I finally got the hang of pulling wire through a tight 90 after a guy in Charlotte set me straight

He told me I was using way too much lube on the fish tape, which just made a mess and didn't help the pull. He said to just put a thin coat on the first 3 feet of the tape and on the wire head, then go slow and steady. I tried it yesterday on a job in a 1950s house and it went through like butter on the first try. Anyone else have a simple trick that saved you a ton of time on a basic task?

3 comments

3 Comments

robertb701mo ago

That's a solid tip from your guy in Charlotte, and @gonzalez.rowan is right about the mess! One thing I'd add is to make sure that thin coat of lube on the fish tape is really worked in with a rag. Just wiping it on can leave little globs that catch on the box edge. Taking that extra ten seconds to buff it smooth makes a huge difference.

holly_brown15d ago

Yeah, that buffing step @robertb70 mentioned is the real trick. It's the difference between the tape gliding through and it hanging up right at the last second. A smooth pull saves way more time than you spend rubbing it down.

gonzalez.rowan1mo ago

Man, I learned that lesson the hard way too. I used to think more lube was always better, ended up with a sticky mess that looked like a glitter bomb went off in the ceiling. My old foreman took one look and just shook his head. That slow and steady tip is everything, turns a fight into a smooth pull every time.