Been trying to drill through that top plate for my 2 inch conduit. For
some reason, it looks extremely deep. Like it is 3 or 4 2x4's thick. I
used a spade bit with a long extension just to get a small hole. I
will have to install the conduit in small sections with pvc couplers
because of ceiling height. (No room to drop a 10 foot section in
without hitting the roof). So the hole will need to be the diameter of
the coupler which is about 2 3/4. Also, where i need to put the hole
is right beside 2 electric wires that drop down this wall into the
panel.

What is the best, easiest way to cut this hole and to ensure it

On Wed, 18 Nov 2009 05:13:56 -0800 (PST), stryped
wrote:

Been trying to drill through that top plate for my 2 inch conduit. For
some reason, it looks extremely deep. Like it is 3 or 4 2x4's thick. I
used a spade bit with a long extension just to get a small hole. I
will have to install the conduit in small sections with pvc couplers
because of ceiling height. (No room to drop a 10 foot section in
without hitting the roof). So the hole will need to be the diameter of
the coupler which is about 2 3/4. Also, where i need to put the hole
is right beside 2 electric wires that drop down this wall into the
panel.

What is the best, easiest way to cut this hole and to ensure it

Call State Farm or Nationwide - they'll "ensure" it for you.

For drilling through a lot of wood, a spade-bit will wear you out. Get
an auger bit and use a stout drill to power it.

Do you count on rcm to teach you *everything* you need to know?

Joe

On Nov 18, 5:13*am, stryped wrote:
Been trying to drill through that top plate for my 2 inch conduit.

What is the best, easiest way to cut this hole

Electric drill with either an auger bit (the short-type auger
bits are intended for renovation, won't die if they hit a nail)
or (my favorite) a hole saw. You need more time with
the hole saw, to pull back and blow out the sawdust,
but they make a clean job of this kind of task.

On Wed, 18 Nov 2009 05:13:56 -0800, stryped wrote:

Been trying to drill through that top plate for my 2 inch conduit. For
some reason, it looks extremely deep. Like it is 3 or 4 2x4's thick. I
used a spade bit with a long extension just to get a small hole. I will
have to install the conduit in small sections with pvc couplers because of
ceiling height. (No room to drop a 10 foot section in without hitting the
roof). So the hole will need to be the diameter of the coupler which is
about 2 3/4. Also, where i need to put the hole is right beside 2 electric
wires that drop down this wall into the panel.

What is the best, easiest way to cut this hole and to ensure it

I wouldn't drill a 2 3/4 hole in a stack of 2x4's; it'll wreck the
structural strength, and the beam could be at risk of breaking at the
new weak point.

Good Luck!
Rich

On Wed, 18 Nov 2009 09:30:24 -0500, Joe wrote:
On Wed, 18 Nov 2009 05:13:56 -0800 (PST), stryped

What is the best, easiest way to cut this hole and to ensure it

Call State Farm or Nationwide - they'll "ensure" it for you.

That would be "insure". But, good point; if they see a 2 3/4 hole in
a beam composed of a pile of 2x4s, they might just turn you down.

http://www.google.com/search?q=define%3Ainsure
http://www.google.com/search?q=define%3Aensure

Hope This Helps!
Rich

On Nov 18, 1:40*pm, whit3rd wrote:
On Nov 18, 5:13*am, stryped wrote:

Been trying to drill through that top plate for my 2 inch conduit.
What is the best, easiest way to cut this hole

Electric drill with either an auger bit (the short-type auger
bits are intended for renovation, won't die if they hit a nail)
or (my favorite) a *hole saw. *You need more time with
the hole saw, to pull back and blow out the sawdust,
but they make a clean job of this kind of task.

A 2 1/2" auger bit is going to be pretty pricey, and the torque
involved is going to be wrist-breaking. I had an exciting moment a
while back with a 1" auger bit in an angle drill. It jammed, and
wedged the trigger of my 18V Bosch against a joist. THere was smoke
from the motor before I could yank out the battery,

On Nov 18, 1:30*pm, Rich Grise wrote:
On Wed, 18 Nov 2009 05:13:56 -0800, stryped wrote:
Been trying to drill through that top plate for my 2 inch conduit. For
some reason, it looks extremely deep. Like it is 3 or 4 2x4's thick. I
used a spade bit with a long extension just to get a small hole. I will
have to install the conduit in small sections with pvc couplers because of
ceiling height. (No room to drop a 10 foot section in without hitting the
roof). So the hole will need to be the diameter of the coupler which is
about 2 3/4. Also, where i need to put the hole is right beside 2 electric
wires that drop down this wall into the panel.

