Drilling for conduit
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Posted by Bill Stock on March 25, 2007, 1:55 pm
Please log in for more thread options floor (possibly attic). I've already got several smaller holes drilled through the first and second floors in this wall. I've also got two access panels on the 'inside' of this center wall. But a recent wiring experience convinced me that I need a better solution. I've read that a forstener bit with a right angle adapter is the best tool for the job. But considering I need to drill about 12", I'm wondering how difficult it is to control this beast and keep the hole close to straight. I know from my previous adventures that the three stud walls don't line up too well. I was hoping that there is some sort of guide that I could mount between the studs to keep the hole straight. Any insights appreciated. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Posted by B Fuhrmann on March 25, 2007, 3:39 pm
Please log in for more thread options Milwaukee makes some drills specifically for this purpose. They are similar to forstner bits except that the outer ring has many teeth along it (but not as many as a hole saw) and there is a screw center to help pull the bit into the wood. I like the idea of using a right angle adapter. I have been wondering how I am going to get the bit and drill close enough to straight without making a massive hole in the wall. I would think that once you get the hole started in line with your hole in the wall, that it would be easy to see when a right angle adapter was square to the wall. -- Bill Fuhrmann | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Posted by Robert L Bass on March 25, 2007, 6:18 pm
Please log in for more thread options > Milwaukee makes some drills specifically for this purpose. They are similar
to forstner bits except that the outer ring has many
> teeth along it (but not as many as a hole saw) and there is a screw center to
help pull the bit into the wood.
When we bought an older home some years ago I needed to do the same thing. The walls were plaster over wood lath and nothing lined up. I found it much easier to locate a closet on the second floor that was partially over another closet on the first floor. I used a Milwaukee hole saw to cut two large diameter holes in the floor of the 2nd story closet and through the ceiling of the 1st. I did the same thing in the first level going down to the basement. I punched through to the attic and installed two wiring cabinets there and two more in the basement. A few offset fittings eliminated the need to bend 2" EMT (I've never been good at conduit bending) to fit snugly onto the corners. -- Regards, Robert L Bass =============================>
Bass Home Electronics
941-925-8650 4883 Fallcrest Circle Sarasota · Florida · 34233 http://www.bassburglaralarms.com =============================>
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Posted by Robert Green on March 25, 2007, 6:46 pm
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> I've read that a forstener bit with a right angle adapter is the best tool
I
> for the job. But considering I need to drill about 12", I'm wondering how > difficult it is to control this beast and keep the hole close to straight. > know from my previous adventures that the three stud walls don't line up
too
> well. I was hoping that there is some sort of guide that I could mount
> between the studs to keep the hole straight. I've found the secret is to drill inspection holes and have a helper report the bit position as you drill down. I've used a microcam and white LED taped together to look into holes where I've encountered unexpected obstructions (a broken off hammer head!), but a helper, a teeny flashlight (I use a $12 fiber optic attachment that MagLite sells for its AA flashlight) and some inspection holes along the *intended* path of the bit works well. You might be able to detect the drill shaft with a studfinder as well, but I've never tried it because I never had a studfinder that would be as good as a small viewing hole. If you're drilling big holes, you're going to do patching work on the walls anyway . . . At least that was my opinion. I was drilling 2 3/8" holes in oak flooring for central vacuuming outlets. What I would really like is one of the X-ray rigs they use to scan trucks at border for illegal immigrants. No doubt about where the drill's going if you can see it through the wall. -- Bobby G. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Posted by Bill Stock on March 25, 2007, 7:48 pm
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>
> I've used a microcam and white LED taped together to look into holes where > I've encountered unexpected obstructions (a broken off hammer head!), but > a > helper, a teeny flashlight (I use a $12 fiber optic attachment that > MagLite > sells for its AA flashlight) and some inspection holes along the > *intended* > path of the bit works well. I like the inspection cam idea, where did you buy and what model? I put a day/night cam on a model car once to inspect the larger hot air ducts. :-) Yeah, I'm sure there is something else in the way between the top plate and the sole plate, based on my previous drilling adventures. > You might be able to detect the drill shaft with a studfinder as well, but
> I've never tried it because I never had a studfinder that would be as good > as a small viewing hole. If you're drilling big holes, you're going to do > patching work on the walls anyway . . . At least that was my opinion. I > was > drilling 2 3/8" holes in oak flooring for central vacuuming outlets. After taking the wall apart for the third time, I built a permant hatch with J Channel and drywall. It doesn't look TOO bad all painted up. So access is not an issue. There's a similar hatch inside the kitchen cupboards on the main floor. > What I would really like is one of the X-ray rigs they use to scan trucks
> at > border for illegal immigrants. No doubt about where the drill's going if > you can see it through the wall. LOL. > --
> Bobby G. > > > | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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> floor (possibly attic). I've already got several smaller holes drilled
> I've read that a forstener bit with a right angle adapter is the best tool
> for the job. But considering I need to drill about 12", I'm wondering how
> difficult it is to control this beast and keep the hole close to straight.
> I know from my previous adventures that the three stud walls don't line up
> too well. I was hoping that there is some sort of guide that I could mount
> between the studs to keep the hole straight.
>
> Any insights appreciated.