Drilling holes in studs


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Old 02-18-04, 08:20 AM
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Drilling holes in studs

I am wiring a new house and I bought a new 7/8" - 6" auger drill bit for drilling holes in the studs for the romex. Is there somekind of tip that would help me to keep from tearing the wood where the bit enters and exits the hole? I am using a right angle drill...the drill may be running too slow. Also, are there any tips for going around a coner.
 
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Old 02-18-04, 08:25 AM
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In my experience an auger bit leaves somewhat of a rough cut. I guess it is the trade-off for the speed. If you want a smoother cut, you could use a wood-boring bit, but they are a lot slower and will probably dull rather quickly wiring a whole house.
 
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Old 02-18-04, 11:50 AM
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Just curious: All the holes you'll drill will be hidden when you're done. What do you care what they look like?
 
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Old 02-18-04, 12:10 PM
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Jack, you have one of the standard set ups of electricians across the country.
 
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Old 02-18-04, 03:07 PM
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I agree with Speedy and hotarc. This is just the way it works. You can make the hole a little cleaner by making sure your bits stay sharp, but even the sharpest auger bit won't make a completely clean hole.
 
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Old 02-18-04, 04:05 PM
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Your electrical inspector won't gig you for rough holes.
 
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Old 02-19-04, 09:08 AM
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Re: Drilling holes in studs

Originally posted by Jack B.
I am wiring a new house and I bought a new 7/8" - 6" auger drill bit for drilling holes in the studs for the romex. Is there somekind of tip that would help me to keep from tearing the wood where the bit enters and exits the hole? I am using a right angle drill...the drill may be running too slow. Also, are there any tips for going around a coner.
If it really matters to you, you could stop drilling as soon as you see the tip penetrate the other side of the stud, and then start re-drilling from the other side where the drill tip poked through. This will make for a nice clean hole on both sides. But like the others said, it won't really matter anway if the hole is ragged.
 
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Old 02-19-04, 10:03 AM
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If it really bothers you, clamp scrap wood to both sides of the stud. The bit will rip up the scraps rather than the stud itself.
 
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Old 02-19-04, 04:23 PM
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Drilling holes in studs

Thanks fellows for your replys. Usually, it doesn't bother me either but this time it's a real pain to get the wires through the holes. Also, would someone comment on the second part of my original question about going around corners?
 
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Old 02-19-04, 07:44 PM
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If the splintered wood is interfering with pulling the wire, drill from the other direction - or use a larger bit.

If it's an inside corner and the "cavity" is closed in, drill holes each way (at the same height) then fish the wire thru.
 
 

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