What is the best, easiest way to cut this hole and to ensure it

I wouldn't drill a 2 3/4 hole in a stack of 2x4's; it'll wreck the
structural strength, and the beam could be at risk of breaking at the
new weak point.

Good Luck!
Rich

That seems to be my only option. Are you saying it is not safe to do
this? One thing I did was nail a 2x4 one on each side of the place I
will drill the hole. I attached it to the beam and then attached it to
the surrounding joists. I guess it made me feel better. I will say
this top plate is running between my attic joists. It does not seem to
touch anything except the ends. It is the wall separating my attached
garage to the house.

On Wed, 18 Nov 2009 14:08:21 -0800 (PST), stryped
wrote:

On Nov 18, 1:30*pm, Rich Grise wrote:
On Wed, 18 Nov 2009 05:13:56 -0800, stryped wrote:
Been trying to drill through that top plate for my 2 inch conduit. For
some reason, it looks extremely deep. Like it is 3 or 4 2x4's thick. I
used a spade bit with a long extension just to get a small hole. I will
have to install the conduit in small sections with pvc couplers because of
ceiling height. (No room to drop a 10 foot section in without hitting the
roof). So the hole will need to be the diameter of the coupler which is
about 2 3/4. Also, where i need to put the hole is right beside 2 electric
wires that drop down this wall into the panel.

What is the best, easiest way to cut this hole and to ensure it

I wouldn't drill a 2 3/4 hole in a stack of 2x4's; it'll wreck the
structural strength, and the beam could be at risk of breaking at the
new weak point.

Good Luck!
Rich

That seems to be my only option. Are you saying it is not safe to do
this? One thing I did was nail a 2x4 one on each side of the place I
will drill the hole. I attached it to the beam and then attached it to
the surrounding joists. I guess it made me feel better. I will say
this top plate is running between my attic joists. It does not seem to
touch anything except the ends. It is the wall separating my attached
garage to the house.

Congratulations! You just drilled a 2-3/4" hole through both top
headers of a 3-1/2" wide "2X4" and effectively destroyed the
structural strength of the wall! You left a whole 3/8" of wood on
each side if you were perfectly straight and centered.

Now you have to replace the strength of those headers to meet
Building Code, just like the Electrican or Plumber does every day when
he has to make big holes in structural wood to run pipes.

You leave it as-is, and the next big earthquake (or heavy snowfall,
or severe windstorm up to a near miss with a hurricane or tornado...)
and that wall can snap and bow there. Now you have a huge mess.

To do the job properly, you need to open the drywall and/or stucco
and/or tile on *both* sides of the wall, and nail on 24" to 48" long
Simpson reinforcing steel straps at least 12" each side of the hole,
to hold the two halves of the wall together.

http://www.strongtie.com/products/connectors/RPS.asp
http://www.strongtie.com/products/co...S-HST-LSTA.asp

If there are other big holes in the same area, you need to reinforce
around them all while you are in there.

And you have to open it up larger on one side to see what goes
through beside your conduit, because you /really/ don't want to stuff
a big nail through a water pipe, drain pipe, gas pipe, or electric
cable. You skip the nailing holes over the condits or pipes.

While you are at it, open up a large enough hole on the panel side
(away from the shower) to slide in the piece of pipe you need down to
the panel, you don't want to assemble this from little pieces. One
section from the top of the panel up to the end of the 90 sweep poking
down through the hole from the attic.

Multiple pieces of pipe are legal, but extremely bad form - One of
the Big Red Flags that will have the electrical inspector tear the
whole place apart looking to see what else you cut corners on.

