atcomsystems.ca/forum Forums Wiring - Telecom Carriers - Trunks & Services Cabling Telephones Systems Wiring tough pull, looking for suggestions

Yep, Cat3 for voice Mr. Jeff! (it's a walk-in cooler...)

Push a ball chain through on one side and a magnet in the other if you can see the light this shouldn't be to hard

You can buy a 4 foot flexible drill bit at an electrical supply store, it will have a hole in the bit end to put a string through which you can then pull back through your drilled hole. You can also cut the flex bit down to any length you want to make it easier to manage. The drill part is only about 2 inches long, the rest is a flexible shaft
MArk

Most bell hanger bits have a hole in them just behind the cutting end. Purpose is for situations like yours. Drill your hole and leave the bit in the hole sticking out the other side. Go around and stick a piece of #22 wire through the hole, twist it in the flutes and twist it together so it won't pull off. Now go back to your drill and WITHOUT turning it on just pull the bit and wire back through. Now you have a drag line for your wire.

As for the way you are trying to do it, it is very unlikely that you will be able to just drill the hole and stick the wire through. It's too flexible and not straight so unless you like frustration don't even try. If you don't do the wire through the bit trick above you will have to use a piece of 1/8" fish tape or stiff wire, (something like ceiling hanger wire or bailing wire works good) at least long enough to go through the wall. Put the wire in the hole and patiently probe for the other side.

This is called fishing and anybody installing wiring needs to have the expertise and simple "tools" to get wiring through holes and wall spaces.

-Hal

Sounds to me like he's coming down between the two units (the 1/4" space) and has drilled a horizontial hole into that 1/4" vertical space, at least that's the way I took it.

That's the way it is justbill. I have equip/knowledge on fishing wires, but here's how this one is:
I have drilled a hole horizontally through the cooler wall. To get the wire into the hole, I have to go outside the cooler, take apart the drop-down cieling, get above the cooler, and look at where the two coolers are wedged together. It is less than 1/4" between the coolers.

So the wire needs to go Down 5" through the 1/4" gap, then horizontally 5-6" into the cooler.

I am working on a few things. The gap isn't big enough and fish tape isn't flexible enough to get it through the gap after the horizontal break.

I am going to try justbill's string technique, then tie some metal barbs to some fishing line and see if I can get it out of the gap magnetically.

Thanks for the help. I am going back tuesday to work on it.

Kris, here's what I would try:

From inside the cooler, take the chuck end of the bell hanger bit (or a glowrod) and put a piece of fishing line through the hole in the bit. Push the end with the string through the hole as far as you can and then bring the bit back in just a tad creating a small loop on the line. If possible, push more of the line through the hole to make a bigger loop.

From up top, take a piece of #12 solid, strip off the end and make a hook. Use that to "fish" for your string.

Actually, I would proabaly just drill through the top of the cooler and run the wire that way. Would that be possible?

-Larry

The other way ‘round might be easier… Dangle the ball and/or fixture chain down between the two coolers… Stick a telescoping pen magnet through you horizontal hole to grab it.

Okay, I'll try those ideas today to see if I can pull anything through.

Hopefully a magnet will work since the magnet will stick to the walls too.

Well ok I see what you are up against now. The tubing trick above would make this easier. Put a piece of tubing through the wall then push a piece of something like #24 wire through it. I would try to put a loop on the end so you can hook it. Then go outside and with a fish tape with a small hook on the end try to hook it.

Ya know, this brings up another point too. Sounds like you are trying to do this by yourself. I always like to have a helper to handle one end, you do the other. If you can't yell use radios or Nextels. Sometimes it almost impossible to do stuff like this by yourself or you waste so much time it's not worth it.

-Hal