ECN Forum Forums General Topics of the Trade General Discussion Area Story Stick Design

Was reading a post that mentioned the use of a Story Stick, on new construction. Is there one design of a stick that works better. Does it actual hold the box in place, while you nail it in? Any detailed info would be appreciated. My ignorance comes from mostly doing service upgrades and "old" rewire jobs. (stuff nobody else wants to do)

I didn,t read the post your talking about, but I usually make our own story poles. I just mark or cut 1/2 emt to the size I want. It beats streching your tape mesure out 8 or 9 feet and having it collapse.

I did the same thing as Russ.

The way we did it was this:

Nail up a recpt. and a switch opening at your desired height. For us it was 12" to center and 44" to center, but now or city is requiring 15" on the first floor per American Disabilties Act. We liked the 44" switch height because it worked well for counter top outlets and then we just kept the same height throughout to house.

Then take your measurment off the floor to the top of the bracket of each of the two boxes. cut 1/2 EMT to each length, stack them next to each other, and tape them together. Then we'd walk the whole house making marks similar to this "<". except the bottom of the mark was level and the top had the angle. this would differentiate the mark from a center mark, inticating top of the bracket. This way if for some reason you needed an opening measured to center, you'd just make a regular arrow and the guy coming behind you would know.

The reason we marked the top of the bracket was so we didn't have to croutch down to line up center of the box. Just make sure all your bracket boxes are the same brand.

But in answer to your question, no, it didn't hold the box. We still marked first and nailed up next. And just for reference, I come from the land of EMT and 1900 bracket boxes in residential.

I use a piece of panelling, masonite, plywood, a 1x2, or 2x4.

I use a piece of 1x3, with the locations marked on the board. One of my first journeymen taught me about marking a box placement (height) line on your hammer; another showed me his markered tape measure, but the tapes (and hammer handles) always seem to get way too marked up to readily discern the lines, and tapes bend at the wrong spot, or get snagged between studs, or many other problems [whine]...I like the dedicated stick idea better.

BTW I, too come from the land of "pipe and steel".

I've seen the ones with the boxes mounted to the board, but they seem really ungainly. The only time I used something like that was when the room design required me to mount the wall outlets in between the studs on a nailed up piece of 2x4 (talk about a PITA). I made a "mounted" stick up to position the supports at the correct height.

...Our receptacle box heights are 15" (or to the top of our hammers)to the TOP of the box,for normal receptacles,and 48" to the TOP of the box for switches..For kitchen counter and bathroom GFI's and switches, we go to 42" to the bottom of the box..that puts the box within the tile line and beneath the "bull-nose",that's usually at 48".I usually use my stick ruler, and a "sharpie",to mark out, and then let the "kids" bang on the boxes..
AR

My favorite for resi was a piece of 1/2" plywood that I had notched in the sides to fit the box at the desired height.
That way I could set the box depth exactly.
For commercial/industrial fixtures (yeah, I know, luminaires) hanging at a set height AFF, we used to use story poles, but now just hang a rotating laser in a corner of the building and go...S

Pretty high-tech there Scott!


Bill

electure — Does your laser singe nice accurate charcoal marks where it hits the studs?




[This message has been edited by Bjarney (edited 03-08-2004).]