-- Bruce --

On Nov 18, 11:02*pm, Bruce L. Bergman
wrote:
On Wed, 18 Nov 2009 14:08:21 -0800 (PST), stryped
wrote:





On Nov 18, 1:30*pm, Rich Grise wrote:
On Wed, 18 Nov 2009 05:13:56 -0800, stryped wrote:
Been trying to drill through that top plate for my 2 inch conduit. For
some reason, it looks extremely deep. Like it is 3 or 4 2x4's thick. I
used a spade bit with a long extension just to get a small hole. I will
have to install the conduit in small sections with pvc couplers because of
ceiling height. (No room to drop a 10 foot section in without hitting the
roof). So the hole will need to be the diameter of the coupler which is
about 2 3/4. Also, where i need to put the hole is right beside 2 electric
wires that drop down this wall into the panel.

What is the best, easiest way to cut this hole and to ensure it

I wouldn't drill a 2 3/4 hole in a stack of 2x4's; it'll wreck the
structural strength, and the beam could be at risk of breaking at the
new weak point.

Good Luck!
Rich

That seems to be my only option. Are you saying it is not safe to do
this? One thing I did was nail a 2x4 one on each side of the place I
will drill the hole. I attached it to the beam and then attached it to
the surrounding joists. I guess it made me feel better. I will say
this top plate is running between my attic joists. It does not seem to
touch anything except the ends. It is the wall separating my attached
garage to the house.

* Congratulations! *You just drilled a 2-3/4" hole through both top
headers of a 3-1/2" wide "2X4" and effectively destroyed the
structural strength of the wall! *You left a whole 3/8" of wood on
each side if you were perfectly straight and centered.

* Now you have to replace the strength of those headers to meet
Building Code, just like the Electrican or Plumber does every day when
he has to make big holes in structural wood to run pipes.

* You leave it as-is, and the next big earthquake (or heavy snowfall,
or severe windstorm up to a near miss with a hurricane or tornado...)
and that wall can snap and bow there. *Now you have a huge mess.

* To do the job properly, you need to open the drywall and/or stucco
and/or tile on *both* sides of the wall, and nail on 24" to 48" long
Simpson reinforcing steel straps at least 12" each side of the hole,
to hold the two halves of the wall together.

http://www.strongtie.com/products/co...S-HST-LSTA.asp

* If there are other big holes in the same area, you need to reinforce
around them all while you are in there.

* And you have to open it up larger on one side to see what goes
through beside your conduit, because you /really/ don't want to stuff
a big nail through a water pipe, drain pipe, gas pipe, or electric
cable. *You skip the nailing holes over the condits or pipes.

* While you are at it, open up a large enough hole on the panel side
(away from the shower) to slide in the piece of pipe you need down to
the panel, you don't want to assemble this from little pieces. *One
section from the top of the panel up to the end of the 90 sweep poking
down through the hole from the attic.

* Multiple pieces of pipe are legal, but extremely bad form - One of
the Big Red Flags that will have the electrical inspector tear the
whole place apart looking to see what else you cut corners on.

-- Bruce --- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

This is only if it is a load bearing wall, right? I am 90%$ sure this
is not. The top plate runs parrallel with the joists in the attic .
Also, the wall comes straight donw on the concrete, bot the foundation
block wall like the rest of the house.

But, Thinking a small hole is better, I bought a section of 1 1/2 inch
conduit with couplers. This would allow me to only cut a 2 1/4 inch
hole (to allow the couplers through.) I am assuming this is better?

On Nov 19, 12:13 am, stryped wrote:
Been trying to drill through that top plate for my 2 inch conduit. For
some reason, it looks extremely deep. Like it is 3 or 4 2x4's thick. I
used a spade bit with a long extension just to get a small hole. I
will have to install the conduit in small sections with pvc couplers
because of ceiling height. (No room to drop a 10 foot section in
without hitting the roof). So the hole will need to be the diameter of
the coupler which is about 2 3/4. Also, where i need to put the hole
is right beside 2 electric wires that drop down this wall into the
panel.

What is the best, easiest way to cut this hole and to ensure it

After perusing others comments, may I humbly add....

Your drilling in the wrong place, try each side of the difficult part.
Hard to imagine a top plate that thick, unless theres something
underneath it that needs the extra rigidity...usually a window...go
buy a stud finder, the electronic gizmos designed for....location of
studs and noggins in walls...

Why do you need to install conduit INSIDE the wall cavity?

