String guns

[codeunderstanding]

What would work the best for fishing a wire throug a chase where the furnace ducts are? There is room off to the side where the trunck lines are for the furnace ducts. Ther is room on the bottom of the chase where you can get your shoulders up in there to shoot a string line of some sort from there to the open furnace room? I think a fish tape will get stuck on the framing of the chase. Are there any guns or some thing that works good for this type of fish in?

[electricalperson]

greenlee makes a cable caster. i have one and use it sometimes. only problem is you need perfect aim and it might get stuck on things. plus make sure you dont aim it at your helper or you might shoot his eye out. http://www.amazon.com/Greenlee-Caster-Handheld-Pulling-Device/dp/B0012NP2N4/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=hi&qid=1231193872&sr=8-1

[480sparky]

Greenlee makes a CableCaster (http://cableorganizer.com/greenlee/cablecaster/).

[steelersman]

What would work the best for fishing a wire throug a chase where the furnace ducts are? There is room off to the side where the trunck lines are for the furnace ducts. Ther is room on the bottom of the chase where you can get your shoulders up in there to shoot a string line of some sort from there to the open furnace room? I think a fish tape will get stuck on the framing of the chase. Are there any guns or some thing that works good for this type of fish in?
The best is the fiberglass fish sticks that you can screw together to make longer. Or if you can start from up top and fish down then the best thing would be a chain long enough to reach the bottom. Just drop it down. Don't forget to hold on to one end though. :)

[electricalperson]

ive heard of people using a remote control tank or truck with a string attached. they say it works pretty well

[Dennis Alwon]

I have used pieces of 1/2" PVC and add on when necessary.

[steelersman]

ive heard of people using a remote control tank or truck with a string attached. they say it works pretty well
I've heard of snake charmers, charming a very long snake up through a chase before. Then they have someone up top waiting for it who grabs it and ties on a piece of wire.

[480sparky]

If you're in a resi application, I've got a million dollars worth of good out of a set of LSD CreepZits (http://www.lsdinc.com/content/product_details/44). They go straight and won't curl up like a fishtape.

Greenlee & GB make similar sets now.

[wewirepgh]

Try using 1/2" pvc conduit it's flexible and you can put two pieces for together longer runs.

[steelersman]

If you're in a resi application, I've got a million dollars worth of good out of a set of LSD CreepZits (http://www.lsdinc.com/content/product_details/44). They go straight and won't curl up like a fishtape.

Greenlee & GB make similar sets now.
sounds like what I said a few posts above. :)

[electricalperson]

I've heard of snake charmers, charming a very long snake up through a chase before. Then they have someone up top waiting for it who grabs it and ties on a piece of wire.

i read a book called electricians trade secrets or something like that and they had a story of a guy putting a cat in the celing and tying a string to his collar and opening a can of catfood at the other end of the celing and the cat finds his way

i dont think that would work very well

[steelersman]

i read a book called electricians trade secrets or something like that and they had a story of a guy putting a cat in the celing and tying a string to his collar and opening a can of catfood at the other end of the celing and the cat finds his way

i dont think that would work very well
That's pretty damn funny if you ask me. I would actually consider that if I were ever fishing accross an attic, but usually you don't need to make holes in the ceiling when you have attic space.

[electricalperson]

That's pretty damn funny if you ask me. I would actually consider that if I were ever fishing accross an attic, but usually you don't need to make holes in the ceiling when you have attic space.

i actually dont believe the story in the book i find it hard to believe a cat would walk in a straight line. i wouldnt put my cats in drop celings they might get hurt.

[mattsilkwood]

i read a book called electricians trade secrets or something like that and they had a story of a guy putting a cat in the celing and tying a string to his collar and opening a can of catfood at the other end of the celing and the cat finds his way

i dont think that would work very welli think a bb gun would work faster than the cat food:D had a helper one time offer to bring in his bow, i diddnt figure that would be a good idea in a working office:D

i like the fiberglass sticks myself you can steer them by pulling one way or the other on your string of wire.

[codeunderstanding]

Greenlee makes a CableCaster (http://cableorganizer.com/greenlee/cablecaster/).

Do those cable casters have good muzzle velocity?

[electricalperson]

ive used fish sticks before and 1/2 inch pvc or whatever i had lying around to fish with. i like to use fish sticks more than an actual fish tape the cable caster is fun but it might be a little difficult unless your celing is clear. most of the celings in buildings have ducts,pipes and other things in the way

another guy i worked with had one of those big lead fishing weights he would tie a string too and throw it and that worked for him

[480sparky]

Try a length of #4 bare.

[alfiesauce]

A set of fish sticks is what you need.
They work well for running through spaces like that, you can whip them over obsticals and they'll keep a lot straighter line then a fish tape will.

[smo]

http://www.techtoolsupply.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=1951

This will do the trick just fine. But be sure that you will use it again to get your money's worth....

[LarryFine]

Hint: wrap a bit of white tape around the end of your fishtape, rod, pipe, cat, ferret, or whatever you use to make it easier to see.

http://www.techtoolsupply.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=1951Didn't I see that in a James Bond movie?

[bjp_ne_elec]

i read a book called electricians trade secrets or something like that and they had a story of a guy putting a cat in the celing and tying a string to his collar and opening a can of catfood at the other end of the celing and the cat finds his way

i dont think that would work very well

Sounds like an interesting book - do you have the Title and Author available?

