[p64imp]

Hi All,

I need to run a wire across my ceiling (switch wire for my projector screen over to my projector) - a standard phone cable that needs to run from the new work plate hole i cut under the stairs over to the projector cut the left of the room.

Biggest problem here is the cross members in the ceiling that make using a standard wire runner impossible. See images:

https://imgur.com/a/mGkpQC9

Is there some sort of tool, hardware, or technique that you all can recommend me that will simplify this? There are loads of cross support "buckets" that i have to travel over to hit the other side of the room.

Many thanks in advance!

 

[Nealtw]

 

[chandler48]

I use the "fishing pole" system. It is extendable, but is somewhat unyieldy at long distances as it flexes a lot. In your situation I would use a golf ball with a hole drilled in one surface and a screw inserted and a loop of mason's twine looped around it and tightened. I would connect a free amount of mason's twine to the loop and make a fairly accurate launch of the golf ball. You can pull your cables that way, even if you use your screen slot as a halfway point where you have more arm room. You have a good area to run cable.

 

[lenaitch]

I had to run a piece of coax in much less space than that. I had a bunch of 1x3x8s - attached the cable to the first piece and pushed it out, did a lap joint to the second then disassembled it on the way back. I like the golf ball idea, or maybe tie the twine to a good heavy nut. It may take a few tries because it will want to arc.


Can't say I've even seen a fully framed ceiling built under a fully framed floor.

 

[ServiceCall]

I would use 1/2” PVC (fit the pipe and tape the coupling joint) or EMT and push it across.

Might put a little kick in the forward end in order to clear obstructions / joists. It also makes it easier to see with a flash light when pushing.

 

[Connell Nichola]

Hi All,

I need to run a wire across my ceiling (switch wire for my projector screen over to my projector) - a standard phone cable that needs to run from the new work plate hole i cut under the stairs over to the projector cut the left of the room.

Biggest problem here is the cross members in the ceiling that make using a standard wire runner impossible. See images:

https://imgur.com/a/mGkpQC9

Is there some sort of tool, hardware, or technique that you all can recommend me that will simplify this? There are loads of cross support "buckets" that i have to travel over to hit the other side of the room.

Many thanks in advance!

The tools are the best tricks, You should try from the best tools for passing the wire easily and safely.

 

[Dan1973]

I would put a piece of pipe up there and push the wire through it, then just leave the pipe in place as a conduit. Makes it easy to send more wires later, especially if the pipe is bigger than it needs to be.

 

[Brian Famous]

I have to ask the obvious question of don't they have a wifi or bluetooth option? Seems so 2019 to be running cables (ok, that was a poor new year's joke...).

+1 for putting some oversized pvc pipe up there as a conduit for your current, and any future, cable running needs.
Tape a string to the far end of the first piece of pipe and thread said string through each piece as you connect them. Then, when all of the pieces are in you can just tie your cable to the loose end, grab the taped end and pull it all the way through.

 

[p64imp]

Thanks for the PVC suggestion. This is what worked for me. I spent 3 hours getting all assembled and had a couple failed tries (one of my pvc pipes bent/broke w/the stress, plus i was going from the wrong end at first).

What i ended up doing is pulling out a speaker and going from the speaker end to the projection screen end as i had a 147" cut to aim towards (much easier). I purchased 20 1' pvc's with female couplers and just added one by one. I put a tennis ball at the end where i fed the rj12 just through the tip of the tennis ball. Added one section at a time until finally i got there (toward the end i questioned if i would as it had a TON of flex to it). Thanks to the tennis ball i was able to "bounce" the pipe to each following section.

For the end section going from the speaker to the plate, i just used a regular klein fish wire spool. This took a couple tries, but on my last attempt i actually hit the plate exactly and pushed the string right through the hole which was highly lucky!

See pics:

https://imgur.com/a/tuLse70

Thank you for the suggestion. Glad to have this done!

 

[Yodaman]

Where there is a will, there is a way. Good job.


On occasion when needing to run romex through ceiling joist or walls I pop a 4" hole in the drywall with a hole saw. Save the cut out for the patch afterwords.

 

[Dan1973]

Glad it worked for you! When I've done this in the past, I used much longer lengths of pipe (8-10 feet), but that only works if you have ample room to finagle it in there from the end you're feeding from. I like the tennis ball idea.


I also just used regular PVC with couplers that weren't threaded - they friction fit pretty tight so I wasn't concerned about them disconnecting, but there weren't nearly as many connections using longer pipe.

 

[p64imp]

in a world where drones are standard and cameras have become dirt cheap, makes me wonder why we dont have little nano droids developed to run in-wall wiring like this for us...

know how much easier that would be?? Somebody should get on that...

Wish my cat was smart enough to run across the ceiling for me... i'd have gladly tossed him up there!

 

[Dan1973]

Using a drone is a great idea! I guess you'd have to be pretty good with it to avoid hitting the top or bottom of that area, but it could work quite well in this instance.

 

[Nealtw]

Could have shot a string with a nerf gun.