Where can I find a really long drill bit (at least 48" long) for drilling through blocking in my walls?

Question

I cannot seem to find any online stores that sell this... I need a really long drill bit (with a small bore diameter) that is at least 48" long. I have wooden blocks halfway down my wall, and I need to drop a phone line through it, so I need a really long drill bit. Any suggestions? I will be doing this at least 5 times throughout my house (it is older, and does not have a lot of wiring in the walls), so I want to do it right (instead of cutting holes in the drywall, or running the lines on the outside of the wall).

Thanks for your help!

Answer 1

I know that Home Depot sells them because I have looked at them there. They are a standard drill with a long flexible shaft and a hole for a possible pull cord in the drill tip.

They are called bell-installer's drill bits (probably from the old days when people had to put in the wiring for a doorbell and faced the same problem you are facing)

Answer 2

While you may find a long drill bit in a hardware store (the longest I ever saw was either 2 or 3 feet), how do you imagine you're going to get the wire or cable through more than one drilled wooden block? You won't be able to see beyond the first! Few people use such long drills because they find other ways to accomplish the same thing. Really long drills should only be used for going through hollow spaces horizontally, like walls, where, if necessary, threading and fishing of the cable is possible. .
A wire or cable with ANY stiffness will probably not follow an exactly straight path.

It seems you have a situation where you MUST pull off some drywall from the wall and expose a full vertical path for your needs.
As long as you're going to be doing that, plan on using a loose (wider) conduit, so you can later pass additional wire through the same path, so in one conduit you have electrical service (switched and unswitched), coax lines for computer or video, and shielded audio/coax for audio or intercoms.

Pull out (or cut out) a path wide enough to insert your hands (4 inches, minimum) on the side of the wall where you can tolerate the patch job you're going to do. This might mean the side you don't usually see, or the side where repainting will be easiest. The presence of insulation may dictate which side you work on. Read up on drywall patching with long pieces of drywall. (Using drywall patches usually invoves spanning a distance between uprights or cross-bars, so that some of the new drywall support comes from nails. Ending your long drywall holes at such wooden structural members is best.)
Through each wooden cross bar, expect you'll either have to saw or chisel your path (or both), or drill vertically with a hole saw.

To save some time, don't put the outlet or plate down near the floor like ALMOST EVERYBODY does! Old people and people in wheelchairs can't reach down there! Put the outlet or plate just low enough to be out of sight when the usual furniture (table or desk) is there: 1.5 to 2 feet off the floor. Standard desk height is 29 inches. If you have conspicuous plates or outlets, paint or wallpaper them individually so they're not noticed.

If you think the wire on the room side is still too noticeable, use a "cable cover" plastic trim to hide the wires. They come in white and cream colors. They're also paintable.

If you can stand seeing a long stretch of cable-cover trim on a wall, you could drop a wire from the ceiling less than 1 inch from the wall, and cover the entire stretch with this plastic trim. If your decor makes use of mo(u)lding, you can drop a wire or cable at a corner of the room outside the wall(s), and cover it with corner molding. A few styles of molding work on projecting corners, as well as sunken corners of a room. To get the ceiling hole in the right place, drill up from the room, then check the ceiling space to see if it came out in an acceptable place.

Plan ahead.

Answer 3

You should be able to find one at any electrical supply store. I was an alarm installer for over 12 years. You need a Flexable drill bit they come up to 6 feet in length (72") You may find a 1/4 inch diameter but most come in 3/8" and 1/2 "..I think Home depot stocks them as well...

Good luck....

Answer 4

Paintable Wallpaper Menards

Answer 5

Builders merchant such as Travis Perkins may carry stocks

Answer 6

My husband (who is a builder) says that Lowes carry them. No idea what the cost is but check out the store.

Answer 7

home depot,lowes, or menards have them in their elect. department or hardware. they cost around $3o .