Questions for the electricians here

[thammel]

I'm looking for someone who's done a lot of stud/joist drilling, etc. I've got 2 x 6 joists and am currently running cat5, rg6, etc.

1) Do you guys use something like a Dewalt DWD460 angle drill to drill through joists or just drill holes at a slight angle?
2) What bits do you like? Not spade, I presume. The nice auger bits? Do you prefer a brand? Can they be sharpened?
3) With a 2 x 6 joist, spacing the hole at the joist midpoint, do you need to use nail-plates to protect the holes?
4) Hole diameter preference? 7/8", 3/4"?

I bought one of those $20 90 degree angle attachments for my drill but it's pretty much ****.

Thanks!
Tom

 

[Kevin54]

I've always drilled mine at a slight angle and never worried about a 90 degree drill or attachment. I've also used a spade bit but I normally use a 3/4" twist drill with a turned down shank. Once the drywall is up no one is going to see the holes anyways. On a 2x6 you really don't have to use a nail plate, but if you don't know where your wires are exactly and any future plans would involve any shelving, benches, etc. it is cheap insurance to add the nail plates. One longer screw can wreak havok. Also a digital camera can be your friend. Take pics of where everything is ran and keep the pics for future reference.

 

[Tech Guy]

I just use a cordless drill with an auger bit on it. Drill at an angle and keep the hole as far back on the stud as possible and you wont have to worry about the nail plates.

 

[Tech Guy]

Make sure if you are running electrical as well that you seperate the cat5e and RG6 from the hydro with a good distance in the wall to avoid interference.

 

[thammel]

Thanks guys!. Tech guy - what did you mean by "hydro"? Did you mean to keep the RG6/CAT5 separate from any power lines? If so, yes, I"m doing that - at least a few feet away and if they have to cross (I don't think so) I'll be sure to keep them at 90 degrees when they cross to minimize interference.

Thanks!
Tom

 

[His200HerScout]

I drilled through 50 year old rough-sawn 2x joists when I rewired my basement. As in bone dry, rock hard, actual 2" thick joists. I had a set of spade bits that didn't do squat, so I bought a Ridgid auger bit with a threaded tip. I don't remember the size, maybe 3/4". Also, when I had to drill through new 2x4 studs, it cut like butter. Not sure on the longevity of one of these bits, but for a DIYer they're worth it. My bit and drill are short enough that I didn't need an angle drill to fit between the studs or joists, but it just barely fit.

I used something like this:
http://www.homedepot.com/catalog/productImages/400/63/639b8f29-aba0-421b-9288-8ce49b5b7a49_400.jpg

 

[porschedude996TT]

I like "Ship Auger's" Dewalt make them and the short ones work great in a Dewalt angle cordless.

 

[Joe92GT]

We used a pack of the Erwin augers from lowes to wire a whole house. It has 1 inch, 3/4, and 9/16. The house was all rough 2 inch 1900's lumber, and the bits lasted through the whole job. Would have been impossible with out them, and I had no problems throwing them out when done since they were only 25 dollars. We probably got a couple hundred holes out of the 3/4 bit, they owed us nothing.

The 90 degree 18 volt drill made it easy,however when someone else had the 90, the regular 18 volt drill with a slight angle works fine. Be aware however that if the holes are all on angles, it makes pulling the wire exponentially more challenging. Straight holes are easy to pull.

As far as nail plates, they are cheap and easy. Code says anything less than 1.25 inches needs a nail plate, so in theory dead center of a 2x4 is fine. I put plates up everywhere I can, since it is cheap, and easy.

 

[Tech Guy]

Thanks guys!. Tech guy - what did you mean by "hydro"? Did you mean to keep the RG6/CAT5 separate from any power lines? If so, yes, I"m doing that - at least a few feet away and if they have to cross (I don't think so) I'll be sure to keep them at 90 degrees when they cross to minimize interference.

Thanks!
Tom

Thats it exactly

 

[metal1313]

when i ran some new lines in my house i used an irwin stubby spade bit. it worked great and didnt catch and twist the drill at all. and i mean it, i wasnt too keen on the idea as i was drilling through old 2x4 while on a ladder on my stairs. its an old house(1875) so 2x4 means 2x4 or larger.

the trick is that even though i used a large ridgid drill, even with the stubby bit it didnt fit between the studs. until after the bit was started and then i straightened out the bit and once the tip went throught the other side i slowed the drill down and put less pressure on it. gotta have a good sharp bit though.

i also have used fostner bits for larger holes, like plumbing lines.

 

[FNFS2000]

a bunch of DIY answers here....
Any contractor will use a hole hawg with an augerbit

 

[FNFS2000]

drill them all from the same direction and in a straight line to make it pull through easy.

 

[nate379]

I have used a hole saw before. It's slower, but I wasn't going to the store for a bit when I just needed to do maybe 10 holes.

Why do you go at an angle? 16" O.C. right? Any normal drill and bit should have enough room to clear. No reason to have a 10" long bit like what's in the hole hog.

