Wire through Stanchions

[FlyingGoose]

Well my starboard nav light does not work , so I found the dodgy connector in the anchor locker and went about re wiring to the port light and using proper connectors and wire, the problem was when i asked the wife to help
HOLD onto that wire I said from the muffled confines of the anchor hold upside down , then connected the old wire to the new wire and asked her to pull slowly through well she pulled the old wire apart and it fell back into the stanchion , after hours of work on my side.
She used the usual excuses , so I banned her to the bilges.
My problem is, does anyone have a full proof way of getting wires down inside the stanchion , I have tried other wire, a piece of string , and I still cannot get he wires down.
My only other option is drill a hole at the base and feed it down , but this would have the wires outside . no real issues , but would rather not have a new hole and wires outside.
Does anyone have a fiendish way of getting then down there.

 

[tudorsailor]

How about buying a length of copper ground/earth wire from your local electrical supplier. I found that 6 sq mm in its jacket is relatively stiff to push down a hole but will go around corners without kinking
TS

 

[Schuss39]

Been there & got the t shirt.

Get hold of a suitable length of the coiled wire, some have a plastic outer cover. Often used to hang up net curtains in window frames. It is semi flexible.

Feed it through from one end, which ever is easy. I often tie / tape a mousing line on the other end.

Worked for me a few years ago.

Then keep the coiled wire in your tool kit for next time!

 

[alahol2]

If you've got a reel of monel mousing wire in your locker (and everybody should have) then I've found it good for 'poking' and drawing mousing lines etc.

 

[DownWest]

Huh.. Just had to shove a defunct telefex cable through a small hole in a bukhead , then lassoo the end with some line, using a mirror, as it was out of sight...to thread the new loom through. Quite good character discipline...esp in a cramped rear cabin.

 

[penberth3]

Been there & got the t shirt.

Get hold of a suitable length of the coiled wire, some have a plastic outer cover. Often used to hang up net curtains in window frames. It is semi flexible.....

Ideal, and you can tie on to the eyes that screw into it, reshape them if they need to be slimmer.

Another option is old bike brake cable or car handbrake cable - assuming you never throw anything away.

 

[lustyd]

Fish wire is pretty cheap and the proper tool for the job. I have a version designed for bikes by Park Tool which makes this kind of thing very easy but Screwfix have a bunch of cheaper options.

 

[greeny]

I used an electricians "fish" to get my antenna slim coax through the rear pushpit stanchion. Made of plastic type material and about 1/8" dia. it had a brass end that was rounded off and it went through the hole at the bottom of the stanchion first time. Maybe I got lucky. Think I got it years ago from screwfix.

 

[Deleted member 36384]

If it is your push pit, you may have to forget about it unless you take it off, which is the only way with mine. I found that the base plate that screws it to the deck was welded onto the tube and only a tiny hole drilled in to it to pass the cable through. Fair enough but the hole in the deck was offset so no amount of fishing or poking would have made it work.

 

[Ian_Edwards]

If it is your push pit, you may have to forget about it unless you take it off, which is the only way with mine. I found that the base plate that screws it to the deck was welded onto the tube and only a tiny hole drilled in to it to pass the cable through. Fair enough but the hole in the deck was offset so no amount of fishing or poking would have made it work.

That’s generally the problem, the hole in the base plate is much smaller than the tube internal diameter and the hole at the top is in the side wall of the pipe, so the wire has to go through 90 deg.
If you feed it from the top, it is difficult to locate the small hole in the base plate, because you are working blind. And you can’t get the mousing wire to go through 90 deg to exit the pipe.
You either go in from the top and then use a torch from below to see if you can direct a second person to wriggle the wire around until it comes through. Or you put the mousing wire in from the bottom and try and lasso the mousing wire with a bit of bent wire.
I’ve niether of these option are easy, require two people but they work given time and luck.

 

[FlyingGoose]

If it is your push pit, you may have to forget about it unless you take it off, which is the only way with mine. I found that the base plate that screws it to the deck was welded onto the tube and only a tiny hole drilled in to it to pass the cable through. Fair enough but the hole in the deck was offset so no amount of fishing or poking would have made it work.

Thanks boots , I had the same issues on the pushpit and went for outside wires , for the love of me I could not feed the wire through, this looks like the same issues, big hole at top then it seems stuck somewhere in the tube like its hitting something,
Now I know
thankyou all for your responses

 

[MAURICE]

I have seen someone use a vacuum cleaner on you tube to suck a small line through which he then used to pull the wire through. The you tube was to mount a gps on the stern rail. seemed simple

 

[Blueboatman]

Ok
Tim’s top tip:
The problem seems to be that -often-you can start from either end but get stuck in the middle somewhere?- particularly trying to articulate around a bend....

I have had success using two lengths of bare copper wire stripped out from 2.5mm house wiring as follows:

If you ( here’s the cunning bit) wrap one end around the threads of a small screw , to create a curly wurly, and do the exact same on the end of the second wire , and then ( with a friendly helper perhaps ) feedeach wire in from the two access points , until they meet , they should ?meet /touch in the middle.. the thing then is to gently twist one or the other whilst gently pulling it and pushing it back and forth just a few mm,to overcome ‘ stiction’ along the wires circuitous routes..the one ‘ should’ engage with the other like a nut and bolt do.

Once they ‘ thread’ together, you can judiciously IE GENTLY pull one and simultaneously push the other until you have fed one continuous wire through from one access point and back out through the other.
Tadaah?

Then attach string to wire, pull back through, attach new greased electric cable to string, pull back etc etc .
And Bobs yer uncle pouring you a well earnt beer.

(And unbannish wife from bilges in the case of the OP )

 

[2Tizwoz]

I have seen someone use a vacuum cleaner on you tube to suck a small line through which he then used to pull the wire through. The you tube was to mount a gps on the stern rail. seemed simple

A vacuum works well to suck a string through and then use that to pull your wire. A fish is quickest but sometimes there are snags inside a duct and the vacuum and string method can solve the problem.

10 X Cable Access Kits 1M Electricians Puller RODS Wires Wire Push Rod DIY New: Amazon.co.uk: DIY & Tools Lidl have these kits in periodically.

 

[Norman_E]

Old fashioned net curtain wire is pretty good for that sort of job if you don't have any electricians fish tapes.

 

[penberth3]

Old fashioned net curtain wire is pretty good for that sort of job if you don't have any electricians fish tapes.

You're a bit late to the party, already suggested in post #3

 

[Hacker]

You could try an endoscope. They come with magnet ends and hooks that can be used to pick ends up.