Help to bore hole in leg

[Bob Grier]

Is there a good or best way to bore an approximately 5/8" dia hole about 20" long up a table leg (end grain) for an electrical wire. I am afraid to use a regular auger bit with extensions because of the possibility the hole will wander out the side of the leg. The 37" long leg is cherry, 2 1/2" dia at narrowest and 3" dia at widest near the end of the hole. I could try it on one leg and if hole starts going crooked, then try another leg until I get one straight. I have 6 legs to try but would much rather just have one hole drilled up one leg and have that hole be straight and true.

If there is someone in the Tacoma Seattle area who could do it for me, that would be preferred. My thought was to find someone who makes flutes but from what I have found out, flute tubes are split and then routed before reassembling. I was thinking maybe gunsmith but they use metal cutting blades of smaller diameter. I found a bit on line that looked like it would work but was about $150. It had hollow shaft and solid 3" or so long cutting end same diameter of hole (to keep it aligned) with a V cut into it to allow shavings removal using compressed air that is somehow sent down the bit. I didn't look at it very close due to cost.

I have a bench top drill press I could set on my work bench, turn the drill part so it is over the side of the bench and then set the leg in the bench vice and give it a try with some type of bit. I have brad point bits and augers that might work using extensions. I don't have much luck using forstner bits for deep holes. Drill press is heavy and moving it off the floor (where I use it) is not easy. I would much rather drive 100 miles round trip than move the drill press. My friends are like me, old with bad backs. Matter of fact, the last back surgery I had was due to that drill press when I bought and moved it 3 years ago with someone helping. That person has told me he will not help move it again. Last time I moved it, I hired movers.

Thank you in advance for any leads or suggestions.

[Prashun Patel]

If you can find a Creeker with a lathe, it is possible to drill through the leg accurately that way.

[Dave Richards]

I'd check with a builder of wooden boats or The Center For Wooden Boats (http://cwb.org/). Boring long holes is a common thing for them.

[Tom Ewell]

Can you split the leg (rip) cut a channel down both sides and glue the thing back together without messing up the project (too much)?
If done nicely, I'd think you'd be the only one to notice the leg being 1/8" smaller in one dimension.
Might have to do some creative sanding on the rounds.

[Bob Grier]

Thank you for suggestions.

I talked to a wood turner about it and he is going to talk to gunsmith friend. I just sent off a contact email to The Center For Wooden Boats. Splitting the leg isn't feasible for me due to shape and depth of cut.

[Greg Visser]

Just curious, what's the purpose of an electrical wire part way into a table leg?

[Bob Grier]

Actually the legs will be supporting a kitchen island and the wire(s) will be for microwave drawer and possibly receptacle. The leg extends to the top of the 18" high cabinet which will be about 17" off the floor.

[Dave Richards]

You might want to check local codes on that. There might be issues with running AC power up the inside of a wooden leg as you are planning.

[Eduard Nemirovsky]

I absolutely agreed with Dave - what you are planning to do - invitation for disaster. If wire will get hot it may start a fire. Especially wire for microwave and receptacle with possible hangry to amps kitchen appliances.

Ed.

[Bob Grier]

First, I appreciate people watching out for my safety and I will check with local code people and will research running wire in wood leg. I have not decided whether to have receptacle. In any case, the wires are in place below the floor. One is dedicated 14ga circuit for microwave and other is off kitchen receptacle circuit and may also be 14ga.

If I am unable to bore hole or if wire in leg is code or safety issue, my fall back is to run a stainless conduit from floor to underside of cabinet.

I don't believe running wires in plastic conduit buried in concrete or even buried in foam insulation is an issue. I understood conduit and electric boxes have fill capacity to protect against overheating. I thought that conduit is intended to protect wire against damage and to allow future access for wire maintenance. I understand the heat concern in a wood leg and will check into this but not sure it is an issue as long as the circuit is protected by suitable breaker. If it is an issue, because it is not covered in the code, then maybe inserting a plastic or metal conduit in the leg would be ok. I know of times when wires are run in wood framing that has been built up with a cavity left for the wire such as in headers or solid studs between a door and another door or a window.

Thank you for alerting me to possible issue.

[Jamie Buxton]

You might want to check local codes on that. There might be issues with running AC power up the inside of a wooden leg as you are planning.

I have a floor lamp with a wood shaft, and the power cable runs up the inside. So there's no fundamental with putting power wiring inside of wood. If you're concerned about the cabling heating up too much, get larger-diameter wire.

[lowell holmes]

I would practice on a 2X2 (from a 2X4) and see what works. You may be able to drill 18" from each end and meet in the middle of the leg. An electricians auger bit might do the job.