Could always go buy a cordless right angle drill. Sears has the 19.2V setup... right angle and reg drill with 2 batteries and a charger for around $100. Has been worth every dollar of it.

I have one of the reg. drills I bought in 2002 and it's still chugging along. Have used the **** out of it too... like did drywall in a garage with it even. 3.5" hole saw in 1/4" steel... all sorts of crazy stuff.

 

[rinny_tin_tin]

I'm looking for someone who's done a lot of stud/joist drilling, etc. I've got 2 x 6 joists and am currently running cat5, rg6, etc.

1) Do you guys use something like a Dewalt DWD460 angle drill to drill through joists or just drill holes at a slight angle?
2) What bits do you like? Not spade, I presume. The nice auger bits? Do you prefer a brand? Can they be sharpened?
3) With a 2 x 6 joist, spacing the hole at the joist midpoint, do you need to use nail-plates to protect the holes?
4) Hole diameter preference? 7/8", 3/4"?

I bought one of those $20 90 degree angle attachments for my drill but it's pretty much ****.

Thanks!
Tom

The DEWalt is fine - I have a Milwaukee Hole Hawg, a Ryobi cordless 90 Angle Drill, and a few others...I use the Hole Hawg for deep holes - say two or three sistered 2Xs....and the angle drill for close spaces. I also have a D-Handle 1/2 Milwaukee. I use the Irwin 1 inch spade bits and buy a bunch of them at one time. Almost all my holes are 1-inch. Nails and other debris will kill the bit and I go through them regularly. Augers are too expensive and too slow - although they do make cleaner holes - however, much more cleaner than needed. I use nail plates for all my holes - even when the depth is deep enough to satisfy code exemption to nail plates. The 90 degree attachments work - however, you don;t want to use them routinely.

 

[Tylerb43]

I also used the Irwin Speedbor Spade bits from Lowe's. These things are awesome, you can't slow them down as they pull themselves through. I used the 5/8" for a single run. (my county requires a separate hole for every wire run). And on a Dewalt 18V drill, there's enough room to get a straight hole (or close) with 16" oc's. Also used an extension when needed with no problems. (on the drill I mean)

 

[NugeConstruction]

One option for drilling through joists is the Milwaukee 0375-6 3.5 Amp 3/8-Inch Close-Quarter Drill, which drill unfortunately has been dumbed down by Milwaukee into something only barely resembling its original incarnation. (I picked my 0375-6 up off eBay after I read the complimentary reviews on Amazon and saw that it had been discontinued.)

The Sioux 8000ES looks to be the same bird in different feathers, and I see Sioux selling both 3/8" and 1/2" versions:

http://www.coastaltool.com/a/ab/siou/si8000es.htm

www.siouxtools.com/kSuite/cmsLite/content/file/SiouxLit/Drills/8000ES_Drill_Brochure.pdf

Also:

http://www.siouxtools.com/portfolio_drills_zelectric.php

Sure it's goofy looking, but "form over function" often works that way...

 

[Joe92GT]

a bunch of DIY answers here....
Any contractor will use a hole hawg with an augerbit

I had a hole hawg at my disposal. Sure it blasts through the wood at a consistant pace, but its too slow and heavy. The dewalt 1/8volt right angle drill works just as well, for just as long dealing with 2x4's. One run with the hole hawg and I didn't touch it the rest of the job. Drilling over your head with that *****!

 

[ddawg16]

All of my cordless tools are Ryobi.....but I wouldn't recomend the Ryobi 90 angle drill.....I feel it's a bit underpowered and it gets real hot fast.....about the time you on to using the second battery the head is almso too hot to hold.

I have a blown up angle attachment from HF if you want an example of how wall they work......

And....I prefer the augers that have the hex shank....I can then use my screwdriver extensions to make real deep holes....like going through a 4x8 with 2x6's sistered up to it....

 

[Rosco]

If you do not do it for a living, Harbour Freight has a really inexpensive 90 degree drill. Irwin bits are awesome. The unit fits great in between 16" centers.

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=92956

 

[Charles (in GA)]

Tech guy - what did you mean by "hydro"?

Hydro is Canadian slang for electricity, 120/240 volt and such. Short for Hydroelectric.

Charles

 

[14binders]

a bunch of DIY answers here....
Any contractor will use a hole hawg with an augerbit

A two speed hole-hawg with an 18"x3/4" ship auger is the only way to go. I have inherited my father's 30 year old hawg. It has plumbed and wired at least 100 houses. An 18" auger keeps your knuckles away from the adjacent stud and allows you to drill 8' high top plates from the floor. They can be sharpened over and over.

 

[MOP_zero]

That's actually only east from Saskatchewan.

Hydro is Canadian slang for electricity, 120/240 volt and such. Short for Hydroelectric.

Charles

 

[dipper]

x4 or whatever on the Irwin Speed bore bits, they are cheap and last along time. I drilled hundres of holes with the 3/4" and 1" in my garage build. I have a dewalt 1/2" corded drill and occasionally used the 14.4v xrp.