DIY cable moling

[Tim+]

I’m toying with the idea of moving my car charging point from wall mounted
to pole mounted by my driveway.

Biggest obstacle is about 4ft of block paving that I’d really rather not
lift if I can avoid it. Any suggesting for a DIY moling technique to get a
length of cable or conduit under the block paving with minimal disturbance
to the paving?

Toying with the idea of a length of conduit with a hosepipe rammed down the
middle and trying to push it through whilst the water is flowing. Maybe a
non-starter…

Tim


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Please don't feed the trolls

[alan_m]

On 29/12/2021 22:34, Tim+ wrote:

> Toying with the idea of a length of conduit with a hosepipe rammed down the
> middle and trying to push it through whilst the water is flowing. Maybe a
> non-starter…

You will end up with the same result as seen when a water main leaks -
the road above just sinks into the void created by the water excavating
the soil. It may sink weeks after you think you have finished the job!

Bite the bullet and lift the block paving to dig a trench - install a
conduit/pipe - feed through the wire plus a rope to pull through extra
facilities in the future. Back fill the trench, compact the fill, add a
layer of sand, get the level correct, re-lay the block paving.



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PI-_YGyJC4w
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VErD_tXaFFQ

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[Robin]

On 29/12/2021 22:34, Tim+ wrote:

Depends on what's either side and on the soil. E.g. I put cable under a
600m path by digging a trench on one side, a bit of tunnelling with a
trowel, and then hammering a length of black iron pipe. But I was lucky
enough not to meet large stones, broken bricks etc.


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Robin
reply-to address is (intended to be) valid

[Tim+]

Thanks, if my bit of Virgin conduit isn’t adequate I might try this.

[Tim+]

I’m sure that’s the best way to do it, but it sounds like a lot of work.
;-)

I’ve just realised that there is a bit of conduit already in place for a
redundant Virgin cable connection that I’d forgotten about. Hopefully
it’ll be big enough to thread a bit of armoured cable through (after
removing the Virgin cable).

[Tim Lamb]

In message
<435344121.662509632.166...@news.individual.net>,
Tim+ <tim.d...@gmail.com> writes

Depends hugely on the soil stone content but you could probably sledge
hammer a piece of steel scaffold pole through 4 foot of topsoil. You
will need a 6 foot plus trench to work from.

Alternatively wave £100 notes in front of your local mobile air
compressor operator...

--
Tim Lamb

[Steve Walker]

If you might use metal pipe to get through under the path, how about
using an angle grinder to cut some teeth into the end and turn it into a
very long core drill? Weld a bar on the end to use as an arbour or use
pipe fittings to reduce it down to something you can use as an arbour.

Once through you can pull it back to push your conduit through or cut
the end off, leave it in place and poke/wash out the pipe.

[nightjar]

On 29/12/2021 22:34, Tim+ wrote:

You can, of course, hire moling equipment. More expensive, but probably
more reliable than a pure DIY approach.

--
Colin Bignell

[The Natural Philosopher]

On 30/12/2021 09:59, Tim+ wrote:

> if my bit of Virgin conduit isn’t adequate I might try this.

As the actress said to the bishop, acquiring a brandy snap with her
other hand..

--
“The fundamental cause of the trouble in the modern world today is that
the stupid are cocksure while the intelligent are full of doubt."

- Bertrand Russell

[Harry Bloomfield Esq]

Tim+ brought next idea :

> Toying with the idea of a length of conduit with a hosepipe rammed down the
> middle and trying to push it through whilst the water is flowing. Maybe a
> non-starter…

I managed to use that method here, into heavy clay, to bury a several
feet of 15mm copper water pipe for an RF earth vertically. No reason
why it would not work horizontally too, providing you didn't hit brick
or stone.

[John Rumm]

On 29/12/2021 22:34, Tim+ wrote:

> I’m toying with the idea of moving my car charging point from wall mounted
> to pole mounted by my driveway.
>
> Biggest obstacle is about 4ft of block paving that I’d really rather not
> lift if I can avoid it. Any suggesting for a DIY moling technique to get a
> length of cable or conduit under the block paving with minimal disturbance
> to the paving?

If you dig an access hole on each side, you may be able to hammer
through a length of scaffold pole or iron pipe with a cap on the end.

(shorter sections of 1" iron barrel pipe with threaded couplers might
work ok if access is restricted at the sides)


--
Cheers,

John.

/=================================================================\
| Internode Ltd - http://www.internode.co.uk |
|-----------------------------------------------------------------|
| John Rumm - john(at)internode(dot)co(dot)uk |
\=================================================================/

[Andrew]

Hammering vertically is a lot less effort than doing it
horizontally, while stooping down into a 600mm deep trench.

Personally I would buy one of those 'cheapo' SDS drills that
can be about a metre long and bore a hole from each end. Let the
SDS drill do all the gut-straining.

[Brian Gaff (Sofa)]

For what reason do you wish to move it. I was given to understand that the
fitters of these chargers are pretty specific of where you can, and cannot
put them and or route a cable.
Brian

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"Tim+" <tim.d...@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:435344121.662509632.166...@news.individual.net...

> non-starter.

[williamwright]

On 30/12/2021 09:59, Tim+ wrote:

> I’m sure that’s the best way to do it, but it sounds like a lot of work.

Methods that are a lot of work are generally the best way to do a job,
otherwise no-one sensible would entertain them.

Bill

[williamwright]

On 30/12/2021 09:38, Robin wrote:
> But I was lucky enough not to meet large stones, broken bricks...

high voltage cables, water pipes, gas pipes, secret tunnels for kings to
escape from castles...

