Hi,

This is a really basic question, but I thought I'd check in here before
making a prat of myself...

I have a projector, wall mounted on one of these wall-mounts for portable TV
type affairs, up until now the cables have been free-hanging, dropping down
and behind the sofa. (the PJ is a new addition, hence the so-far temporary
installation).

The wall mount bracket is fixed securely to one of the rising timbers of the
stud wall.

Now, what I have in mind is to bore a 1" hole at the height of the PJ, and
again just above the skirting board, and drop the cabling down the inside of
the wall.

Sounds good in theory, however, I cannot tell if the builders (oh, 8 year
old "new-build" townhouse, if that's relevant) would use only vertical
risers for the wall - my B&Q "You Can Do It" DIY book makes no suggestion of
the use of horizonal beams within the wall, but I'd have guessed there could
be some to provide rigidity within the wall?, which would bugger my plans
up, and leave two large holes in the wall for subsequent repair.

So, to my question...

Is it common for stud partition walls in relatively new-build houses to have
only vertical beams (apart from top/bottom, of course) thus allowing a
vertical drop of a cable?

Any information, before I get drilling, gladly received.

Regards

Mike

Mike Dodd wrote:
Is it common for stud partition walls in relatively new-build houses to have
only vertical beams (apart from top/bottom, of course) thus allowing a
vertical drop of a cable?

No, uncommon I'd say.

You ought to be able to tell where the horizontal members (noggins) are
by tapping the wall; if not you can get electronic stud-detectors at B&Q
etc (can't vouch for their usefulness though!).

Even assuming there are noggins, it's not that difficult or invasive to
get round them; essentially you need to end up with a small hole in the
plasterboard above and below the noggin so you can get a drill through
the noggin. Afterwards the holes can be repaired pretty much invisibly,
(providing you don't need to wallpaper the whole room again!)

Suggest you search the uk.d-i-y archives via google for the keyword
'noggin' - this topic comes up here regularly.

David

"Lobster" wrote in message
news
Mike Dodd wrote:
Is it common for stud partition walls in relatively new-build houses to
have only vertical beams (apart from top/bottom, of course) thus allowing
a vertical drop of a cable?

No, uncommon I'd say.

You ought to be able to tell where the horizontal members (noggins) are by
tapping the wall; if not you can get electronic stud-detectors at B&Q etc
(can't vouch for their usefulness though!).

Even assuming there are noggins, it's not that difficult or invasive to
get round them; essentially you need to end up with a small hole in the
plasterboard above and below the noggin so you can get a drill through the
noggin. Afterwards the holes can be repaired pretty much invisibly,
(providing you don't need to wallpaper the whole room again!)

Suggest you search the uk.d-i-y archives via google for the keyword
'noggin' - this topic comes up here regularly.

David

Bugger. I have now searched for the infamous "noggin", and found the advice
alluded to above. My problem is that drilling a hole through the noggin
might be rather more tortuous than you might expect - have you ever seen a
component video cable with three moulded phono plugs attached Time to
find a 2mm drill bit and go noggin hunting I think.

Thanks for the advice.

Mike

Mike Dodd wrote:
"Lobster" wrote in message
news
Mike Dodd wrote:

Is it common for stud partition walls in relatively new-build houses to
have only vertical beams (apart from top/bottom, of course) thus allowing
a vertical drop of a cable?

No, uncommon I'd say.

Even assuming there are noggins, it's not that difficult or invasive to
get round them; essentially you need to end up with a small hole in the
plasterboard above and below the noggin so you can get a drill through the
noggin. Afterwards the holes can be repaired pretty much invisibly,
(providing you don't need to wallpaper the whole room again!)

Suggest you search the uk.d-i-y archives via google for the keyword
'noggin' - this topic comes up here regularly.

Bugger. I have now searched for the infamous "noggin", and found the advice
alluded to above. My problem is that drilling a hole through the noggin
might be rather more tortuous than you might expect - have you ever seen a
component video cable with three moulded phono plugs attached Time to
find a 2mm drill bit and go noggin hunting I think.

Not a problem; feeding a cable like that isn't much different to doing
the same with a bunch of 2.5mm mains cables, which is often necessary.
Having localised your noggins, you want a spade drill bit like this
(readily available at any diy shop):
http://www.screwfix.com/app/sfd/cat/...75247&id=13528
....which you drill through the noggin at an angle, via the access holes
you'll have made in the plasterboard.

Good luck
David

"Mike Dodd" wrote in message
...

Bugger. I have now searched for the infamous "noggin", and found the
advice
alluded to above.

snippety

....wondering how many references to Oliver Postgate you got. :+)

Graculus.

David Illingworth-Young wrote:
"Mike Dodd" wrote in message
...

Bugger. I have now searched for the infamous "noggin", and found the

advice

alluded to above.


snippety

...wondering how many references to Oliver Postgate you got. :+)

That was why I specified a search within uk.d-i-y! :-)
David

In article , "Lobster"
says...
Mike Dodd wrote:
Is it common for stud partition walls in relatively new-build houses to have
only vertical beams (apart from top/bottom, of course) thus allowing a
vertical drop of a cable?

