I was called in to late and had to pre-wire/re-wire what the "alarm" company did so I couldn't use rough in rings so the wires are just through the sheetrock.

floors arent in yet and paint hasnt even been done yet so i can make a mess.

was wondering about making a MDF template to stick to the ceiling and route out using a rotozip...I cant use the little radius thing because the hole is like an 1" hole the sheetrockers cut out right in the center....

Thoughts?....I honestly dont want to cut 32 speakers in with a drywall saw :(

Make a little circle of 1/4" MDF. Screw it over the existing hole. Use the circle cutter that you couldn't use because there was a hole?

Craig

Buy one of those adjustable saw/drill things with the dust catcher and put the Festool to work.

Or....hire a semi-pro. Surely there is someone you could offer $$ to to do it for you. :)

:P

wont work, well i guess i could shove the wire right up the hole...

Anyone want to cut 32 speakers in for me in the next week? :) i bought a house so i can only pay in beer/pizza

[Link: snapav.com]

They work just fine if you take your time. The kit works quickly and very neat in terms of dust holding. Our buy a speaker like the CWT-160 which basically fits a 6" hole saw.

Screw that idea, and buy some SONOS Play 5's?

Yeah, No.

What Craig & Longshot said.  Push the wire back up in the ceiling then use a small piece of plywood or MDF that's smaller than the diameter of your cutout (I'd just use a square piece).  Drill a 1/4" hole in the middle of the piece of wood and then drill a hole in each corner that will accept a drywall screw.  Counter sink the drywall screws if you have OCD or just need the extra clearance.

Screw your wood "guide" piece up to the ceiling using the drywall screws... the holes from your drywall screws will be in the piece your cutting out so no patch or paint required.  Once it's attached to the ceiling, use the speaker hole cutter with dust shield.  The arbor for the hole cutter will fit into the 1/4" hole in the center of your guide piece.

Target do stock 'em.

Think of it as 16 pairs, it will go quicker.

Did 60 or so speakers for a furniture store. The difference is that this store had T bar, so I could bring the work surface down. Here's how I'd do your project.

Get a piece of plywood, 3/4", and cut out a hole 1/8" in diameter larger than what you want. Since the rotozip can cut plywood, screw a piece of narrow plumber's tape inside the hole. Use flathead screws so the rotozip doesn't hang up on the screws. IIRC you cut clockwise with a rotozip; install the plumbers' tape the same way so the zip doesn't hang up at the overlap. Make the overlap as small as possible.

Hold this template to the ceiling using four screws positioned and spaced to be under the flange of the speaker. Screw this template in place, then zip. But before you zip --

People who prep stuff like this don't pay a lot of attention to where the wood is. If you just believe their marks are dead center, sooner or later you'll be cutting a hole too close to the joists. So actually enlarge the center hole enough to get your hand, or a tape measure, in there, so you can figure out exactly where the center really should be.

Use a piece of stiff wire (coat hanger) with a 90 degree bend to ensure the wires are coming out of a hole in the middle.

Stiff wire needs to be about an inch longer than the speaker cut out. Shove it up through the existing center hole and spin to ensure you are indeed, in the center.

Use the supplied cardboard template, pencil mark the drywall and RotoZip freehand.

Doesn't have to be perfect, the speakers DO have a flange.



Should take you longer to move the ladder than to cut the holes.


Might be a two hour job for the average slacker. :-)

Been doing it this way for 15 years, no suppliers in the UK I know of sell rough in rings. Unfortunately most plasterboarders like to bring the cable out right next to the joists or don't bring it out all together.

What Trunk Slammer said, except I would find a 17 or 18 year old that wants some quick cash.
Pay him per speaker hole
first two don't count,
1 you have to show him each step you want taken to ensure there are no mistakes
2 you have to watch him do the first hole to make sure he was actually listening.

Then off he goes, 30 holes at $X per hole should put some video game or beer money in his pocket.
And now you have time to do other things on site

I have done this in wood using a template and a router. 20 of them. PITA.

[Link: wiremunky.com]

One thing to remember is that you don't know whats in those ceilings. You are going to spend a lot of time exploring to make sure you don't hit a pipe or cut a cable.

I cut a 4" hole at each location so i could get my hand/arm in there and feel around for any obstructions. Then i screwed the template to the ceiling and used the router. The router is nice because it can be set to where its just cutting slightly beyond the drywall. Rock knives and sawszalls can jack things up if you aren't careful.