In article , Nova wrote:
Doug Miller wrote:

In article , Bill wrote:

Doug, Thank you, as always, for your thoughtful answers!

I normally space holes about 2"

apart, but there's no hard-and-fast rule about that.

Do you mean 2" between centers?


It doesn't matter. It's only approximate anyway.


Since "straight-up" is the best way to
exit my subpanel, I wish to be efficient. I've already planned 8 cables
coming out, with others likely to follow. Putting two 10-2 cables in a
3/4" hole and two 12-2 (or 14-2) cables in a 5/8" hole ought to be
efficient! I'll follow the same grouping rules threading the wires
through the wall studs. Lew Hodgett pointed out that threading three
10-2 cables through a 3/4" hole was definitely wrong. I would appreciate
knowing his point of view concerning this.


"Definitely wrong"? Hardly. There's nothing in the Code, AFAIK, that dictates

specific sizes of holes in wood framing for passing cables through. If the
hole is large enough to pass the cables without damaging them, and it's done
"in a neat and workmanlike manner", the Code is satisfied.



The NEC may not mention it but the building codes do. IIRC an example
is that any hole drilled in a stud for a load bearing wall can not
exceed 40 percent of the width of the stud. Floor joist are an all
together different matter.

Sounds like a good and sensible rule. Note, though, that it imposes an _upper_
limit on the size of the hole, not a _lower_ limit.

And that upper limit is pretty generous: 40% of the width of a tubafour is
almost an inch and a half.