electrickery help needed

[Dignity]

Col, get a length of straight edge, piece of timber, anything. Line it up with the RL and draw a line on your gunhale. You can buy extra long drill bits so you should be able to then line up your drill bit with the line you've drawn. Start with a smaller drill bit.
The other consideration is, has the SS tube been bent and then welded to the straight uprights. The reason I ask is that a mates was like that and dags inside the pipe would have shredded any wiring put up there. We ended up going the port side as it was nice and clear according to my endoscope that I put up there, we still ended up putting some dual wall heatshrink over a significant length of cable just in case. What we didn't realised was that this also stiffened the cable and made it easier to feed in.

[blacklab]

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[Dignity]

Col, from the top down, once you get it to base plate a picker tool is handy. I'll see if I have any extra long drill bits left, gave mine to my son but he lives 2.5 hrs away and it would be cheaper to buy the bit.

[Dignity]

One thing I did use but no longer have is a long length of spiral wire, it used to be used in the old days for hanging curtains. Brilliant stuff to use as a pull through due to its stiffness yet flexibility and twisting it would get around most obstacles.

[blacklab]

LOL, isnt the little dwarf, gunna be so happy my posts have gone LOL.... the little grub acts as if he owns this forum.... hillarious

had to change what I was writing, deleted post gets boring... little gutless dwarfs are much more fun talking about...

[Dignity]

Best of luck, lining it up is crucial. I've even welded a rod to a drill bit for length, not ideal. No longer have a welder although mate's do but I find it easier to just go buy one.

[scottar]

Personally prefer up the outside from a service perspective but have done plenty of in tube installs too. Is all your canvas work done? If no by all means run a pull through in but leave the actual wire until all the holes and rivets are done. Personally I would run my snake the other way - only because it will be easier to pick out the hole up top than up under the gunwale. Welding wire or similar makes as good a snake as any. Provided it's stiff pretty much anything will work in a tube. A second person to push and pull while you fish it out will be a massive advantage. A right angle pick and pair of needle nose pliers are the weapons of choice. Unless you can debur the holes you will NEED to drill oversize and fit chafe protection.

[Dignity]

Scott either up or down works, sometimes it works one way or the other. I do agree it needs 2 people, a lot of these jobs either take no time at all or are a pigs arse and its usually better to share frustration.
Col, happy to assist once this CV19 is over.

[scottar]

For sure Sam. I've just done enough of it to know that if I have the choice, trying to pick a cable out of a hole is way better with a bit of room. Sometimes you do get lucky. Most times the snake will aim into a corner. Sometimes putting a bit of a kink in the end can help as can rotating the snake. I've used all sorts over the years - hydraulic tubing, wire, heavy nylon - think heavier than whipper snipper cord, various types of cable and commercial purpose made products. They all have their uses but can all have the same issues.

[Dignity]

For sure Sam. I've just done enough of it to know that if I have the choice, trying to pick a cable out of a hole is way better with a bit of room. Sometimes you do get lucky. Most times the snake will aim into a corner. Sometimes putting a bit of a kink in the end can help as can rotating the snake. I've used all sorts over the years - hydraulic tubing, wire, heavy nylon - think heavier than whipper snipper cord, various types of cable and commercial purpose made products. They all have their uses but can all have the same issues.

Yep, I've used whatever I think might work, 600 lb long liner line ( too thick for whipper snipper) but like you I found quite good was a length of SS MIG/TIG wire with the end bent back tightly, it gets into some of those really tight spots, the next problem is then pulling through the thick Elecktrickery cable. As mentioned earlier, dags can make or break the job and plenty of rocket launchers/biminis have been welded, when polished you wouldn't know until you try putting something up the middle.

Col, I know it's a PIA but loosening one side and removing the side if your RL to get underneath the plate, just need another person to help you.

[552Evo]

Hey Col,
This came up in my YouTube feed yesterday and I remembered a long time ago discussing soldering with you.
https://youtu.be/Hyh1BZqroeM

Probably too late now - I see you are progressing well and truly.
But it is something different to watch - apart from every news article that’s 90% virus related or 10% reality/influencer.

Hope the link works,,,

Jamie


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[blacklab]

and another bites the dust

[Dignity]

A 20 min ponder session is around a six pack, you might need more supplies.

[blacklab]

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[blacklab]

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