Cable Chasing

Joined
10 May 2007
Messages
2
Reaction score
0
Location
London
Country
United Kingdom
I'm currently working on a project to move some of my power sockets and chase in some speaker cables in my living room.

I’m discovering the joys of chasing cables for the first time. I’m using cold chisels to route out the channels. My wall consists of a thin layer of plaster (3-5mm), in front of a 20mm layer of, what I assume is, cement attached to the brickwork. The cement is a real pain to remove and brakes up into big chunks. Work is slow and untidy.

Is there a magic tool that I can buy down Homebase to do the job or does it look like I need to hire a proper chasing machine?

Thanks
 
Sponsored Links
Is this an uninhabited house with no wallpaper, no carpets, no TVs or other electronic or mechanical appliances, no occupants? And you will be washing down all surfaces (including the ceiling) afterwards?

If so, by all means hire a cable chaser. You will be unable to see across the room due to the gritty dust (and eye damage if you are not wearing goggles as well as your breathing mask).

When you say cold chisel, I hope you mean a bolster? (wide, flat, thin blade).
 
I'm by no means an expert, but from a laymans point of view, I did a fair bit of cable chasing last month using an sds plus chasing chisel, and it wasn't all that messy at all because it comes out in clumps rather than dust. Only about 20 quid too so did the job nicely.
 
No, the house is lived in. We're completely refurbishing the living room. I should be able to contain the dust.

I just wondered if there was a cheaper alternative to the hire of the chaser, but I guess with the amount of work it’s taking me at the moment it’s probably worth every penny.

Yes, looks like I meant a bolster... ;)

Thanks for your help.
 
Sponsored Links
Totally agree with using a chaser if you can, saves a lot of time but does make one hell of a mess and you really can lose sight of the other side of the room. use the vacuum attachment if there is one. Face mask ( nose and mouth ) is essential.

My trick is a large extractor fan (12 inch ) in a sheet of alloy which I tape in place over an open window to blow air and dust out. This clears some dust but more importantly lowers the pressure in the room so there is no movement of dust and air under doors into other rooms. Air comes into the room The door can even be left slightly ajar to help air flow to clear dust out of the room through the extractor.

But it does then make a mess then outside so it can upset the neighbours.
 
I will ask an obvious question- couldn't you go under the floor?

Or, might it have been easier to remove the skirting board and either chased behind it- if you were lucky there's often a decent gap between the floor level and where the plaster starts.

The chaser really is a PITA dust wise, not suitable for anywhere other than a building site. If you do use one, another way of limiting the dust is to fill a hand pumped water sprayer (use an empty cleaning solution bottle) and get someone to spray as you chase taking care with water near an electric tool or ......

Another way to prevent the concrete render from blowing off in big lumps is to drill 1" holes in to the wall

......................
...................... as this and then when chasing with a hammer and bolster along each line of holes your end up with a reasonably clean chase line.

Have fun, and if you do use the chaser, can you post some picture of the dust clouds :LOL:
 
Last time I used a wall chasing machine was on an empty house. It created soooooooo much dust, when taking a shower that evening I found brick dust between my toes. I was wearing rigger boots two pairs of socks as it was the middle of winter. :eek:

Even taping doors shut will not prevent the escape of dust to the rest of the house, and brick dust is very good at staining cream carpets.
 
Chri5 said:
Or, might it have been easier to remove the skirting board and either chased behind it- if you were lucky there's often a decent gap between the floor level and where the plaster starts.

Cables must be run within safe zones. Unfortunately these zones don't include the gap between floor and plaster and as such would be a dangerous place to put unprotected electric cables. The only time this would be acceptable would be if the socket outlets were on the skirting board too but this isn't recommended either as they get damaged with vacuum cleaners/feet etc. Running speaker cables behind skirting isn't a problem though and this might save some extra hassle.
 
I take it nobody uses the chasing chisels then? It's surely no messier than chiselling by hand just saves on the arm ache.
 
I have a chisel bit for my SDS drill which is handy for knocking boxes in, but it is as quick and tends to be neater to do chases by hand.
 
I bought a Challenge xtreme SDS drill with chisels included, from Argos last month for about 40 quid to rewire a house. Cheap rubbish, but it did the job and was cheaper than hiring. The work will be much much quicker, but possibly just as untidy.
 
I use a Makita SDS for chasing alot of the time, as it doesn't produce so much dust (although more than doing it by hand).


Before I had it I did this:

Take a cheap angle grinder. Remove the guard. :!: Bolt a second disc to the first one using 2" spacers between 3 bolts. Homemade wall chaser! Use at your own risk though, it'll have your fingers off.
 
you can whiz the grinder along twice, a couple of inches apart, and reduce the number of amputations.
 

DIYnot Local

Staff member

If you need to find a tradesperson to get your job done, please try our local search below, or if you are doing it yourself you can find suppliers local to you.

Select the supplier or trade you require, enter your location to begin your search.


Are you a trade or supplier? You can create your listing free at DIYnot Local

 
Sponsored Links
Back
Top