Sounds like you are well on your way!! The first blow with the hammer was
the hardest! YIKES!!

I have learned the hard way many times about running 14/2 cables (general
home wiring) and drilling holes. Everytime I feel a 1/2" hole will be fine
the cable is hard to pull through it if any angle is encurred and after
having to add that last minute change and drilling another right beside it,
I , again decide, never to drill less than 3/4" ones again!...LOL

A long spade bit with extension works well. It
avoids chips in your eyes if overhead or high run,
allows you to come in on a fairly straight angle without the next joist/
truss pushing your drill out,
allows a better "in-line" view so your holes do not go up and down.

- Drill the furthest one and work your way backward so the previous is
always in site or ping chalk lines to get your holes lined up.
- Check other sides of lumber **EVERY TIME** for existing wires and pipes!!!
- Square your runs off with lumber (right angle corners for neatness) extra
slack may be needed for adjustments
- staple down wires within 6" of every box (code here)..when you step on one
in the attic you won't pull the connection apart inside the box.
- leave some slack around the box. You break a wire off inside, you'll
apreciate it.
- Keep pass though holes back 1.5" of drywall or finishing surface (nail
avoidance). violations get steel plate on surface under drywall.
- drill individual holes for larger cables. ALl conductors need cooling.
Three 2 wire cables (6 conductors) in any hole so there is always cooling to
each conductor inside-
- before insulating shoot foam into the ceiling holes to re-vapour barrier.

I am not sure were you will used the running board..in attic or on ceiling.
Usually there are enough lumber pieces in the attic to follow with a cable.
Across the trusses is a good place for one. Nail it to bottom truss web and
nail cables to sides = no feet on cable to stretch it.

Dont' forget speaker cables, Ethernet (CAT5 or 5e or 6), intercom, phone,
remote control for dust collector, thermostats... video camera security
cables, weather vane, wind turbine, exhaust port in eaves...think hard and
take your time.









"Bill" wrote in message
...

I got to get my "hands dirty" this week! I took down most of the drywall on
my
long wall up to 7' high. The ceiling is 8.5' high, but I thought that
stopping
at less than 8' would make replacing the drywall easier (I can always remove
more..). A pro would have probably used a skilsaw, but my Harbor Freight
rotary
tool, along with a box-cutter, cut pretty well, if a little (i.e. alot)
slower.
This was basically my first time removing any drywall at all, so I took my
time.
I quickly learned the axiom, "A hammer is your friend"!

I also removed an existing 50-Amp outlet from the wall. I validated the
outlet's
deadness with my voltometer before I touched anything. I made a special trip
to
the store to buy connectors (the largest ones I could find!) which I put on
the
end of each of the wires (perfect fit) and I taped each of them at least 3"
down. I did this even though the C-Breaker will stay turned off and I must
give
some of the Wrecker's most of the credit for giving me the right perspective
to
so gingerly protect my dead wires (Lew: I wish my main panel had a lock!).
Swingman: I also picked up a outlet tester *with GFCI* while I was at the
store!
I will completely remove that wire and its corresponding C-breaker from the
main
panel soon, and I will do so while the main circuit breaker is turned off.


Most of what I wrote above above is feedback. I am seeking your assistance
with
the following concerns to help me proceed: I have been reading and thinking
about running wires, running boards and stapling. I also learned a
convenient
term: "double top plate"--the entry and exit points to my attic will be
through
it. The truth is that since my wires will only be traveling through my
attic
near my eave (basicly unaccessible), the NEC would probably permit me to
place
new wires next to the one that is currrently lying there. However, seeking
to
do things in a craftman-like way, I would prefer to use a running board. I
have
been thinking about how I am going to run/staple three 10-2 and two 12-2 or
12-3
cables along my current path: from my subpanel, up through the double top
plate
(how many holes, how big), along the running board and back down through
the
double top plate. I learned, in particular, that I *do not want to derate*
my
wires!!!--at least I would prefer not to. I suppose I can learn the math
and
buy bigger wire if I must. BTW, My initial inclinations were to drill a
hole
through the double top plate for the 12 gauge wires and another hole for the
10
guage wires (as the grouped wires have similar destinations). All 5 or 6 of
these will be traveling together out of the subpanel and accross the running
board where they will exit the attic "together" (but perhaps not too closely
together!).

Any assistance you may be able to provide me with about this is welcome and
appreciated! I hope that something of what I have written may be
insightful to
others who are seeking to add power to their shop.

Bill