[Dave Richards]

I have a floor lamp with a wood shaft, and the power cable runs up the inside. So there's no fundamental with putting power wiring inside of wood. If you're concerned about the cabling heating up too much, get larger-diameter wire.

I'm not concerned. I don't care one way or the other. I do know of others who wanted to run wires inside a table or desk leg and found there were issues related to electrical codes and in at least one case home owners insurance that prevented them from doing it. Personally I like the the concept. I just think it's worth checking it out before going to the trouble of drilling out the leg and doing the wiring.

[Tom Ewell]

BX or flex conduit might be required anyway for this application because of the moving drawer part. (if that's the case)

[Frank Pratt]

Assuming the piece is fixed to the floor, there is no code or safety reason why line voltage NMD90 can't be run in the leg. The fire hazard would be no greater than running the cable through wood studs.

[johnny means]

Assuming the piece is fixed to the floor, there is no code or safety reason why line voltage NMD90 can't be run in the leg. The fire hazard would be no greater than running the cable through wood studs. Actually enclosing an electrical wire in a wooden conduit is very different than going through a stud. Power cords do emit heat when heavily loaded. A wooden conduit would insulate the cord allowing heat to build up even pvc conduit has codes pertaining to how much power can be run through it as well as how much of the volume can be occupied by wire.

[Alan Schwabacher]

What if you simply cut a groove into the leg from the side that will be obscured under the table? That would allow you to run the cable, and if desired, you could patch the groove, but it would not need to be as perfect a patch, since you couldn't see it well anyway. If there were any worry about heating, leaving the groove open would handle that too.

[Bob Grier]

Lots of feedback. Thanks. The kitchen island will be fixed to the floor. The microwave drawer is not a microwave in a drawer, it is a microwave that has a drawer that opens so there will be no moving wires. I only need to drill the hole half the length of the leg to access the microwave portion of the cabinet.

I like the suggestion of practicing on a 2x2 but I am still hoping someone knows a tried and true way of boring the hole without mishap or knows someone in the Seattle Tacoma area that can do it.

The main concern is overheating. I will check with local code and a licensed electrician with this in mind. I misstated in earlier post - the microwave 20 amp circuit has 12ga wire, not 14 ga.

[Clint Baxter]

Shell auger bits like this http://www.amazon.com/Woodtek-153314-Drill-Boring-Specialty/dp/B002K9V4Z4/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1450322123&sr=8-1&keywords=Shell+auger+bit, are used to do those long holes through wood without wandering.

If if you used one to bore a through hole, you could the use a 24" bell hanger bit, http://www.amazon.com/MAGBIT-781-24-1016-24-Inch-Carbide-Bellhanger/dp/B005M29DMC/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1450321919&sr=8-5&keywords=5%2F8%22+Bell+hanger+bit , to increase the size. It would follow the previously drilled hole. If you wanted to be extra careful, you could increase the size of the hole gradually, using a couple bits instead of doing it all in one shot.

good luck on whatever method you end up going with.

Clint

[Pat Barry]

Lots of feedback. Thanks. The kitchen island will be fixed to the floor. The microwave drawer is not a microwave in a drawer, it is a microwave that has a drawer that opens so there will be no moving wires. I only need to drill the hole half the length of the leg to access the microwave portion of the cabinet.

I like the suggestion of practicing on a 2x2 but I am still hoping someone knows a tried and true way of boring the hole without mishap or knows someone in the Seattle Tacoma area that can do it.

The main concern is overheating. I will check with local code and a licensed electrician with this in mind. I misstated in earlier post - the microwave 20 amp circuit has 12ga wire, not 14 ga.
If you are using the correct wire gauge for the circuit breaker and anticipated loads there will be no concern related to that supply wire overheating.

[Frank Pratt]

Actually enclosing an electrical wire in a wooden conduit is very different than going through a stud. Power cords do emit heat when heavily loaded. A wooden conduit would insulate the cord allowing heat to build up even pvc conduit has codes pertaining to how much power can be run through it as well as how much of the volume can be occupied by wire.

If you do not have more than 3 current carrying conductors in a conduit there is no need to derate the ampacity. We're not talking about an appliance cord running through the leg (which would be illegal) but a properly sized NMD90 cable. So, heat build up is not a concern here.

It is legal and safe to run the cable tight to a stud surrounded by thermal insulation in a wall. In that situation there is far less ability for the cable to shed heat than in a short run through a wooden leg.

[Ted Calver]

If you can find someone in your area that makes peppermills, they might be able to fix you up. My set up will do 18" using colt system and bormax forstner bits and heavy duty extensions. The hole would have to be more on the order of 3/4" though. IIRC the colt system will get me in a foot, then I put a bormax bit on my monster hollowing system boring bar to go the rest of the way. Frequent, and I mean very frequent clearing of chips is necessary to avoid trapping the bit.