So, thankfully despite it saying in my electrical book that some early NEMA marked cable had a smaller diameter earth wire than is the current standard, it seems that which we pulled out from the house at least appears to be the right diameter. I hope to hell it is, because the new wiring in our new lounge is entirely old cable.
Despite me attempting to snap my ankle like a twig 2 days ago (I slipped off the step into the house carrying a 4′ x 8′ x 3/4″ sheet of plywood by myself, like the daft ha’peth I am*) I spent today working on the house. Yesterday I rested with my ankle up on the sofa most of the day (apart from a meeting about selling our land). But today I made a more significant start on roughing in the wiring.
This has meant drilling a lot of holes.
A lot of 3/4″ diameter holes.
Our poor little ridgid drill does not like it. I mean, really I should do them all with an auger bit and a right angle drill, but I’ve instead been abusing the spade bit and the forstner bit. I keep using the spade bit and most of the time it’s fine, but it’s certainly working the drill out. It’s also giving the nasty cheap Ryobi 90° adaptor a tough time. We did have a Harbor Freight right angle drill, but it upped and died (ironically when I was not doing anything at all – I’d just put a bit in to drill a hole, turned it on and it made an unpleasant graunching noise, before failing to turn the chuck).
The cheap harbor freight forstner bit is, however, wearing out. Not really surprising, this isn’t really what it’s for.
And the random double studs (often followed by a stupid little gap, then another double stud) which are around because of the way the house was framed – then we’ve modified it – then we’ve repaired rotten bits – or replaced sections of framing – or added a window… All of that means a lot of fun trying to work out ways to get the spade bit in.
The winner today was having to drill the hole, feed the extension bit in, then with it all in place open the 90° drill adaptor’s chuck as wide as it could go, then I could get that over the top of the extender, tighten the chuck and then add on the actual drill to the end of that.
Still, the lounge cable now runs to the wall where the fusebox will be (note to self – label wires tomorrow).
Kathryn and I have finished putting up ceiling joists in the hall, so that’s definite progress. And the 3/4″ ply is for the attic floor – two pieces are up, just the rest of it to go…
Right, to bed with me because tomorrow is another day of drilling holes and feeding wires.
* My wife arrived literally 3 minutes after this debacle, at which point I was still trying not to make wimpering noises. I knew she was coming, but it looked like it might rain, so I was trying to be… quick. Or stupid.
