Shallow Walls

how about a 5 port surface mount, you may be able to cut most of the back out, and still have enough to screw it to a ring.

I'm advising on the rewire of a condo in DC that's undergoing involuntary renovation, after an upstairs waterline blew and ran for 4 days....

With no ceilings and few walls, it's easy....

The 2S+Basement condo has 25pair telco everywhere [bet no one here recalls a WECO 51A..] and we're adding coax, CAT5e and misc.

But one problem is the drywall-block distance is quite shallow - way less than an inch. Is there some kind of mudring+spacer that will let me use standard wallplates, or a backless box that will protrude out??

Surface mount is way too ugly. I'd love to find these extenders, if some has PN's or urls...

Well, I may have led you astray on the Leviton. I know the part I'm thinking of, but can't seem to find it any were. I looked through my Hubbell and Siemon catalog as well and no luck. It might be AllenTel, for which I don't have a catalog and I really don't like their website. Anyway, on the Panduit, their JBxxx line of boxes are low voltage only and the JBPxxxx line can be used for power, but are also usable for data. They are designed to work with or without the surface mount raceway system. Either should work for you.

Justin

Thus far:

Panduit makes an extension, but it's part of its surface-power line, not data.

Leviton has a dual gang ring, but not a duplex one.

Do you mean that behind the drywall there isn't enough depth for a box? If so, you can use those drywall brackets that will accept a standard cover plate, and if that doesn't give you the needed depth I have used a shallow surface mount box anchored to the drywall bracket with a standard cover plate on top. Effectively a spacer. The brand of boxes I usually use is wiremold.

--Dan

Have you looked at Caddy fasteners ?

a) Yes, I know about Caddy fasteners. There are also plastic ones made by ?Panduit? that may be better.

b) Yes, the trouble is, there is very little hollow space behind the drywall -

As a last resort , you could always make a hole in the block.

But what? Do you mean to tell me you won't use a JBP1E because its *called* a surface mount box? It effectively IS a spacer if you use it as one. In what ways would a "spacer" differ from such a "box"?

--Dan

It has a back. I don't want one. That's important because behind that plate there's a 25 pair loop that I need to fish out and tap pairs from...then shove back into the wall.

David, We all have our details that we won't budge on, I understand. I know I may be telling you things you have no interest in, ignore this info if you like.

I would imagine that the box backplate has a big knockout you can remove-all the Wiremold boxes I have used have had them. You could, if you wanted, pull the 25 pair cable out enough to tap off the wires you need (probably only a pair or two right?) suppose you tap into the 25 pair and use a piece of CAT5 or similar to work from. Then push the 25 pair cable back into the wall and only leave the CAT5 hanging out. That should be small enough to easily work around.

Sometimes I get all worked up over keeping everything completely correct and to my high standards, but then realize that the particular job itself is funky and I just have to bend my standards. I just wanted to make sure you knew you COULD use the box, if you were willing to bend your "no surfacemount" rule just a little. Having 0.5" of space behind drywall isn't normal, so you shouldn't have to restrict yourself to normal practices-its a special case.

Good luck and be sure to let us know if you find a spacer you like, it would be good to know about.

--Dan

I've considered that, but a) The knockouts are small vs the whole area. b) The customer doesn't like them, either.

The good news is I measured again, and there's 3cm behind the wallboard. That's more than I thought. I think that will clear all but perhaps the RG-6/F connection. And I think using the 45 degree Leviton will solve that issue.

The bad news is a good supplier, Straight Line Supply, has folded.