Gordon Electric Supply, Inc.

The incandescent light bulb, the work horse of lighting since Edison invented it! The power of this invention is a fond memory of mine. When I was a kid, my sister had an EZ-Bake oven! It was amazing to me that a light bulb could make treats. No matter how they turned out, she would always made me eat them.

If you have ever taken out a burning lamp, you know how hot they get. Older houses have porcine sockets with a lamp in the closet. Let’s face it, we fill our closets, and an exposed lamp could make an EZ-bake disaster.

In most cases the fixture must be replaced with a new fixture that has a globe, or, you can simply install the Sylvania ULTRA LED Retro Fit lamp! It’s so simple, take out the existing lamp and screw the ULTRA LED into the socket! BAM!!! You now have a great looking LED fixture with a pull chain.

Sylvania 75112

Key Features & Benefits

• Lumen package: – 700 lumens @ 9 watts (without pull chain)-
• 1200 lumens @ 15 watts (with pull chain)
• Replacement for 65W incandescent
• CCT: 2700K & 4000K
• CRI of 82
• Reduces energy consumption up to 86%
• 50,000 hours life (L₇₀)
• Suitable for damp and dry locations
• Save up to $308 over the life of the fixture and last 25X longer
• 5 year warranty

~Woody

Wire strippers have come a long way since I was a kid. Then again there really was only one reason for me and my friends to ever use a pair. You see back in the day cars didn’t come with cool stereos with speakers everywhere, no, we had an AM radio and one small speaker in the dash. The solution, head down to the local stereo shop and buy a groovy new AM/FM CASSETTE stereo!! If we were lucky, it fit right in place of the old radio. Next, connecting the wires. We usually ran a wire directly to the battery for power. Not a good idea. Now the speakers!! Since we never had a pair of wire strippers, we would use our teeth to strip the wire. By time we were done there was a mass of wires and tape under the dash and we had sore gums from chewing the insulation off the wires.

Avoid sore gums, and get a nice pair of wire strippers! Ideal for example, has a great line. Right now they are offering a limited edition 100-year anniversary wire stripper. It comes in a red, white and blue color scheme to commemorate 100 years of being made in America!

Ideal 45-619

~Woody

Holes! In the electrical industry they are very important. We put pipe in them, stick wires through them, and even install lighting in them.

Today we are lucky, we have all kinds of fun tools to make them with! In the old days, holes were made with manual drills that you would have to crank by hand. This could take days, but your arms would at least look great!

So, it’s so cool that Klein has so many great options for making holes.

Everything from the Carbide-Tipped cutters that go from ½” – 2” pipe sizes, an adjustable hole saw to cut in can lights, and these really neat Ship-Auger Bits that will go through nails, wood, vinyl plastic and heavy timber. (They would also be great in a horror movie.)

~Woody

Ever since I was a kid, I have loved anything that glows in the dark. My sister and I used to love to play, “The Barnabas Collins Dark Shadows Game!” Your goal? Be the first person to assemble a full skeleton. You draw a bone or stake from the coffin each turn, though you’re going to want to avoid the stakes. Oh, and the skeleton glows in the dark. “If you win, the curse of the vampire is yours!” Yes, we had a strange Mother who loved horror movies and to scare us to death whenever she could.

Another great pass time was catching lightning bugs……..and then smearing the tails on our arms, running around the yard in the dark until the lightning bug goo quit glowing.

So it is very cool that Klein tools has come out with a line of screw drivers that have handles that glow in the dark!

The Hi-Viz Drivers.

• Excellent glow-in-the-dark feature allows you to find your tools in the dark.
• Handle charges when placed in direct sunlight or artificial light.
• Precision-machined tip provides accurate fit and torque without slippage.
• Tip-Ident® quickly identifies the screwdriver type and tip orientation.
• Premium chrome-plated for smooth feel and corrosion resistance.
• Internal flanges inside handle provide solid, twist-resistant blade anchor.
• Special heat-treated shafts.
• Meets or exceeds applicable ASME/ANSI specifications.

