New Record? - Electrician Talk - Professional Electrical Contractors Forum

brian john · 04-01-2007, 06:51 AM

A 1923 NEC just sold for $1,275.00, I am sure this must be a new record for an old NEC? Sure puts me out of the market.

MDShunk · 04-01-2007, 08:08 AM

That's an edition that I sure don't have.

Don't copyrights expire after a certain number of years? I need to look into that. I'm not beyone just copying some old editions and posting them in full as a PDF online if it's legal.

JohnJ0906 · 04-01-2007, 08:33 AM

Copyrights can be extended, so please be cautious. I would love to see some of the old requirements, but we'd better stay legal!

MDShunk · 04-01-2007, 08:34 AM

I looked it up a little:

Copyrighted before 1923
Books copyrighted in the US before 1923 are now in the public domain; their copyrights have expired and it is legal to copy such works.

Copyrighted 1923-1963
Books initially copyrighted in the US from 1923 through 1963 are still protected by copyright law if the initial copyright was renewed. The initial copyright term was 28 years and the renewal was 67 more years (formerly only 47 years). For example, a book initially copyrighted in 1923, and renewed, will pass into the public domain in 2019 (i.e., 1923+28+67+1).

Copyrighted 1964-1977
All books initially copyrighted in the US from 1964 through 1977 have had their copyrights automatically renewed (by law) and the copyrights are still in force. The initial copyright term was 28 years; the renewal was for 67 more years. So a book initially copyrighted in 1964 will pass into the public domain in 1964 + 28 + 67 + 1= 2060.

Copyrighted 1978-
All books initially copyrighted in the US from 1978 to date are still protected by copyright law. The period of copyright protection is governed by complex rules. Generally speaking copyright protection ends 70 years after death of author.

leftyguitarjoe · 04-01-2007, 10:20 AM

didn't electricians in the 20's use molten lead instead of wirenuts?

John · 04-01-2007, 02:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by leftyguitarjoe

didn't electricians in the 20's use molten lead instead of wirenuts?

Before it was soldered connections using 63% Tin and 37% Lead solder and wrapped with tape. There is still some of this around in older buildings.

MDShunk · 04-01-2007, 03:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by John

Before it was soldered connections using 63% Tin and 37% Lead solder and wrapped with tape. There is still some of this around in older buildings.

I think there are a few doing this still today. I got a bid request from a new builder to my area, who presently operates in the Fredrick, MD area. He requests soldered connections in the bid, because that's how his sparky's in Frederick do it. He up-sells the home on that point. There is a user here "The Electrical Guru" who mentioned at one point about sometimes his company doing soldered connections. I apprenticed to a guy in the mid 80's who was in his 80's at the time. He just started "trusting" wire nuts about the time I started to work for him. We still bored holes with a brace and bit, and skinned conductors with a knife, though. He growled me for using a T stripper. Silly me.

Magnettica · 04-01-2007, 08:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by John

Before it was soldered connections using 63% Tin and 37% Lead solder and wrapped with tape. There is still some of this around in older buildings.

That stuffs a major pain in the ass to work with. Just getting to the bare conductors is a challenge unto itself. From experience if I don't have to mess with an old splice I don't. Nothing worse than trying to splice a 1" conductor in an old 3" round box. Plus you might not know it till later that a neutral wire came loose while you were working on an unrelated circuit. Run new whenever you can.