This isn't conduit. Calling it such is confusing.
While it sounds like if you are planning to run NM cable in such an enclosed area it would be legal, but the conditions is WHY?

1. staple the nm cable in the corner of the ceiling to wall
2. make your drops down the wall where you need to
3. cover the cable with crown

I don't see any reason to over engineer anything more than that.

Ronnatalie, Thanks for the comment.

Just found a discussion about my issue. Ten years old, but interesting.
See discussion in link below.

Here is a link that might be useful: A discussion about this

This post was edited by bugbite on Thu, Jul 11, 13 at 11:03

Btharmy, Thanks!
I am an Engineer. But I have never been accused of over engineering. Maybe it's retirement. :-)

This post was edited by bugbite on Wed, Jul 10, 13 at 22:22

WHY are you over-thikning this. You say an electrician is doing the work? Let him do it.

Petey.

He will do the wiring.

I will do ALL the sheetrock work.

I got my answer, which is "yes". So I withdrawn the question.

Thanks all.

This post was edited by bugbite on Wed, Jul 10, 13 at 22:28

Going in an editing all your posts hours after just because you got a reply you liked is extremely poor forum etiquette.
WHY would you bother doing that??

IMO this thread should not only be locked it should be removed completely.

In electrical work, conduit has a defined meaning. Your use is not IT.

What you have here is a non-listed non-metalic wire way. It has no status as far as an electrical raceway. It's just a piece of the building. You can use other listed wiring methods within it (i.e., NM cable). Given the size of the wood, you'd not have to worry about physical damage (300.4 tells you what you have to do to enclose wiring in wood structural members).

However, what you are proposing is a lot of work for little benefit. You can pull NM behind the crown or just put it in the wall (I'm not sure why you don't want people drilling through your top plate). You can't use conductors not approved to be run by themselves. This wood box is not any sort of legal conduit or raceway.

Petey, You are right; remove it. I certainly support that.

Wish I just asked which code covers : "Protection Against Physical Damage." Didn't know what to ask when I wrote the question.

Thanks ronnatalie . This info is very helpful:
" Given the size of the wood, you'd not have to worry about physical damage (300.4 tells you what you have to do to enclose wiring in wood structural members)."

"You can't use conductors not approved to be run by themselves. This wood box is not any sort of legal conduit or raceway."

Regarding: "I'm not sure why you don't want people drilling through your top plate".
I could care less if they drill through the top plate. They will do that all over in the 14 other rooms in this big house. The 2 rooms I am discussing alternatives for here (one bath and one bedroom) are VERY difficult to access from above. I am having to cut large holes into a textured ceiling just to get the wire into each room.

The challenge is how to get the wire all the way around these two rooms without having to do major sheetrock repair all the way around these rooms.

Sure would be sweet if they could come in through the top plates like the rest of the rooms.

Here is a link that might be useful: 300.4

This post was edited by bugbite on Thu, Jul 11, 13 at 9:54

The big issue is you either have some incredibly large rooms or your oversizing crown molding if you intend to use a 3 1/2 channel behind it.

See link for an example of a crown that could support this channel see " Holmdel Traditional Smooth Crown Moulding" Right side. Of course it would demand a transitional piece at the bottom for a total height of about 5". I will not use this but will build something with a similar profile to adapt to the 3 1/2" high core.

My favorite woodworking thing is building crown. So no worries.

Thanks for all your help.

I think this question has been exhausted so I will not revisit this post. Thanks Again.

Here is a link that might be useful: Holmdel Traditional Smooth Crown Moulding

The issue is that if he is trying to cover up a 3.5" box behind the crown, it's going to take a 10" measured on the backside) piece of crown to do it.

That's going to dwarf most people's room scale.