How to drill straight down through top plate?

M

MachAF

Young grasshopper
Dec 12, 2018
49
23
Washington
I'm trying to do a nice clean install with no wires running outside. Any advice on how to drill straight down through the top plate on an outside wall with about 6 inches of clearance? See photos.

Options:
1. Drill at an angle and risk going through the outside wall.
2. Right angle drill with shorter bit - Don't think I have enough clearance since I need drill through two 2x4's
3. Flex bit? Looks at one but didn't seem like it bent enough to make the angle.
4. Pumpkin cut the drywall in the wall below and drill up from that. (Don't really want to patch dry wall.

Any tips?

Thanks
 

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Flex drill bit up from where ever you are running wire from exterior. They bend enough to feed up through the opening into wall cavity and drill up through the top plate from below. Done a few exterior walls running cat 5 and a 22/4.


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Check into "bumper balls" for drilling. They're used with flex bits to help guide the drill through the center of the plate ( or whatever) when inside the wall cavity.
 
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IAmATeaf said:
Can you not drill from the other side or have I not understood the situation?
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I believe I can. There are some electrical lines near by that were a cause for concern. But after looking it over and thinking it through it looks like outside and drill up is the easiest route. Off to buy more tools now..
 
Whoaru99 said:
Check into "bumper balls" for drilling. They're used with flex bits to help guide the drill through the center of the plate ( or whatever) when inside the wall cavity.
Click to expand...

Forgot about the ball. I have one of those to for the flex bit along with the handle tool to hep guide it.


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Don't necessarily need a short drill bit depending on how oversized it is. Can simply push the drill bit back into the chuck. It will grip if tightened even on the blade part. That will reduce it by around 2 inches. If it's still too long, then you need to look at alternatives.

If you have 6 inches of clearance a right angled adaptor should fit in fine although with the cost of those right angled drills, it might be better to invest. Another thing on the same page I noticed is a stepped drill adaptor, they are really short especially if pushed fully back into the chuck, and one could help out in this situation. I'd even suggest that if you could get a hole started with one, you might be able to use a broken drill bit to complete it if you can't get one short enough in the diameter you need.The sides of a broken bit will still cut. The issue is the missing point. But through wood with a hole already piloted, you should be able to get through. It's the lack of a pilot hole that would really kill you.

Personally, I'm not so keen on the idea of drilling blind from below. Ok in theory, but it's unlikely to come through centred. Could literally come through anywhere at any angle from wall to wall. At least from the top, whilst more tricky, you can control the exact location. However, needs must and if no other option below could be used. Beware those wires though.
 
I think i've come up with a solution using a right angle drill, a short bit to start the hole, then maneuver in a longer bit in the starter hole a few inches, then attach the bit to the drill...Then hopefully don't drop it down the hole when removing it.
 
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Checked out those drills at harbor freight. They were 5" deep so they wouldn't work. Ended up getting a right angle drill attachment for my Ridgid oscillating tool that was 3 inches deep and some 4 inch auger bits. I was able to drill parallel along the top plate at an angle. Then fed a 7" auger bit into the hole and connected it to the drill and was able to continue the hole through the top plate....Then drilled from the outside expecting to punch through the wall cavity after a few inches. Nope. Keep on getting wood for 5 inches...something isn't right. Had to rip out the dry wall and found a nice 2x12 running horizontal 6 inches below the top plate. Anyway...camera is installed but now have drywall work to patch. Thanks for the tips gents. Cheers

And learned those flex bits don't work well...Wouldn't even drill through the wood without getting the screw tip clogged.
 
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tangent said:
The one before you drill into a 2x12 or wall stud :p

Start with a small hole, if you have to drill too far for the material you think you're drilling through stop and reevaluate.
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Yeah I see your point...But in this case it wouldn't have mattered. The 2x12 with a 2x4 on top of it was at 11 feet high running horizontal across the entire garage (see photo). To avoid it I would have had to mount the camera 11ft+ and then the eve would block the view.
 

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MachAF said:
Yeah I see your point...But in this case it wouldn't have mattered. The 2x12 with a 2x4 on top of it was at 11 feet high running horizontal across the entire garage (see photo). To avoid it I would have had to mount the camera 11ft+ and then the eve would block the view.
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Is that 2x12 perhaps above a door or window?
 
MachAF said:
Checked out those drills at harbor freight. They were 5" deep so they wouldn't work. Ended up getting a right angle drill attachment for my Ridgid oscillating tool that was 3 inches deep and some 4 inch auger bits. I was able to drill parallel along the top plate at an angle. Then fed a 7" auger bit into the hole and connected it to the drill and was able to continue the hole through the top plate....Then drilled from the outside expecting to punch through the wall cavity after a few inches. Nope. Keep on getting wood for 5 inches...something isn't right. Had to rip out the dry wall and found a nice 2x12 running horizontal 6 inches below the top plate. Anyway...camera is installed but now have drywall work to patch. Thanks for the tips gents. Cheers

And learned those flex bits don't work well...Wouldn't even drill through the wood without getting the screw tip clogged.
Click to expand...

Well done and congratulations.

When I rewired a house I lived in ~20 years ago, I learned the lesson that sometimes the best thing to do is to rip out drywall and fix it later. I'd rather spend half an hour patching drywall in the living space than fussing with drills in a 120F attic while worrying about falling through the ceiling (actually, I almost did fall through once!).
 
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