Snip

Question 2. I am running the wire along the edge of a cellar ceiling.
Both the ceiling and wall are made out of old plaster. Normally, I use
u-shaped staples and staple the wire along the edge of a floor or
molding. I doubt these staples will hold in the plaster. I have a
feeling the plaster will crack and crumble. Someone suggested using
small plastic u-shaped clamps and screwing them in. Again, I am afraid
the plaster might crack if I screw them in. Any particular size or type
of screw I should use? Or, is there something I else I should try to
keep the plaster from falling apart? (I know, I may be worrying
needlessly on this one as I haven't tested any screws out yet.)

Find another way to run the wire. do not run along the top of a plaster
wall and ceiling
It will crack and not hold. soon will come down.
The optional way to do the wire run if no other way is possible is to buy
the stick on
plastic u-channel, put that up first, run the wire through the channel
then snap on the cover.
There are some c-clips for wire runs that come with adheasive backs. They
do not hold well for the most part.

I am going to try some sort of stick on. The u-channel may be the way to
go. My biggest concern is whether they will hold. It's slightly damp in
the cellar.



Question 3. After I splice the wire, I'll be using the small plastic
electrical caps to marry the wires together. I was thinking of trimming
the plastic coating back about 3/8" back. Is this too much or not enough
for small caps? I haven't done this in years. I don't think I have to
twist the wires together beforehand. I just put the wires, turn the cap
and the wires get twisted together when the cap is turned.

Question 4 I know you use black electrical tape afterwards. Where do
you start and end taping around these caps so it doesn't look like a hack
job when you are finished? Do you completely cover the cap so you can't
see it afterwards. I know it doesn't matter. I just want it to look
somewhat decent.

A splice like this is jack leg for telephone work.

Sorry not familiar with repair lingo. 'jack leg' means? (I presume... not
the best way.)


If you have to splice into an existine telephone wire run, place a jack
where you want to make the tap
and then make your connections in the jack. You may have to place two
jacks because the existing wire after being cut
to make the connection cannot be joined back. The jack insures a secure
tight connection and also provides another location
to connect a phone and also another test point to isolate for telephone
wiring problems., which will come about because
of poorly made taps and splices which you are proposing to make in the
existing wire work.

I wish I had paid more careful attention to your post. I already made the
splice without using a jack. But, I have extra jacks and since I moved the
wire I have extra wire length. I wouldn't need two jacks at this juncture.
If the nuts come off easily. This wouldn't be more than a 10 minute job as
the wires are already trimmed back.


Question 5 Learned the hard way that masonry drill bits are not good for
drilling through thick pieces of wood. Always thought if the drill bit
can go through harder stuff, it should be easier to get through wood. I
guess I was wrong. What is the rule of thumb for drill bits. Should I
have two or three different sets. One for wood, metal and masonry. I
only say this because of the difficulty I had yesterday and last year I
broke a number of the smaller bits. I think the smaller bits were
titanium tipped. I was probably using them for drilling into wood when
they broke.

You want to drill through masonary? you buy a masonary bit,, can also be
gotten in the longer lengths.
You can also get a star drill bit, but this is a whole lot of work to beat
a hole through a brick wall with one of
those.. Better off with a good masonary bit and a hammer drill..
You drill through wood? you buy a wood bit.
the two do not intermingle

Thanks!