Forum Home
PC World Chat
Thread ID: 148437	2019-12-30 07:53:00	Some advice re my outside telephone box	Digby (677)	PC World Chat

Post ID	Timestamp	Content	User
1465800	2019-12-30 07:53:00	Hi Guys Thanks for all the advice re my sky dish cable eyesore. I also have the same problem with my white telephone box on the outside of my house. It goes into the lounge and is connected to a white phone box. As like most of us I am now on ufb, so today I removed the interior white box and pulled the cable out and cut it off. Now I am left with an ugly white plastic box about 3 inches square, screwed to my brick wall. It has a plastic cover or lid. Its not easy to remove as it has 4 screws with triple star head screws, some exclusive telecom screw I suppose. Whats the best way of removing the cover? I had thought of smashing it with a hammer and then hoping that there would be normal screws or plugs holding the box onto my wall. Any suggestions, other than a tomato plant?	Digby (677)
1465801	2019-12-30 18:32:00	Take a photo of the screw head and take it into your local hardware shop or Jaycar if there is one in your area. They may be able to supply a tool to do the job. You could cut a slot across the screw head with a Dremel tool. You could just drill the screw heads out.	CliveM (6007)
1465802	2019-12-31 00:24:00	I agree, the box is ugly, but not as ugly as the new fibre box. Anyway, if you remove it you'll have 2 screw holes and the hole the old cables passed through to have to seal up and paint over, whereas if you leave the box in place those holes remain hidden and water tight. I'm going with the lazy approach and leaving the box in place.	Paul.Cov (425)
1465803	2019-12-31 00:43:00	They are called Tri-wing screws and often you can undo them with a small flat head screwdriver jammed in the slots. It's only screwed into plastic and is generally not that tight. A lot of people replace them with regular screws to make life easier. Whatever is attached to your house should be a regular fastener and not a security screw. I do have the proper bit somewhere but never have it with me so generally I just do what I mentioned.	dugimodo (138)
1465804	2020-01-01 03:58:00	I agree, the box is ugly, but not as ugly as the new fibre box. Anyway, if you remove it you'll have 2 screw holes and the hole the old cables passed through to have to seal up and paint over, whereas if you leave the box in place those holes remain hidden and water tight. I'm going with the lazy approach and leaving the box in place. Yes I decided to use brute force and smack the box gently with a hammer. Then I managed to pull out the four holes in my brick they were some sort of nail in a nylon sleeve. But now yes I have 5 holes to fill and make look like brick.	Digby (677)
1465805	2020-01-05 04:48:00	Yes I decided to use brute force and smack the box gently with a hammer. Then I managed to pull out the four holes in my brick they were some sort of nail in a nylon sleeve. But now yes I have 5 holes to fill and make look like brick. Surely OSH have a suitable sign to more than cover the situation? ;)	R2x1 (4628)
1465806	2020-01-05 07:26:00	Yes I decided to use brute force and smack the box gently with a hammer. Then I managed to pull out the four holes in my brick they were some sort of nail in a nylon sleeve. But now yes I have 5 holes to fill and make look like brick. Grind up some brick dust mix with a bit of PVA glue and apply as needed.	gary67 (56)
1465807	2020-01-05 17:52:00	Surely OSH have a suitable sign to more than cover the situation? ;) Yep, a suitably positioned Arrow Truck. ;)	B.M. (505)
1465808	2020-01-05 19:11:00	Grind up some brick dust mix with a bit of PVA glue and apply as needed. Yes, some sort of filler mixed with brick dust will do the trick.	piroska (17583)
1465809	2020-01-05 19:15:00	Yep, a suitably positioned Arrow Truck. ;) Nah, the arrow truck with impact absorbing stopper bar is only there to divert pedestrians around the scaffolders preparing the staging for the fence erectors who will put up semi permanent protective barriers for the sign writers to put up signs warning that construction of protective works is about to start once the necessary Safety Plan has been Approved following the erection of the First Aid Station and Earthquake Alleviation Headquarters. Sorry Gary, but grinding brick dust is totally ruled out due to the inability to supply the necessary certification that the bricks were never salvaged from Chernobyl or 3 Mile Island. Also the Silt Fences and flood-water retention works would necessitate the demolition of the adjacent residences, and demolition would require erection of an administrative headquarters for the OSH personnel. This is un-permitted until a comprehensive geo-survey proves that a top heavy OSH structure could be constructed in an area that could be damaged in a glacier formation. (Unless you plant some trees)	R2x1 (4628)
1 2