I have two 6/3NM cables coming from the attached garage ceiling into a subpanel mounted low inside an exterior wall. One of the studs is occupied by A/C pipes so I'm hoping there's a way to get both cables stapled to the other stud which is along a door frame (so I can't drill thru either stud to get to another cavity.) If I can just get those first 2 staples on these cables I can branch one into the next cavity above the door, but how can I staple 2 of them to a single 2x4 without violating the 1-1/4" setback distance? Is there some way to stack 6/3NM? Can I "stack" them myself by stapling one to the stud and then nail a scrap of notched lumber over it to staple the other one to? It's a tight space with the A/C pipes and a 3-gang outlet box so trying to mount a full span fireblock stud in there would be difficult and still wouldn't offer enough room to staple both cables to within the 12" requirement. Cables are currently in loose flex conduit and I'm wanting to get them to California code, permit, and cover with drywall.
edit: It seems that every possible path I can take with these cables involves them crossing each other and/or some the various 12/2 cables in the wall. Can a 6/3 NM cross anything inside a 2x4 wall without violating the 1-1/4" setback rule? In particular I'd want a 6/3 to penetrate horizontally thru the same stud that another 6/3 is stapled vertically to. I could add some slack to the vertical run so they cross further from the stud, but they would still amount to a 1.5" thick mass of wire at the crossing point.
Thanks for any advice!