The average spade bit (ie brand name one, irwin etc) will be more than
adequate for the job, you can get extensions for them to get through
the (possibly) 1 noggin half way down the wall. Failing that, locate
the noggin (the horizontal piece) with the stud finder, mark it out,
then cut a piece out of the plaster, chisel out the wood to give cable
clearance, then refit the plasterboard piece you cut out.

Why not take a bit out off the roof? - its relatively easy, staring at
it will give you a clue. Then you have good access for your conduit if
you insist on using it.

Finally - and no offense - you really sound like your out of your
depth on this one - have you considered hiring a tradesman to do the
whole job - would be done in a fraction of the time and you could go
on to more constructive activities...

Andrew VK3BFA.

On Nov 19, 7:48*am, Andrew VK3BFA wrote:
On Nov 19, 12:13 am, stryped wrote:

Been trying to drill through that top plate for my 2 inch conduit. For
some reason, it looks extremely deep. Like it is 3 or 4 2x4's thick. I
used a spade bit with a long extension just to get a small hole. I
will have to install the conduit in small sections with pvc couplers
because of ceiling height. (No room to drop a 10 foot section in
without hitting the roof). So the hole will need to be the diameter of
the coupler which is about 2 3/4. Also, where i need to put the hole
is right beside 2 electric wires that drop down this wall into the
panel.

What is the best, easiest way to cut this hole and to ensure it

After perusing others comments, may I humbly add....

Your drilling in the wrong place, try each side of the difficult part.
Hard to imagine a top plate that thick, unless theres something
underneath it that needs the extra rigidity...usually a window...go
buy a stud finder, the electronic gizmos designed for....location of
studs and noggins in walls...

Why do you need to install conduit INSIDE the wall cavity?

The average spade bit (ie brand name one, irwin etc) will be more than
adequate for the job, you can get extensions for them to get through
the (possibly) 1 noggin half way down the wall. Failing that, locate
the noggin (the horizontal piece) with the stud finder, mark it out,
then cut a piece out of the plaster, chisel out the wood to give cable
clearance, then refit the plasterboard piece you cut out.

Why not take a bit out off the roof? - its relatively easy, staring at
it will give you a clue. Then you have good access for your conduit if
you insist on using it.

Finally - and no offense - you really sound like your out of your
depth on this one - have you considered hiring a tradesman to do the
whole job - would be done in a fraction of the time and you could go
on to more constructive activities...

Andrew VK3BFA.

What do you mean take off the roof?

I am using conduit because I am using 3 #3 THHN wires and a #6 ground.
My understanding is they have to be enclosed in conduit.

I have thought about takign drywall out, but have not decided at this
point. It seemed in my head easier once the hole was drilled to piece
sections from above with couplings. Although the hole would have to be
bigger because of the couplings.

"stryped" wrote in message
...

This is only if it is a load bearing wall, right? I am 90%$ sure this is
not. The top plate runs parrallel with the joists in the attic

On Wed, 18 Nov 2009 14:08:21 -0800, stryped wrote:

On Nov 18, 1:30*pm, Rich Grise wrote:
On Wed, 18 Nov 2009 05:13:56 -0800, stryped wrote:
Been trying to drill through that top plate for my 2 inch conduit. For
some reason, it looks extremely deep. Like it is 3 or 4 2x4's thick. I
used a spade bit with a long extension just to get a small hole. I
will have to install the conduit in small sections with pvc couplers
because of ceiling height. (No room to drop a 10 foot section in
without hitting the roof). So the hole will need to be the diameter of
the coupler which is about 2 3/4. Also, where i need to put the hole
is right beside 2 electric wires that drop down this wall into the
panel.

What is the best, easiest way to cut this hole and to ensure it

I wouldn't drill a 2 3/4 hole in a stack of 2x4's; it'll wreck the
structural strength, and the beam could be at risk of breaking at the
new weak point.

That seems to be my only option. Are you saying it is not safe to do this?

I'm not categorically stating this, because I don't know for sure, but
I do know that _I_ wouldn't do it, because I'm a coward. ;-)

One thing I did was nail a 2x4 one on each side of the place I will
drill the hole. I attached it to the beam and then attached it to the
surrounding joists. I guess it made me feel better. I will say this top
plate is running between my attic joists. It does not seem to touch
anything except the ends. It is the wall separating my attached garage
to the house.

Well, all I can really say is, use your better judgement. :-)

Good Luck!
Rich