Bill

[williamwright]

On 30/12/2021 14:47, Andrew wrote:

> Personally I would buy one of those 'cheapo' SDS drills that
> can be about a metre long and bore a hole from each end. Let the
> SDS drill do all the gut-straining.

How would you get them to meet?

Bill

[newshound]

If you can get it a metre of your 4 feet that's only 8 inches to go,
quite a reasonable chance of banging through a length of iron pipe after
drilling, I would have thought. With any luck the drill will find its
way around obstacles (and if not, you know there's a problem).

[ARW]

It's down to price.

[Tim+]

Just don’t like where it is very much. Given that I always reverse into my
driveway, it would look better and be easier to use if it was beside the
driveway near the front of my car rather than dragging a cable the length
of my car from the front of the house to plug it in at the front.

Tim

Brian Gaff \(Sofa\) <bri...@blueyonder.co.uk> wrote:
> For what reason do you wish to move it. I was given to understand that the
> fitters of these chargers are pretty specific of where you can, and cannot
> put them and or route a cable.
> Brian
>



--

[ARW]

On 29/12/2021 22:34, Tim+ wrote:

Can you get a 5/6ft trench before the 4ft path?

[AJH]

On 30/12/2021 09:38, Robin wrote:
>

> Depends on what's either side and on the soil.  E.g. I put cable under a
> 600m path by digging a trench on one side, a bit of tunnelling with a
> trowel, and then hammering a length of black iron pipe. But I was lucky
> enough not to meet large stones, broken bricks etc.

This is what I did many years ago to get a new water main under the
drive to our tied cottage. As the ground the opposite side of the drive
was lower I only needed a shallow trench that side and a 4ft deep hole
on the interception side. I pinched a scaffold pole long enough to
reach, welded a spike to the end and hammered it under. Once through I
cut off the spike and hammered end and left in situ with the alkathene
pipe passed through it.

Incidentally I have been watching Esso moling a 9" steel pipe, when out
walking, but not been close enough to see whether it is pushed or
pulled, I also cannot understand why then didn't trench and backfill as
it is open country albeit a national nature reserve.

[Animal]

you're very optimistic about human nature

[Rod Speed]

williamwright <wrights...@f2s.com> wrote

> Methods that are a lot of work are generally the best way to do a job,

Bullshit.

> otherwise no-one sensible would entertain them.

OTOH methods that are a lot of work usually see
some smart person design a tool that stops it being
a lot of work, most obviously with those things that
punch a pipe etc thru the soil in this situation so there
isn't a lot of work involved in pulling up that blocks,
digging a trench, filling it in again so it doesn’t slump
and replacing the blocks.

[alan_m]

Unless the mole is removing the material in a controlled way the path
blocks could to be pushed up especially if the mole operation is close
to the surface.

A DIY mole operation is likely to require a trench the length of the
mole pipe. If the ground under the path has been highly compacted (as
it should have been if the block path was laid correctly) then punching
a pipe under the path may be as difficult or time consuming as removing
the blocks and digging the trench.

[Rod Speed]

alan_m <ju...@admac.myzen.co.uk> wrote

> Rod Speed wrote
>> williamwright <wrights...@f2s.com> wrote

>>> Methods that are a lot of work are generally the best way to do a job,

>> Bullshit.

>>> otherwise no-one sensible would entertain them.

>> OTOH methods that are a lot of work usually see
>> some smart person design a tool that stops it being
>> a lot of work, most obviously with those things that
>> punch a pipe etc thru the soil in this situation so there
>> isn't a lot of work involved in pulling up that blocks,
>> digging a trench, filling it in again so it doesn’t slump
>> and replacing the blocks.

> Unless the mole is removing the material in a controlled way the path
> blocks could to be pushed up especially if the mole operation is close to
> the surface.

But easy to have the mole remove the material.

> A DIY mole operation is likely to require a trench the length of the mole
> pipe.

So hire a proper mole.

> If the ground under the path has been highly compacted (as it should have
> been if the block path was laid correctly)

That’s not true at the depth the mole is run at.

> then punching a pipe under the path may be as difficult or time consuming
> as removing the blocks and digging the trench.

Don’t buy that. And our telecoms operation has just done a
mole under the road with no downsides at all in doing that.

And the natural gas pipeline had previously been moled fine.

[Peeler]

On Fri, 31 Dec 2021 19:51:29 +1100, cantankerous trolling geezer Rodent
Speed, the auto-contradicting senile sociopath, blabbered, again:

<FLUSH the abnormal trolling senile cretin's latest trollshit unread>

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Bod addressing senile Rodent Speed:
"Rod, you have a sick twisted mind. I suggest you stop your mindless
and totally irresponsible talk. Your mouth could get you into a lot of
trouble."
Message-ID: <gfbb94...@mid.individual.net>

[Animal]

I admit I don't see what the problem is with lifting some blocks. It's not hard to re-lay a small area.

[www.GymRats.uk]

Don't fear the block paving.
I was forced to re-pack/lay about a 2' square area where the skip lorry
sunk a leg making a big crater. Just back-filled with what was on hand
(dust to chippings in this case) re-layed the blocks and bedded them in
with a lump hammer and some blocks of wood. Easy to lift a block and
scoop a bit of back-filling out if you over fill.

Cheers - Pete

[Tim+]

I’m coming round to just lifting a line of blocks. It will make the cable
run considerably shorter.

Tim