be of an even thickness all round."

Lead wiping and rolling are well gone, but silver/hard soldering and cup brazing are still around for specialty uses.

We were also taught to safely use Oxy-Acety for lead burning and steel cutting and basic gas welding for frames etc.
And, surprisingly enough, we had to weld sheet copper for a back gutter.

spanner · Dec 7, 2015

Talking of lead. What is the method of measuring diameter of lead pipe with the bit of string to give the LB size equivalent . ??
If I remember you wrap around twice with piece of string and that's all I remember!!

buckley plumb · Dec 7, 2015

APPlumbing said:
You can't beat the old high level cistern. One flush and it's gone!

We're losing the skill of cutting out balanced flue holes with a hammer and chisel. Not sure if that's a bad thing.

i bet you still use bits of wood instead of raw plugs lol

spanner · Dec 7, 2015

buckley plumb said:
i bet you still use bits of wood instead of raw plugs lol

Lolz no I prefer the spit plug.. ;0D

stevetheplumber · Dec 7, 2015

i did lots of lead as an apprentice we had a massive roof to do along picadilly which had bossed four way roll caps there was only one old plumber who could do them perfect so we kept moving the ones he had dome and covered the rest wih sheets or rolls of lead when ever the clerk of the works came up for an inspection
my first morning as an apprentice was watching the plumber wiping in a new lead bend into a stack he said then it was a waste of time me watching and he was right never ever saw another

stevetheplumber · Dec 7, 2015

stani said:
I hated bending steel pipe with sand

inch and a half copper with a spring was bad enough

Ric2013 · Dec 16, 2015

And now college tells us guttering isn't really a plumber's job either. My reply was that that would explain a lot of the guttering you see, especially the ones where there is an uphill bit before the outlet.

Still, some textbooks (Treloar) suggest using Plumber's Mait to joint cast iron gutters - what!? And City and Guilds textbook suggests using linseed oil putty, and no mention of putting any under the roofing bolt head itself. Sad.

stevetheplumber · Dec 16, 2015

you dont need anything under the bolt head with putty

stevetheplumber · Dec 16, 2015

we had to do a back gutter in four matierials copper lead aluminum and nuralite that was a fecker burnt fingers and the black tar took ages to get of your fingers probably full of asbestos as well

stani · Dec 16, 2015

I'm glad lead has now become a specialist trade, some of the quality is excellent, I'm glad also that gutters and glazing is now not a plumbing remit, can't think of any other parts that were "plumbers jobs" that should go as well.

Ric2013 · Dec 17, 2015

stani said:
I'm glad also that gutters and glazing is now not a plumbing remit, can't think of any other parts that were "plumbers jobs" that should go as well.

What's wrong with a plumber doing gutters, or do you just not like doing them?

Ric

stani · Dec 17, 2015

I like doing them in summer when it's nice and warm, hate doing them when they leak and it's freezing.

chris watkins · Dec 17, 2015

Guttering not plumbers work …… rubbish & I would like to see some of of them who say it is so easy put up some nice powder coated Ogee Alumasc guttering with square section double offsets in the down pipes.

That would get their little brains warm.

stani · Dec 17, 2015

I'm more talking the plastic, done in 30 minutes stuff.

Lost skills?

spanner

Plumbers Arms member

Ray Stafford

Unregistered

spanner

Plumbers Arms member

12poi

spanner

Plumbers Arms member

buckley plumb

spanner

Plumbers Arms member

stevetheplumber

stevetheplumber

Ric2013

Plumbers Arms member

stevetheplumber

stevetheplumber

stani

Ric2013

Plumbers Arms member

stani

chris watkins

stani

Similar plumbing topics

Newest Plumbing Threads