sundance-communications.com/forum Forums Wiring - Telecom Carriers - Trunks & Services Cabling Telephones Systems Wiring concrete ceilings

It's an old apartment building in NYC. the room walls are 3 inches thick using a mixture of plaster and wire mesh on both sides of the wall. we need to run a cable in from the hallway and we found that if you penetrate the 2" overhead concrete ceiling there is a 24" empty space between the floors. there are no trap doors visible. the distance I need to snake the wire is 8 feet. I can drill up at each end at a 90 degree angle between the rebars (did i forget to mention the rebars?, sorry). I am thinking of sticking a snake up at each end and trying to hook it. anyone got a better idea. (flex rods are out because I can't bend them with the 8 foot range).
Tks
Tj

I'm not sure I'm getting a clear picture of the layout, but I'm thinking the issue is that you're trying to get the wire across the ceiling.

We did one about 2 years ago and I used a really strong electromagnet to move a chain across a ceiling dead space like that. Sounds like it's going to be a challenge.

I have used fiber glass poles and put a tennis ball on the end to help it jump over the steel studs. I got the poles at Canadian Tire, they are chimney sweep poles. Hope that helps.

Wayne:
He can't use fiberglass rods in this case because he is going straight up and then moving at a 90 degree angle across the ceiling (not to mention the fact they don't have "Canadian Tire" in the States!).

Two ways;
-to expand on Mac's chain method, beaded chain (shower curtain chain). If you use the outside clear casing of a BIC pen, push the beaded chain into it and hold it. Then you push the BIC pen into the hole and start pushing more chain into the hole. Use a strong magnet and you should be able to guide the chain with someone else feeding it into the pen/hole.

-use quad (JK wire) as a wire fish, push some into the one hole. With a fish tape in the second hole, you should be able to maneuver the fish towards the quad wire and hook it. As soon as you touch the quad, flip the tape to hook the wire as you pull back. Since you are only going 8 feet, this should work fine. If you can drill your holes at a 45 degree angle towards each other, that would be even better.

depending on the budget something like this would help

see snake micro

Im just looking for a good excuse to get one

drilling the holes at 45 degree or more is a good thought , also drill them as large as possible for "wiggle room "

Skip, I've seen those too and been thinking the same thing.

Tj, I agree with Skip. You are going to have to drill your holes at an angle and use a fish tape. If you can make your exit hole large enough you should be able to grab it.

The magnet method isn't going to do anything because of the thickness of the plaster or concrete and the fact that it contains wire lath/rebar.

-Hal

try using wire that is used to support a ceiling tile grid. As you feed it in to the ceiling make small bends to arc towards your destination, do it from both ends. If you bend a small 'j' hook at each end you may be able to 'sword fight' them to hook together.

good luck with with this one!

Hate to be the odd guy here and I understand about a clean professional appearence. That being said there does come a time when wire molding is appropriate.

You can try attaching pull string to the end of the fishtape and fishing it up across and try to hook the string at the other end. I have done this before and works.

Hire a midget. :toothy: