I Love Retrofit Electrical Boxes

Weldangrind · 11-06-2010, 03:12 AM

I had to move an electrical box from one side of the wall to the other, and the new side is finished. As a result, I didn't want to open a finished wall and have to patch it again.

Enter the retrofit box. No studs necessary; it has its own clamping device that secures it firmly to the drywall. I've used them before and have complete confidence in them for duplex receptacles.

Here's the hole I cut in preparation for the new box:

This is the retrofit box. Note the clamps on the top and bottom; those are drawn in as you tighten the screws;

Just kick the bottom end in and then the top. Presto!

The finished product:

BillR · 11-06-2010, 07:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Weldangrind

I had to move an electrical box from one side of the wall to the other, and the new side is finished...

Yeah buddie... :!:
Big fan of those, myself. Made my own LAN wiring and jacks that way...
Bill R

Weldangrind · 11-06-2010, 02:03 PM

That's an excellent idea Bill. :idea:

I might use them for telephone jacks, instead of surface mount.

katoranger · 11-06-2010, 04:24 PM

I have seen them in the store. Great idea.

TurboT · 11-08-2010, 01:15 AM

Uuuuh.. pardon my total non renovation electrical skills. I get how you put the box in, but me confused on how the wiring works. You had no wires behind the wall neither right? So how you wire the box up without making more holes?

Perhaps I'm missing something..

2LZ · 11-08-2010, 10:28 AM

Those are sweet. Makes life nice. So does fish tape!

I had to do a bunch of electrical work to my friends cedar house this weekend also. Hung two ceiling fans on 2 foot extension rods.
The problem? No sheet rock to hide things! 8O Painted all the Romex, c-boxes, hardware and switch boxes dark brown and run everything behind beams and tucked in corners to try to 'hide' it as much as possible.
Turned out ok in the end.
My apologies for the big photos. My camera phone seems to do that. :x

Weldangrind · 11-08-2010, 11:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TurboT

Uuuuh.. pardon my total non renovation electrical skills. I get how you put the box in, but me confused on how the wiring works. You had no wires behind the wall neither right? So how you wire the box up without making more holes?

Perhaps I'm missing something..

That's a good observation T. I had an outlet on the other side of the wall, so all I had to do was route the wire out of the new hole I just cut. Don't know if you recall from your last visit, but I now have floor to ceiling cabinets where a wall once was, so I had to move the outlet. Didn't see the sense in building cabinets over top of the outlet.

If I was starting with no existing outlet and needed wire, I would have fished from either the attic or the basement. I'll be happy to show you how a fishtape works when you come over next. When will that be?

BillR · 11-08-2010, 02:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TurboT

Uuuuh.. pardon my total non renovation electrical skills. I get how you put the box in, but me confused on how the wiring works. You had no wires behind the wall neither right? So how you wire the box up without making more holes?
Perhaps I'm missing something..

2LZ says: "So does fish tape!"

More info than you ever thought you didn't need...
That and a veerryyy long drill bit...
Flexible Drill Bit
Fish Tape
And the "UDAMAN TOOL"
Paint Ball Pull Line Shooter
or
I gotta get me one of these just for the COOL factor...

Got into the attic or crawl space, drill thru the sill into the wall space where you want the wire/box and away you go...
Uh, make sure you measure real good, so the holes aren't thru the ceiling, right next to the wall... :x
Yep, did that...crown moulding to the rescue...
Bill R

TurboT · 11-08-2010, 07:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Weldangrind

I'll be happy to show you how a fishtape works when you come over next. When will that be?

Totally don't know. Haven't been out your way in a number of weeks. No gas money. 8O

2LZ · 11-09-2010, 10:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Weldangrind

I'll be happy to show you how a fishtape works when you come over next. When will that be?

Boy....they're a life saver. I don't care if you have to feed some 14/2 through 4 feet of Weathertite. Bust out a fish tape. As the saying goes...."Ya can't push wire."

Weldangrind · 11-10-2010, 01:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 2LZ

Quote:

Originally Posted by Weldangrind

I'll be happy to show you how a fishtape works when you come over next. When will that be?

Boy....they're a life saver. I don't care if you have to feed some 14/2 through 4 feet of Weathertite. Bust out a fish tape. As the saying goes...."Ya can't push wire."

You can try to push wire, but it has all the efficiency of pushing wet spaghetti.

Excellent job on the fan, BTW. It must be very hard to discreetly wire an open beam ceiling.

Weldangrind · 11-10-2010, 01:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BillR

More info than you ever thought you didn't need...
That and a veerryyy long drill bit...
Flexible Drill Bit
Fish Tape
And the "UDAMAN TOOL"
Paint Ball Pull Line Shooter
or
I gotta get me one of these just for the COOL factor...

Excellent product ideas, Bill!

I'm disappointed that I hadn't heard of Flexidrills before, especially since I'm Canadian, and I'm a tool freak.

Love Klein, hate their prices. My steel fishtape was less than $10 at Princess Auto, and it hasn't broken or kinked on me yet. Princess also sells those nifty automatic wire strippers for $12.00 on sale. They're probably made in the same factory as the Klein version, too.

Love the cable launcher idea! I got a kick out of the masking tape reference; I wonder if masking tape would stop the lead ball from going through the roof.

BillR · 11-10-2010, 04:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Weldangrind

Quote:

Originally Posted by BillR

More info than you ever thought you didn't need...
That and a veerryyy long drill bit...
Flexible Drill Bit

Excellent product ideas, Bill!

I'm disappointed that I hadn't heard of Flexidrills before, especially since I'm Canadian, and I'm a tool freak.

Love Klein, hate their prices. My steel fishtape was less than $10 at Princess Auto, and it hasn't broken or kinked on me yet. Princess also sells those nifty automatic wire strippers for $12.00 on sale. They're probably made in the same factory as the Klein version, too.

Love the cable launcher idea! I got a kick out of the masking tape reference; I wonder if masking tape would stop the lead ball from going through the roof.

I'm a "tool hog/geek" myself. I have a 1/2in flexidrill and it is the bees knees for snaking wires in the wall.
The other links were just quick searches. I couldn't/wouldn't afford the Klein stuff either.
The first cable launcher I ever saw was a converted kids stopper gun. Tied fishing monofilament to the dart and used that to pull the larger string to pull the wire... :wink:
Bill R

Jim · 12-27-2010, 10:13 PM

I was just thinking of how to accomplish something today and remembered this topic

I need to get a vga and audio cable from one room to the next... I can just put one of these on each side of the wall, I guess the only trouble will be finding the short connector wires for inside the wall.

Weldangrind · 12-28-2010, 03:25 PM

Short connector wires? I don't understand. Do you mean a VGA cable that changes gender?

11-06-2010, 03:12 AM	#1
Weldangrind Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Sardis, BC, Canada Posts: 25,977	I Love Retrofit Electrical Boxes I had to move an electrical box from one side of the wall to the other, and the new side is finished. As a result, I didn't want to open a finished wall and have to patch it again. Enter the retrofit box. No studs necessary; it has its own clamping device that secures it firmly to the drywall. I've used them before and have complete confidence in them for duplex receptacles. Here's the hole I cut in preparation for the new box: This is the retrofit box. Note the clamps on the top and bottom; those are drawn in as you tighten the screws; Just kick the bottom end in and then the top. Presto! The finished product: __________________ Weldangrind "I figure I'm well-prepared for coping with a bike that comes from the factory with unresolved issues and that rewards the self-reliant owner." - Buccaneer
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11-06-2010, 02:03 PM	#3
Weldangrind Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Sardis, BC, Canada Posts: 25,977	That's an excellent idea Bill. :idea: I might use them for telephone jacks, instead of surface mount. __________________ Weldangrind "I figure I'm well-prepared for coping with a bike that comes from the factory with unresolved issues and that rewards the self-reliant owner." - Buccaneer
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11-08-2010, 10:28 AM	#6
2LZ Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Volcano, Ca Posts: 7,092	Those are sweet. Makes life nice. So does fish tape! I had to do a bunch of electrical work to my friends cedar house this weekend also. Hung two ceiling fans on 2 foot extension rods. The problem? No sheet rock to hide things! 8O Painted all the Romex, c-boxes, hardware and switch boxes dark brown and run everything behind beams and tucked in corners to try to 'hide' it as much as possible. Turned out ok in the end. My apologies for the big photos. My camera phone seems to do that. :x __________________ "Light a fire for a man, and you heat him for a day. Light a man on fire, and you heat him for the rest of his life." 2007 Suzuki DRZ400S (SM convert) 2009 Q Link XP 200 1967 BSA B25 250cc Starfire 2022 Royal Enfield Interceptor 650 2023 Royal Enfield Scram 411 1948 Royal Enfield Model G 350
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12-27-2010, 10:13 PM	#14
Jim Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Abbotsford, BC, Canada Posts: 4,880	I was just thinking of how to accomplish something today and remembered this topic I need to get a vga and audio cable from one room to the next... I can just put one of these on each side of the wall, I guess the only trouble will be finding the short connector wires for inside the wall. __________________ "Be excellent to each other" "We are all human. Let's start to prove it!"
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12-28-2010, 03:25 PM	#15
Weldangrind Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Sardis, BC, Canada Posts: 25,977	Short connector wires? I don't understand. Do you mean a VGA cable that changes gender? __________________ Weldangrind "I figure I'm well-prepared for coping with a bike that comes from the factory with unresolved issues and that rewards the self-reliant owner." - Buccaneer
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11-06-2010, 04:24 PM	#4
katoranger Join Date: May 2007 Location: Altamont, Kansas Posts: 15,103	I have seen them in the store. Great idea.
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11-08-2010, 01:15 AM	#5
TurboT Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Surrey, B.C., Canada Posts: 2,185	Uuuuh.. pardon my total non renovation electrical skills. I get how you put the box in, but me confused on how the wiring works. You had no wires behind the wall neither right? So how you wire the box up without making more holes? Perhaps I'm missing something..
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