~Woody

There is nothing in the world that cannot be fixed with Duct Tape.

I once owned a red compact car. Driving to work one day a pheasant decided to take on my front bumper. His sacrifice to his fellow car hating, feathered friends was not in vein. He charged my bumper and with a blast of feathers, the bumper was in pieces. Not having a lot of spare time (or money) at the time, the perfect solution was duct tape! Even better, RED duct tape! Problem solved.

3M™ Heavy Duty Duct Tape 3939 has the tensile strength and adhesion for splicing, masking, patching, seaming, hanging poly sheeting, sealing PVC pipes, covering trip hazards and a host of other industrial applications.

• Industrial-grade duct tape for splicing, masking, patching, sealing and seaming
• High tensile strength for a secure hold under stress
• Thick rubber adhesive bonds to most rough and smooth surfaces for a tight seal
• Silver polyethylene surface resists wear, abrasion and water

 

So no matter what your need, whether taping a bumper together or your younger brother to a tree, 3M Heavy Duty Duct Tape 3939 is the product for you!

~Woody

So, you’ve finally worked up the nerve to ask the girl that works at your favorite 8-track, vinyl album, and vegan yogurt shop! She has agreed to come to your place for a movie and drinks.

The evening starts great, a few glasses of wine, music and you finally got to make your move and sneak your arm over her shoulders. An hour goes by, great conversation, another glass of wine, and you decide it’s time to change to mood.

You grab your phone with your free hand and say “Create Scene”. Suddenly, the lights dim, the shades close and the temperature in the room drops. You look into her eyes but her face turns to terror and she jumps up!

You try to grab the TV remote, but there is no feeling in that arm you’ve had over her shoulders for an hour. Fumbling, you get the remote and hit the wrong channel. Suddenly you hear out of the surround sound “It puts the lotion on its skin, or it’s gets hose again”.

Your date runs screaming out the door…

The wonderful technology that controlled so many aspects of your home, just by using your voice was Lutron’s Caseta Wireless System! …Just be careful how you use it.

Smart Bridge PRO with HomeKit – P-BDGPRO-PKG1W

 

• Enables control of lights, shades, and temperature using the Lutron App
• Compatible with Caséta Wireless dimmers and switches, Serena battery-powered shades, Lutron Wireless Thermostat, Nest Learning Thermostat, and select Honeywell Wi-Fi thermostats
• Easy to install; just plugs into your Wi-Fi router
• Uses Clear Connect® wireless technology— no callbacks
• Also compatible with Lutron Triathlon® battery-powered shades and select styles of Sivoia QS Wireless shades
• Adds integration with third-party A/V remote controls and security systems

Lutron App for smart devices

• Works in conjunction with the Smart Bridge and Smart Bridge PRO
• Control individual lights, shades, and thermostats—even when you’re away from home
• Add scenes to control multiple lights and shades with a single touch
• Schedule scenes to adjust lights and shades automatically
• Download for free from the App Store or Google Play
• Works with the Apple Watch for control right from your wrist
• Use the geofencing feature to automatically turn lights on as you arrive home/turn them off as you leave
• Receive notifications on your smart device if you’ve left the lights on when you leave home
• Use the Widget feature to set a scene without unlocking your phone
• Tell Siri to turn your lights off and close your shades just before bed, or dim the lights for movie time

~Woody

Wire Ties! An awesome invention that makes organizing and cleaning up messy wire tangles possible. They come in all sizes, but they can really be a mess themselves to keep organized. Most of the time they end up in a scattered mess at the bottom of a tool bag. Finding the right one may require a whole lot of digging, or even emptying the bag of all the tools.

Thomas & Betts has released some great solutions to solve this problem.
The TY-TOTE-23 Cable Tie Dispenser for 4” cable ties.

The TY-TOTE-25 Cable Tie Dispenser for 8” cable ties.

The TY-TOTE-28 Cable Tie Dispenser for 11” to 14” cable ties.

