Use cable sheath to clean drilled hole

Richard S. Orlando,

Overture Communications Inc.

Problem

After you drill a hole in a cement floor to mount a rack, you must clear the hole of the cement dust. When installers use the quick method of blowing the dust out of the hole, they can end up with dust in their eyes, even if they are wearing safety goggles or glasses.

Solution

Clear the hole by blowing through a 2-foot length of unshielded twisted-pair (utp) cable sheath. You can stand a safe distance away from the hole and avoid the dust.

Procedure

1) Once you have drilled the hole in the cement floor, cut a 2-foot piece of utp cable.

2) Remove the conductors from the sheath.

3) Place one end of the sheath into the drilled hole, stand back, and blow into the sheath`s other end.

4) Sweep the dust from the floor.

Place the end of the hollow cable sheath at the bottom of the drilled hole before blowing into it.

Richard S. Orlando is vice president of Overture Communications Inc. (Hudson, FL). He sits on the Telecommunications Industry Association (Arlington, VA) task group that developed telecommunications systems bulletin tsb-67. This tip was submitted for the Cabling Installer Tips` Contest at Cabling Installation Expo `98, held in October in Atlanta, GA.