OCTOBER NEWSLETTER TIP OF THE MONTH – BALL-CHAIN

This "TIP" will cover a bunch of stuff about using and abusing ball-chain. Every time I give a retrofit class, I'm a little amazed by how many in the class have never used the stuff. If you're one of those unfortunate who haven't, let me get you up to speed. Ball-chain is one of the most useful retrofit "tools" you can have. I guess I wouldn't roll the truck without it.

Intro to Ball-chain

Ball-chain is this wonderful stuff used on lamp pull-chains, overhead fans, etc.

On the retrofit job, ball-chain is typically used down an uninsulated wall cavity to retrieve a pull cord or cable. You drop it down a hole drilled in a top plate to the attic and it will fall and pile up in the bottom of the wall cavity. It's advantage over just dropping down a cable is that it "flows" and won't get hung up on nails, pipes, or other obstructions in the wall, and it is easier to retrieve out of the wall than say a fiberglass rod since it is so flexible. It is usually retrieved by using a "magnetic retriever"; a short flexible, bendable rod (actually a 10 AWG aluminum wire with a plastic coating) with a small magnet on the end. But it can be retrieved with almost anything.

Ball-chain Rocks

The ball-chain's big advantage is that it can "flow" almost like a liquid down multiple obstructions without getting hung up. For example, if there is a cross-brace in the wall that you drilled a hole in from below (usually in the back corner), and a hole in the top plate that you drilled down from above, they seldom line up. No problem, just drop the ball-chain down from above. It will pile up on the cross brace. As you drop down more chain, it will tend to spread out. If you wiggle the chain as you drop it, it will spread out more. If any part of the chain "finds" the hole in the cross brace, it will start to fall through the hole, taking the rest of the chain with it. You'll be able to feel it when this happens. Takes a little practice, but not much.

Watch the video: Ball_chain_1.mov

Roll Your Own

You can purchase ball-chain in 12+ foot lengths as a kit with the magnetic retriever from BES Manufacturing or Labor Saving Devices. Problem is, if your like me, I tend to loose it down a wall or get it hopelessly tangled up. I forgot to mention that one of the frustrations of ball-chain is that it gets maddingly tangled up in the bottom of the tool box. Anyway, you can buy a replacement at one of the good hardware stores. Not the big box depots. Try Ace hardware or True Value. It is sold on spools by the foot and it comes in different diameters (more about that shortly). When you go to the hardware store, TAKE A MAGNET. Don't make the mistake I made. I purchased 20', took it back to the job site, dropped it down two walls between floors, and could not retrieve it. You may have guessed the problem, I purchased stainless steel ball-chain. Looks great but it is not magnetable. Don't buy brass, plastic, etc. You have to get the nickel plated steel. You will also need a 1.5" or larger ring (keychain ring) and chain ring adaptor to put on one end. This keeps it from falling down the hole when you let go.

Size Matters

Ball-chain comes in several different diameters. Larger diameter is stronger, but is difficult to retrieve through holes. Smaller diameter is not as strong, but can retrieved with a magnetic tip through a 1/2" hole with no problem. Try both. My two favorite sizes are the 1/8" diameter (0.125) and the 0.095" diameter.

Check out Ball_chain_2.mov This shows trying to retrieve the 1/8" chain sideways through a 1/2" hole. Ball_chain_3.mov shows retrieving the .095 chain through a 1/2" hole.

I don't recommend using ball-chain as pull cord. It breaks too easily. Attach a pull cord to the chain, pull that back up, then attach your cable to the pull cord.

Measure Twice, Retrieve Once

When you need to retrieve the chain from a hole that's fairly high up on a wall or through a stud from one stud cavity to another, or, say from a window sensor sideways into the stud bay to the right or left of the window, measure and only drop down the amount of chain you need plus a little. If you just drop down the full 12 or more feet, and it piles up at the bottom of the cavity, you won't be able to retrieve it through the hole. The problem is the weight of the chain is working against you and it will keep falling off the magnetic retriever.

More Ball-Chain TIPS

• Another cool trick Bill Bergman of BES showed me: You can easily and quickly retrieve a wad of ball-chain at the bottom of a wall cavity with a LARGE magnet. Just put the magnet against the bottom of the wall and drag the magnet up to your opening. It will drag the chain with it. This only works on smooth surfaces like sheetrock.

• To keep ball-chain from getting tangled up, wind it up on a spool or dowel or anything else that will keep it from ending up in a pile.

• You CAN use ball-chain in an insulated wall. Just attach a short segment (3 or 4 feet) on the end of a push-rod. Push it up or down the wall on the same side of the insulation as the hole you want to feed it through. You can retrieve it with a magnetic retriever if the retriever is on the same side of the insulation. Then use the chain to retrieve the rod. Our Residential Retrofit Installation video course has examples of this as well as many other ball-chain examples.

If you have any more tips you'd like to pass along, just drop me an e-mail at grayson@trainingdept.com and I'll add them to this list!