• Durable, lightweight polyester exterior and tough vinyl interior construction
• Rugged diamond-shaped cutout for easy access to cable ties (up to 8″, 11″–14″ lengths) and rectangular-shaped (for 4″ length)
• Handy belt clip and chrome steel loop for easy attachment
• Resealable hook-and-loop flap for easy refill
• Includes 100 genuine Ty-Rap® cable ties

~Woody

It’s a problem that has haunted electricians forever. They walk into a house and the homeowner wants to replace a ceiling fixture with a ceiling fan.
Seems simple enough to the homeowner “Just take down the light and put up the fan!”
What most people down realize is that the box that the fixture is attached to is either not supported or has very little support.
Some brave souls have attempted to hang a fan from an unsupported box. This may work for a while, but you can bet that during a Sunday dinner when everyone is at the table, someone will grab the chain to turn on the fan. CRASH!!! Down comes the fan, smashing the turkey and sending a gravy tidal right into Grandpas lap.
The Westinghouse 01010 Saf-T-Brace allows you to safely install your ceiling fan or lighting fixture in four easy steps–without having to access attic space. Ideal for installation during remodeling, the mounting brace can be installed in finished ceilings through a 4-inch hole. This brace is compatible with ceiling fans up to 70 pounds. The Saf-T-Brace comes with everything you need for installation, including easy-to-follow instructions. Each end includes four teeth for an extra-strong grip and screws into joists independently for added security and stability. For added ease, the electrical box can be positioned anywhere on the brace to fit your project needs. It works with existing ceiling joists between 16 and 24 inches wide. The brace’s 15-1/2-cubic-inch, 1-1/2″ deep, dual-mount electrical box provides 8-32 threads for cover plates and lightweight lighting fixtures and 10-24 threads for ceiling fans and chandeliers. It also includes a Saf-T-Cap to protect bolts and wires during drywall installation and painting. The brace is UL/CUL listed to support light fixtures up to 150 pounds on 16-inch centers and 50 pounds on 24-inch centers. It supports fans up to 70 pounds.

~Woody

It has been a long time problem. You plug in your MP3 player and the outlet pushes about an inch back into the wall. You think its fine because you are jamming out to your favorite Techno-Heavy Metal-Hip Hop band.
When you are finished “Dropping the Nae Nae,” you try to unplug your player, pulling the outlet forward and brushing the hot side of the outlet against the metal box. The smell of ozone fills the air right before the outlet shorts out, sparking, smoking and creating a fire!
This is a common problem caused when the outlet is not secured to the box because it is too deep in the wall. Often, caused by additional wall surfaces added on, such as tile.
Ideal Industries has a simple answer!
The Caterpillars Spacers/Shims 772451
The shims go between the outlet and the box, sliding right on over the screw.
Features
• Eliminates the need to cut plate screws for “GFCI” decorator devices when installing on tile, marble, etc.
• Supports loose outlets
• Prevents broken face plates
• Snaps over #6, #8, #10 screws
• Also works as a shim

~Woody

The gift giving season is upon us! What to get that one special electrician who just can’t seem to keep their tools together? You know the person, they open their van door and everything falls out. Left over material from a job they did two years ago that they “might” need. No reason to get rid of it! It is almost impossible for them to find a tool. They have cardboard boxes with screwdrivers and wire strippers buried at the bottom.
Well Ideal has just the gift to help clean up their act!
The 35-975 Tuff-Tote™ Ultimate Tool Carrier with Shoulder Strap. The Premium Leather Model!
? Eight-inch square tool carrier features two divided inside compartments with six screwdriver loops each, one large center compartment, four outside pockets and eight outside tool loops
? Exclusive leather-wrapped grab handle for carrying comfort
? Removable shoulder strap helps relieve lower back strain
? Unique stand-alone design keeps tools standing upright for easy identification and access
? Rust-resistant, plated-steel hardware and heavy, lock-stitched nylon thread for long-term durability
? Oil and moisture-resistant reinforced bottom

and a LIFE TIME WARRANTY!

~Woody