Showerthought: The old-timer who taught me about fish tape tension

Met this guy Frank on a job in Austin last summer, been doing cable for 35 years. He showed me how to feel the tension in the fish tape by touch alone, not by eye. Said if you're pulling too hard you'll snap the tape or damage the wall, and the real trick is a steady 2-pound pull. Has anyone else had a mentor drop a simple tip that totally changed how you work?

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lunaw7214d ago

The funny thing about Frank's trick is it actually works for all kinds of pulling, not just fish tape. I learned that same steady pressure thing from an old electrician who used it on wire pulling with a winch. He said most people yank like they're starting a lawnmower and that's how you get the cable all scratched up inside the conduit. A calm, even hand beats brute force every time, even when you're in a hurry.