Foiling ??

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RHC: Yeah, I know that.....I was more referring to years in the business than calendar years....)

I did a system the other day that had foiling on the basement windows. I was replacing a 30 year old Chubb system with a more modern alarm. Seemed like a lot of paraphanalia on the windows to serve as a simple glassbreak detector, but I can certainly see how it would work well. I have to wonder though if that stuff false alarmed a lot once it got older and the sun made it brittle.

I preferred barrier bars on basement windows. Foil just doesn't hold up well over time with all the dampness & exposure.

Jim Rojas

They do until the "customer" cuts the eraser off a pencil and placing it between the switch and the bar in hopes to.................................... I can't remember what the reason was. Just know that when I went to test and did not get an alarm it took me some time to finally get up on the ladder and look closely to see the eraser.

Totally dumb................................ Replaced with new and asked the "customer" to never ever do that again.

Les

has standing as the

Hey, I seem to remember that that I was told by someone, that you're only as old as you think you might remember you are .... or something like that ... I'm pretty sure.

ly has standing as the

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Just like anything that you do with security installation, some do what they do just so it lasts as long as the customer can see their tail lights. Others do a good job. It was always evident which jobs were good and which weren't when you went in to service foil. Some never even put on a surface coat of varnish. Just tack down the corners. Of course it meant that a sevice call would be necessary in about a year or two. 98 percent of the breaks came from flexing at the foil block connections. When we soldered connections to foil take- offs, prior to foil blocks, we didn't have that problem. Then, most breaks came from window washers or accidental or deliberate scratching of the foil.

There's a gas station in an old wooden frame building where I foiled the two six over six light, double hung windows, on the second floor, over 30 years ago. I did a real fancy job because the windows were so visible from the road. Each pane with almost 360 degree foil, indented corners and soldered crossovers on each mullion. I might have even used "F" spring take-offs on the windows. Although I'm sure the foil isn't part of the present alarm system ( I don't have the customer anymore) the foil job is still up there. The building is distictive because of it's age and the two dog house windows on the roof of the single story building, with the silver window foil on the glass, is very promenent and visible. Adds to the "vintage" look of the building. The windows face north so the sunlight hasn't affected the foil, as it might otherwise.

I think that most people probably think that the foil on the glass is something decorative now ..... rather than part of an old security system.

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I think it was and may still be used to make conductive lands on printed circuit boards for in-field repair and hobbyist. I don't know if it was used for or intended for anything else though.

I purchased it from an electronics hobby store, and also via the Allied catalog. It was used for repairing printed circuit boards back in the '50's and 60's. Opens in the copper etchings were quiclkly repaired by dabbing a bit on the break.

On that score I outdate most here except Grandp... er, I mean Jim. :^)

In its day, foil was the only glassbreak detector.

If it's done right it doesn't get brittle. I did foil jobs nearly thirty years ago that are still working.

The adhesive behind the foil blocks gets dry and comes loose if you don't seal them with varnish. The main problem, as someone else already stated, is window washing. If there isn't a good coat of varnish it can break easily. Also, people accidentally (and sometimes deliberately) nick foil while going through glass doors.

What did foiling in wasn't false alarms. That has never slowed the alarm industry. [:^)] It was time consuming and alarm installation became a race to the finish when the big nationals started hawking "free" systems. Installers had to finish a job in the morning and another in the afternoon. With that turn of events craftsmanship all but died in the trade.

I've used barrier bars on a fair number of jobs as well. One of my favorite tricks with basement windows was to run the bar through the hem of the curtain. No one could see it and any attempt to dislodge the curtain would trip the alarm.

As to longevity, I disagree. Foil can last for a long time if it's installed right and it isn't abused. Since the lead stuff disappeared from the market I stopped using it though.

One day a number of years ago I stopped to visit my folks after having my annual physical. My mother asked, "How was your exam?" I said fine but, "They gave me an Alzheimer's test."

Surprised, she asked, "They gave you an Alzheimer's test?"

I said, "They did?" :^)

Oh. I never repaired circuit boards so I wouldn't have come across it then.

Thanks for all the replies, I learned a lot of things. :)

1 I only used varnish to foil wired, or frosted glass. On plate glass it was glue & water only. BTW I may be up there in age (grin) with some here.

I'm thinking of retirement and may try to find a part time job with an alarm co.

One more thing, that Ademco pizza cutter was a piece of you know what. An ice pick was the best JMHO.....:)

Wanna buy an online alarm store? :^)

I'll give you $5, does that include the receivers in the spare bedroom?

You guys sound like the sale persons at all the alarm co.s I ever worked for. :)

Which guys and for that matter, which alarm companies?

Re: Foiling ?? 2 all Group: alt.security.alarms Date: Sat, Oct 24, 2009, 1:39pm (PDT+3) From: snipped-for-privacy@BassBurglarAlarms.com (Robert=A0L=A0Bass) "bigolebill" wrote: You guys sound like the sale persons at all the alarm co.s I ever worked for. :) Which guys and for that matter, which alarm companies?

Oh. I worked in CT for 24 years -- ran a small alarm company. It was a lot of fun.

Hmm. I didn't realise Honeywell owned installing companies. They weren't in my area at least.

During the last 2 or 3 years I was in Connecticut I started an online store. The intent was to sell a few components online to add to my buying power. I figured I'd get a better cost of goods sold if I was ordering more hardware. To my surprise the online business took off. Within a short time it was grossing more than my brick and mortar business. When I moved to Florida, instead of starting all over I just concentrated on the web business. That's worked out fairly well for me. I'm now semi-retired. I'll never go back to installing -- too old and to tired to do that any more.

If you ever thought about doing something online, take a look at my website. It's just one example of an online alarm store. There are others that are more profitable but not that many. Anyway, it's a fun way to parlay your alarm experience into a source of income without climbing around in people's attics any more. :^)