Solid or blocked corner

[bluedog225]

This is my first time to run electrical wiring.

One of the corners at my place is mostly solid. It’s where a 2 x 6 and a 2 x 8 wall comes together. I need to turn that corner to run romex. I can go up and over, but there are 20 foot tall ceilings. It would be a long trip (60’) but doable.

I can also come the opposite way and cross above the garage door, but it would be an equally long trip.

I can a drill 1 inch hole in the center of the 2 x 6s and 2 x 8s and hope I can meet in the middle somewhere and pull with a tape.

Or I can notch them deep enough for 12/2 and put a plate on top.

The last option I can think of is to run the one wall normally and then come out of the wall with surface mounted emt and a box. Now that I think of it, that’s not a terrible option. I was thinking of surface-mounting some areas anyway.

I’d appreciate the voice of experience on how to handle this if I decide to try and keep it inside the wall.

Thanks

 

[sparky 1971]

Drill the corner and turn it. Put a little bit of a bend in the romex so it will start to turn on it's own and after messing around with a little with you can grab it with needle nose pliers. I've also always found it much easier to run the wire around the corner going from right to left but that might just be me.

 

[The Cobbler]

I've also always found it much easier to run the wire around the corner going from right to left but that might just be me.

probably you're right handed ?

 

[sparky 1971]

probably you're right handed ?

Yes but I think it's more to do with being left eye dominant. Going right to left lets me peek in the hole and see what's going on when it's fighting me.

 

[The Cobbler]

I am also left eye dominant. I would find it easier to go right to left as well, but because I think i would jiggle my right hand with more precision than with my left hand . interesting

 

[PCustoms]

Drill the corner and turn it. Put a little bit of a bend in the romex so it will start to turn on it's own and after messing around with a little with you can grab it with needle nose pliers. I've also always found it much easier to run the wire around the corner going from right to left but that might just be me.

Why not pull it through with a fish tape?

 

[sparky 1971]

Why not pull it through with a fish tape?

Because it's 8" or less from one side of the corner to the other. And, a fishtape would be a helluva lot harder to turn the corner with than a piece of romex. The needle nose don't need to come out very often, just when it's being difficult. Usually it can poke around corner and come out with just a little persuasion.

 

[PCustoms]

I guess fish tape was a bad choice of words. Last time I had to pull around a corner I used a stiff piece of wire (probably a piece of #12) that I was able to pre-bened and guide through. I was going blind behind a shear panel so it was a bit harder.

 

[bluedog225]

Got it. Thanks

 

[The Cobbler]

I used a stiff piece of wire (probably a piece of #12) that I was able to pre-bened and guide through.

just cut back the romex to 1 lead & pull it thru . no sense fighting more times than you need to .

 

[sparky 1971]

I guess fish tape was a bad choice of words. Last time I had to pull around a corner I used a stiff piece of wire (probably a piece of #12) that I was able to pre-bened and guide through. I was going blind behind a shear panel so it was a bit harder.

I have had to run a single wire around a corner at least once; the last one I remember had about four 2X6's stacked in each corner. I might have been able to turn it with the romex if I tried long enough but I was starting to get angry and that's when bad things happen. It was much better for everyone that I cut the black and ground conductor out of the romex and pushed the single white around, using it as a pull wire.

 

[mm08822]

After bending a nose on the white so the cut end isnt catching on every fiber.

 

[ehcsrop]

Seems to me that I had a wood bit that would angle while drilling making kind of a curved hole, if you will. L@@king, I can't find what I think I have. IIRC, it's a triple spur bit that likes to break your wrist if you use an 18v drill with a lot of torque. It is limited, of course, by the diameter of the shaft, but a 7/8ths hole using a 3/8ths shaft allows you to "crab" in the hole as much as a half inch. That should help with the right angle meets right angle difficulty. Access from either side is necessary so if you have another stud close to the corner you'll be out of luck with this one.

 

[rawen2]

Seems to me that I had a wood bit that would angle while drilling making kind of a curved hole, if you will. L@@king, I can't find what I think I have. IIRC, it's a triple spur bit that likes to break your wrist if you use an 18v drill with a lot of torque. It is limited, of course, by the diameter of the shaft, but a 7/8ths hole using a 3/8ths shaft allows you to "crab" in the hole as much as a half inch. That should help with the right angle meets right angle difficulty. Access from either side is necessary so if you have another stud close to the corner you'll be out of luck with this one.

Forstner bit?