No, uncommon I'd say.

You ought to be able to tell where the horizontal members (noggins) are
by tapping the wall; if not you can get electronic stud-detectors at B&Q
etc (can't vouch for their usefulness though!).

Even assuming there are noggins, it's not that difficult or invasive to
get round them; essentially you need to end up with a small hole in the
plasterboard above and below the noggin so you can get a drill through
the noggin.

Why not just cut out a strip of plasterboard across the noggin,
saw/chisel a groove in the front, run the cable then patch the
plasterboard?

Afterwards the holes can be repaired pretty much invisibly,
(providing you don't need to wallpaper the whole room again!)

Cut a couple of flaps in the wallpaper with a sharp knife, carefully
peel the paper back, replace when you've finished butchering the
wall?

Mike Dodd wrote:
snip
Bugger. I have now searched for the infamous "noggin", and found the advice
alluded to above. My problem is that drilling a hole through the noggin
might be rather more tortuous than you might expect - have you ever seen a
component video cable with three moulded phono plugs attached Time to
find a 2mm drill bit and go noggin hunting I think.

Obtain a soldering iron, and some coax, make your own cabling up to length.
Often cheaper too, and no problem with fixed connectors.

Mike Dodd wrote:

Bugger. I have now searched for the infamous "noggin", and found the advice
alluded to above. My problem is that drilling a hole through the noggin
might be rather more tortuous than you might expect - have you ever seen a
component video cable with three moulded phono plugs attached Time to
find a 2mm drill bit and go noggin hunting I think.

A Zircon triscanner pro will find the noggin for you (RS components),
other "stud finders" are frequently as much use as an ashtray on a
motorbike.

Use the spade bit to drill a serise of overlapping holes into the wall
in a vertical line where the noggin is. Drill a half inch further into
the wall that the depth of the plasterboard and you will have a channel
ready to take your cable.

--
Cheers,

John.

/================================================== ===============\
| Internode Ltd - http://www.internode.co.uk |
|-----------------------------------------------------------------|
| John Rumm - john(at)internode(dot)co(dot)uk |
\================================================= ================/

"John Rumm" wrote in message
...
Mike Dodd wrote:

Bugger. I have now searched for the infamous "noggin", and found the
advice alluded to above. My problem is that drilling a hole through the
noggin might be rather more tortuous than you might expect - have you
ever seen a component video cable with three moulded phono plugs attached
Time to find a 2mm drill bit and go noggin hunting I think.

A Zircon triscanner pro will find the noggin for you (RS components),
other "stud finders" are frequently as much use as an ashtray on a
motorbike.

Use the spade bit to drill a serise of overlapping holes into the wall in
a vertical line where the noggin is. Drill a half inch further into the
wall that the depth of the plasterboard and you will have a channel ready
to take your cable.


Cheers, a 8mm nut on the end of a piece of cotton, dropped down the cavity
through a 10mm hole also found the noggin. Old technology, I know, but it
did the trick.

I'm tempted to route out a rectangle of plasterboard just larger than the
cable slot that I need , then remove the slot from the noggin using the
spade bit and tidying up with a chisel, routing the cable, then replacing
the plasterboard with suitable backing / screws, skimming and making good.
Gonna wait for SWMBO to depart for distant shores, next week, before giving
this a try as it's bound to attract "the look".

"Mike Dodd" wrote in message
...

snipped

Cheers, a 8mm nut on the end of a piece of cotton, dropped down the cavity
through a 10mm hole also found the noggin. Old technology, I know, but it
did the trick.

snipped


When you need to pass a noggin in a stud wall, don't remove the plasterboard
completely from the front. All you need is a small slot that you can cut with a
modelling knife, but only on three sides of the square, or oblong, that passes
the noggin. You leave one edge intact so you can fold it back into place over
the cable and hide it.

The top or bottom edge is the best to leave intact, and you can gently break the
plasterboard after three sides are cut through. Check out the noggin a bit with
a wood chisel to accept the cable, and then fold the plasterboard back into
place and patch it up.

I've even used wood glue around the edges of the plasterboard to hold it in
place tightly before skimming over with a wet mix of finishing plaster to hide
it again. It makes the job a whole lot easier than having to try and patch an
open hole in a plasterboard wall.

When you need to pass a noggin in a stud wall, don't remove the
plasterboard
completely from the front. All you need is a small slot that you can cut
with a
modelling knife, but only on three sides of the square, or oblong, that
passes
the noggin. You leave one edge intact so you can fold it back into place
over
the cable and hide it.



Ok, that took about 2 minutes to sink in - yes, good idea!, the plasterboard
has a paper face front and back, doesn't it - and that forms the flap?,
okay, sounds like a plan. Cutting with a modelling knife?, hmmm, time to
search out the old scalpel, I'm surprised that it cuts, but I'll trust your
experience on this (hey, it makes the job even easier). I suppose if you
leave the top edge intact then the weight of the "patch" and the top-hinge
holds itself in place and so little adhesive would be needed.

Now, to decide whether to bundle the cables through holes top and bottom, or
to cunningly fashion two face plates, together with all required connectors
(hmmm, mains might be a bugger)

Many thanks for the ideas!