OK. All you folks who have punched holes in your walls to run speaker cables for your QS8s or QS4s, I need your help.

I suppose I should explain what I'd like to do. From my receiver, I'll just run the cables along the baseboard until just below where the speaker will be mounted on the wall. I don't have a problem with that as the cables will be mostly hidden by furniture, etc. At that point I'd like to punch a hole right above the baseboard, run the cable up inside the wall and out through another hole so I don't have this ugly, 12 gauge, clear PVC insulated, bright copper wire dangling from a QS8 down the wall to the floor.

How the heck to do you do that? No, not punching the holes. That much I can do. But how do you fish the cables into the hole at the baseboard, then haul it up inside the wall, and get it out through the hole where the speaker will be mounted? As you might have figured, "handyman" is not an appellation easily applied to this klutz

I know about the cable concealers that one can pick up at Home Depot, and If I can't (or am too chicken) to get the cables into the wall, that's the way I'll probably go. But, even that option is less than desirable.

I'm also aware of the really flat wire that has an adhesive backing, and can be painted to match the wall. In fact, I have some. But, it is only 18 gauge. I don't think it's advisable to run 12 gauge from the receiver then splice it into 18 gauge for the run up the wall, is it? If I'm wrong, let me know and my problem is solved.

Any suggestions will be welcomed. Thank you.

Make a hole in the wall where you want the wire to come out for the speaker. Get a piece of string and tie a nut to the end. Drop the nut through the hole and fish it out at the bottom of the wall. Tie your speaker cable to the string and pull it back through

That is provided you do not have intersecting joists between studs in the walls...then the open space between where the speakers are desired to be hung and the baseboard is not connected...get a stud finder first and see where all your wall studs are...

Also, if your walls have insulation in them, the nut on the string will not go far, as the insulation will impede it reaching the bottom...

An additional .02...

WhatFurrer

Keep talkin guys. At some point this 10 thumbed dolt is going to try the same thing. I've also wondered how to do it.

So how do you get around the insulation and stud issues?

Get a heavier bolt...seriously

Ive put lots of cables in insulated walls with the method I described. A heavy bolt or washer will slide down the wall between the sheetrock and insulation facing with little difficulty.

There are sometimes problems, things like cross framing and super tight insulation. I have a five foot long drill bit that I got at an electrical supply house. Its flexible, so its possible to drill a hole right through a cross member. It also has a hole near the end that will let you use it to attack a cord so when you pull the bit out the wire comes with it.

Its expensive (approx. $35), but sometimes there's no other way short of removing the wall.

My insulation is blown in. It came after the fact as insulation in post WW1 wasn't much of an issue. I was thinking of using a thin metal rod to fish the speaker wire through it.

Does anyone know if Axiom's cable is rated for in-wall?

yes, i've heard of the bolt and string method.

OR, you can try what my coworker did. Pull out the baseboard and run the wires behind it. He "gouged" a space big enough for his svid cable, but you can also drill holes to fish the wire through. When you're done, put the baseboards back, w/ some paint retouching. That'll also save you the trouble of having to worry about studs.

You can also try raceways if you're not comfortable going into the walls. These can be painted. I got a set from Home Depot.

pmbuko is the biggest NUT I know, but I don't think he'll fit through the hole!

Craig, if we screw this up, PM me your phone number and we can whine in unison.

Great guys. Keep it comin' I was just thinkin'. In the effort to use the heaviest nut I can, I'd probably drill 2" holes. Can you sense the disaster this could become?

I pretty sure my walls aren't insulated, but I don't know about cross bracing.

OY! I'm starting a cold sweat just thinking about this!

One simple piece of advice: use speaker wire color that's compatible with your room/carpet color. In some cases this makes a huge difference.

For example my HT room is very darkly colored, with almost black carpet. Initially I tried 14-ga clear insulated wire -- the bright copper color stood out like crazy, even for short runs to the main speakers. Then got some black speaker wire from Radio Shack, and it's almost invisible against the dark carpet.

I've seen white, black, clear (copper), and tan colored speaker wire. Maybe other colors exist. If you can get a fairly close match to your room/carpet color, it's like camouflage -- it's there but your eye just passes over it.

For Ajax's run up the wall I don't think that would be sufficient, but IMO for baseboard runs it can make a big difference.

For isulated walls you can rent (OR BUY) a device called of all things "a fish". All it is a stiff wire on a spool that can be feed out or retracted. If you have an unfinished basement you can do what I did; From the basement drill a 1/2 inch or 5/8 hole up through the flooring material, through the bottom plate of wall framing and into the cavity between the appropriate wall studs. Make a small hole where you want the speaker wire to come out. With a friend at the speaker hole work from the basement with the fish until your friend can grab it in their fingers. (This can be frustrating, but keep trying) then pull a sting through with the fish and use the string to pull the wire.
This makes for a very clean installation

Hey Alan! Are you lurking out there? If so, would you be willing to address my question about running 12 gauge wire from the receiver, along the baseboard, then splicing it to thin, paintable, 18 gauge wire for the run up the wall to a QS8?

Doesn't sound like the right thing to do, but I thought I'd ask. Strangely, I've been known to be wrong, maybe once..........OK, twice in my life.

Jack, I'll do the 12 gauge to 18 gauge question and the answer is no problem. This isn't analogous to a 4-lane highway suddenly becoming a 10 foot wide dirt road. It's the overall resistance of the total cable length that matters, and for example, a short length of 18 gauge might result in the equivalent of an overall 12.4 gauge, which is still heavier than needed unless the run is on the order of 50 feet. Also, as has been mentioned, inexpensive cable is available in colors other than clear.

In reply to:

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pmbuko is the biggest NUT I know, but I don't think he'll fit through the hole!

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I turn my back for one second and I'm already being forced through holes and squirreled past insulation.

Thanks John. It's good to know. Since I already have some 18 gauge, flat, paintable wire, I think I'll try that, rather than punch holes in my wall. I rent, so that would probably be wiser. It'll only be about a 6 foot run up the wall with the 18 gauge, after about a 15 to 20 foot run of the 12 gauge.

Peter. That'll teach ya ta turn your back.

Hi Ajax,

JohnK said what I would have told you. You can get the flat, paintable stuff with the adhesive backing in heavier gauges as well. The sample I have on my desk is 14-gauge, a sample I picked up at CES from a company called Taperwire.

Regards,

Alan, Thanks for taking the time to reply. I'll check out the 14 gauge if I can find it. I did a quick google search, and found a page, but they don't list any 14 gauge. The lowest (highest?) they seem to go is 16 gauge.

http://www.taperwire.com/ie4/ie.htm

Maybe the 14 gauge is a new product.

Found the 14 gauge. But it comes only in 100 foot rolls, at $124 per roll. YIPES! I'll keep looking.