 

[ehcsrop]

@[B]rawen2[/B], no, the straight sides would prevent making the bit travel sideways much while drilling. I said likely 3 spurs, not multi. 2 spurs is simple a paddle bit. The 3 spurs are sticking out at an angle with some draft on any side support below the cutter. This allows you to do 2 things: angle the bit more and more while entering the hole until you hit the shank at max angle, or exert side pressure and force the bit to travel sideways giving you an angled hole even if you held the drill bit perpendicular to the face.

IIRC, these were not only a little dicey to use but they were somewhat fragile as well. I think they are off the market now or I'm off the mark. But the design is possible and you could grind back the side skirts even on that Forstner to allow it to crab. That, of course, is contrary to the whole purpose of a Forstner.

You could modify a paddle bit by grinding the sides back at a slope, but I think only 2 cutting tips would behave rather wildly. So if it was, it was three points. No center point or screw feed either. To use one I believe it was better to start a hole so you had some sort of guide to work in before bending your hole.

No one has seen anything like this? Did I invent something in my dreams?

 

[dave*99]

@[B]rawen2[/B], no, the straight sides would prevent making the bit travel sideways much while drilling. I said likely 3 spurs, not multi. 2 spurs is simple a paddle bit. The 3 spurs are sticking out at an angle with some draft on any side support below the cutter. This allows you to do 2 things: angle the bit more and more while entering the hole until you hit the shank at max angle, or exert side pressure and force the bit to travel sideways giving you an angled hole even if you held the drill bit perpendicular to the face.

IIRC, these were not only a little dicey to use but they were somewhat fragile as well. I think they are off the market now or I'm off the mark. But the design is possible and you could grind back the side skirts even on that Forstner to allow it to crab. That, of course, is contrary to the whole purpose of a Forstner.

You could modify a paddle bit by grinding the sides back at a slope, but I think only 2 cutting tips would behave rather wildly. So if it was, it was three points. No center point or screw feed either. To use one I believe it was better to start a hole so you had some sort of guide to work in before bending your hole.

No one has seen anything like this? Did I invent something in my dreams?

Try this:

Drilling with Curved Hole Wiring Bits - ICS Cutting Tools

or

5 Piece Rover /Forstner Bit Set A - Fast Cutting Forstner Bits

Bad Dog Tools' Forstner Bit Set A: Fast-cutting Forstner bits for woodworking. Drill around corners and cut sideways. Guaranteed for life!

baddogtools.com

I have no experience with these products. But the question I’m answering is if anyone knows of a product advertised to drill a curved bore.

 

[Codyboy]

Try this:

Drilling with Curved Hole Wiring Bits - ICS Cutting Tools

or

5 Piece Rover /Forstner Bit Set A - Fast Cutting Forstner Bits

Bad Dog Tools' Forstner Bit Set A: Fast-cutting Forstner bits for woodworking. Drill around corners and cut sideways. Guaranteed for life!

baddogtools.com

I'd stick with some cheap spade bits.
180 bucks for some bits that will be useless after you hit a nail.
Framing, especially in corners have tons of hidden nails.

 

[WildBill]

I'd stick with some cheap spade bits.
180 bucks for some bits that will be useless after you hit a nail.
Framing, especially in corners have tons of hidden nails.

Same. I have done this about a million times and use inexpensive Diablo spade bits, they work really well but are cheap enough to toss after hitting a nail or two.

 

[KenC]

Irwin speedbore. Goog compromise bit and can drill at an angle

 

[sparky 1971]

If it's an exterior wall those corner turner bits won't work. The drill is going to hit the sheating well before any appreciable amount of angle is acquired. Been there, tried that. It doesn't work. What does work, however, is a decent sized hole going straight in from both sides. I use a 7/8" auger bit but have been known to use larger on the very rare occasion that more than one cable is going around the corner.

 

[Norcal]

Use a decent auger bit & not a toy spade bit.

 

[ehcsrop]

I did find there is a Rover Bit by Bad Dog Tools (no affiliation whatsoever) that claims to be able to drill drifting off center to help overcome the circumstances that @sparky 1971 describes which is fact. But I knew in the back of my mind that there was a bit that did not have straight sides to help guide the bit straight in. Actually the opposite, bias the bit a little and it will crawl off center. Push the shank over and it will crab sideways. Some of them (the larger sizes) will actually cut a mortise in full sideways mode (if you can hang on to it!).

Point taken about nails, these bits are very spendy. But if there is ever a need, it can be done.

(I guess I just didn't want to admit defeat )

 

[mm08822]

You can rough an entire house with these...
comes in shorter and longer lengths, easily connects to bit extensions.

 

[sparky 1971]

You can rough an entire house with these...
comes in shorter and longer lengths, easily connects to bit extensions.

Yup.

 

[dave*99]

This looks like a winner.