# Drilling top plate in the right spot



## Joseline Riker (May 2, 2016)

OK I am trying to do something simple with one minor complication. Dropping some cable down a wall from the attic into my master bedroom. Easy enough. I've located the studs, know where to drill on the top plate. Or do I. Problem I'm having is I have about a 3 inch area in the attic I can drill thru the top plate. There is a pocket door in the wall, and between the area it ends and the next stud starts is about 3 inches separation. I think I've identified the spot by taking various measurements in the room and extrapolating those to measuring in the attic but it's a tight area so want to be sure. I thought of using two magnets, one sitting on the drywall in the attic right in front of where I think I need to drill, the other in the master bedroom and hold it on the ceiling until it mates up with the one in the attic. Problem is it's double drywall so the magnets won't find each other. Seen examples of some stronger magnets but they actually are so powerful they pull one to the other when in the same proximity. Short of drilling into the drywall, any ideas on how to be sure I'm in the right spot when in the attic?


Thanks.


JR


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## DqMcClain (Sep 16, 2015)

There are rare-earth magnets that might be strong enough to attract each other through two layers of drywall... but I would just drill a tiny pilot hole where you think it needs to go and see where it comes out. If you miss and it's somewhere you can see it, it'll be easy to fill if you use a 1/16" bit. If it works, enlarge the hole and proceed.


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