Designed and patented in Australia, the Quicky Mark is a handheld tool used when lining up and marking locations for the penetration of internal and external walling, required when installing electrical fittings. Paul Skelton reports.

Every so often a product comes along that you can’t help but wonder why nobody else had ever thought of it before – the bottle opener remote control, for example.

Designed to save electricians time when installing outlets, the Quicky Mark is another example of such common sense.

Developed by refrigeration mechanic and electrician Mitch Vincent, the Quicky Mark is an aff ordable tool that combines a simple idea with an easy-to-use design.

“Using the Quicky Mark is really straightforward and saves electricians a lot of time, especially when they’re working on larger installations,” Mitch says.

“A mate and I came up with the idea one day and thought it would be worthwhile pursuing further. We put pen to paper and then thought about getting it made. Now it’s stocked in wholesalers.”

That was about two years ago.

The Quicky Mark is made up of three main components – a template and a vertical and horizontal measuring guide. These components can be used together collectively or as individual aids during install preparation.

The template is held against a wall and traced, leaving an outline of the penetration area required to be removed from the plasterboard. The resultant hole will be the perfect size for a bracket to be installed for the fixing of electrical fi ttings such as socket outlets, light switches, data points and coaxial outlets.

Spirit levels are contained within the template to ensure the template is level when used in a standard and elongated fashion.

The measuring guides intersect and travel through the template to allow sparkies to reach specific height or width restrictions set by designers. The cartridge can then be set at that height or width on using thumbscrews on its face, which lock it in place.

Alternatively, the sticks can be removed from the cartridge to allow for free use if measurements are not specified or necessary.

“The cartridge in the middle is the perfect size for an outlet,” Mitch says.

“Basically, you can now get correct measurements every time. So if you are working on an office fit out that requires, say, 40 outlets and data points installed you can slot the size into the stick once with the thumbscrew and maintain consistency throughout the job.”

The tool comes in a handy slimline carry case, which means transport and storage is easy.

“We’ve received a lot of positive feedback from wholesalers and electricians who have used the tool, which has been great.

“From paper to production, before the Quicky Mark was available in wholesalers, the whole process took about a year and a half to get up and running. There were a lot of necessary changes to the finished product and packaging, especially navigating patents, logos and trademarks. It’s been an interesting challenge.”

The Quicky Mark is currently available at POPES Electrical and Data Supplies and George Brown Electrical.