SOFFIT WIRING ISSUES!

We will be looking at various wiring issues, and some possible solutions. It is assumed that you have some video surveillance installations skills, and that you are familiar with the equipment being installed, and that you have a basic understanding of construction techniques.

While trying to run wires to a camera you find that the rafters are blocking your travel path.

Here is a picture where a camera is located in a corner, and it is pointed at the driveway.

This is the only place where I can pull the wires from the attic space above the garage.

There is a rafter between where I pulled the wire from the attic, and where the

camera is located. The rafter is blocking my travel path.

Here is a view of the stud before I drilled it out.

I used a battery powered Dremel tool with a cut off wheel to

cut the wooden soffit so that I can get to the rafter blocking the way.

Here is a close up of the 10.8 Volt Dremel Tool.

After cutting out the square piece of soffit I then used a one inch paddle

bit to cut in to the rafter to allow the camera wire to pulled to the camera.

Surprise! I found a nail! Just great! Surprise number two! I find that there

are two 2X4 studs! I take the Dremel tool, and cut out another section, and

I use the one inch paddle bit to cut in to the second rafter.

Here is a view of how I used the cut off wheel to cut in to the wooden soffit.

I am going to use a wire to fish the wire from the first hole through the stud

area to the second hole. I inserted half of the wire to the left side of the

stud, and I pulled it out of the hole on the left. I took the other side of the

wire, and I inserted it in to the right side of the stud, and pulled it out of

the hole on the right. I taped the end of the camera wire to the left side

of the wire, and I pulled it all the way to the right side hole near the camera.

I removed the fish wire from the camera wire, and I attached the camera

to the wire, and I stuffed the extra wire in to the hole back in to the soffit, and I

filled the hole with silicone sealant.

I took silicone sealant, and I smeared it around the piece that I cut out

of the soffit, and I replaced it back in to the soffit.

Now the soffit is good to go! A little paint, and you will never see the cut

section from a distance!

PROBLEM RESOLVED!

If security is of the essence, and you have to run the wire, but it needs to be hidden, and there is no soffit space to run it, then try this trick.

See if there are large air vents that will allow you to remove them, and give you access to the soffit area. You can drill horizontally with a 3/4 inch quick change paddle bit, and a drill.

http://www.irwin.com/irwin/consumer/jhtml/detail.jhtml?prodId=IrwinProd100186

Once you have drilled through the rafter you can use sections of a one foot quick change extensions to get to the next rafter, and continue drilling to the next access point, or to the destination.

http://www.irwin.com/irwin/consumer/jhtml/detail.jhtml?prodId=IrwinProd100181

Long flexible drill bits can be used as well.

http://www.lsdinc.com/content/product_details/19

SCORPION AUDIO, VIDEO, AND SECURITY!

ARE YOU READY FOR A HOME THEATER OF YOUR OWN?