[JohnJ0906]

Sounds like an interesting book - do you have the Title and Author available?


http://www.constructionbook.com/electricians-book-of-trade-secrets-dr-watts-0-9726296-5-3/electrical-reference-books/

Here you go.

[TwinCitySparky]

I think some misinterpet this thread as a poll without the tally area. Or very few people read entire threads...


No WAIT! I've got one! Have you ever seen those floppy fiberglass fish poles before?


:grin:

[electricguy61]

Ya know, I've used these flexible rods thingy's before. I think they call em fishin rods.

Those would probably work for ya.

Oh yeah, there are these things that look like fishing poles. I think they might work too,:grin:

[Fulthrotl]

greenlee makes a cable caster. i have one and use it sometimes. only problem is you need perfect aim and it might get stuck on things. plus make sure you dont aim it at your helper or you might shoot his eye out. http://www.amazon.com/Greenlee-Caster-Handheld-Pulling-Device/dp/B0012NP2N4/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=hi&qid=1231193872&sr=8-1

we used to make those from a wrist rocket and a cheap zebco reel.....:D

making power drops from the steel at trade shows, you'd shoot it out over
a crossmember, and use a string to pull the cable... the guys who were good
at it could get it thru a triangle opening in the steel 40' away, with a
couple tries.... i wasn't that good.... :-(

[220/221]

I have used 1/2" PVC with great success.

If you can angle a 10 foot stick up and thru the opening, just slip them together and tape the couplings.

I've gone up to 80 feet or so. Obviously, the better access you have, the longer you can push it. A slight curve up on the leading end helps.

[electricalperson]

we used to make those from a wrist rocket and a cheap zebco reel.....:D

making power drops from the steel at trade shows, you'd shoot it out over
a crossmember, and use a string to pull the cable... the guys who were good
at it could get it thru a triangle opening in the steel 40' away, with a
couple tries.... i wasn't that good.... :-(

that reel on the cable caster is a zebco :D. i sometimes have luck like that with it but usually i get about 15 feet or just push a stick of pvc or emt in the celing instead due to all the stuff in the celing. i wish those drop celings were all nice and neat but 99% of the time it looks like spaghetti and a huge mess

[barbeer]

http://www.techtoolsupply.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=1951

This will do the trick just fine. But be sure that you will use it again to get your money's worth....

Now that is awesome!
http://i100.photobucket.com/albums/m15/curtismelaniej/awesome.jpg

Finally a tool that does what it claims! At a price though.

[electricalperson]

Sounds like an interesting book - do you have the Title and Author available?

the book i read wasnt the dr watts one. its the same exact thing but it was just a white cover that said electrician's trade secrets. its a nice book and i liked it a lot but a lot of stuff might be obsolete. i dont know about the dr watts version it might be edited but its still a great book with tons of good information

[cschmid]

dude glow sticks..if this is a sideways and down there are several methods whats at your disposal to use..sling shot and a plumbob will work..then you get the idea..

[JohnJ0906]

the book i read wasnt the dr watts one. its the same exact thing but it was just a white cover that said electrician's trade secrets. its a nice book and i liked it a lot but a lot of stuff might be obsolete. i dont know about the dr watts version it might be edited but its still a great book with tons of good information

I think DR watts bought it out.
I have the white cover one myself.

[Fulthrotl]

Now that is awesome!
http://i100.photobucket.com/albums/m15/curtismelaniej/awesome.jpg

Finally a tool that does what it claims! At a price though.

it actually seems to work.......

http://video.aol.com/video-detail/laserline-pull-string-shooter/3323120292

[electricalperson]

it actually seems to work.......

http://video.aol.com/video-detail/laserline-pull-string-shooter/3323120292

i like how he calls it a weapon. looks like an awesome thing to use

[quogueelectric]

Fish sticks and I used to use a training crossbow untill I loaned it out to a few morons who almost blinded themselves with it. I used it to get across known asbestos areas of a ceiling.I used it for years and treated it as if it were a 357 mag.Moron would to borrow this and then would climb up a ladder and shoot it into a duct 4 feet away so the bolt would bounce back off the duct and hit him in the face. He would come down the ladder screamming MY EYE!!! MY EYE!!!!!!and holding his hand over his eye with blood running down his face. It only hit him in the face but this person should not procreate. He is stuck on stupid. I could hit a 4 sq box 100'away on a reg basis.

[e57]

I once crawled to the far side of a crawl-space - up/over/under/through a bunch of ducts to any area apprently seldom seen by humans since it was built. (About 100' back in a really shallow crawl - like 14", and the duct made it hardly possible) I had to do a Harry Houdini to get there - at one point I needed to exhale to get through. Once I got there - there was an arrow with a string tied to it stuck in the framing right under where I was going to drill up to install an outlet. The arrow had about ten feet of string tied to it, and was frayed at the end right about where some strapping for the duct was. My immediate thought was 'someone has tried this before' - there was no other wiring or cabling below where I was. No holes - no wire of any kind - maybe they gave up. Looked like it was there for 20 years from the dust...

During this time - the guy a was working for at the time was above going to cut into the rock for the outlet. He yelled down at me to come back - forget about it. I got back out - which took some doing, and found that when he cut into the wall there was a patch - where someone else had cut into the wall and it came out in one nice piece, and 1/4 behind that was solid stone from the exterior faux foundation. Real rock on the outside, made to look like a rock foundation. They set it inside the wall on the sill plate from the outside. Didn't see that coming... Sure you could get an outlet there with a diamond grinder and a chipping gun after several hours.

Anyway - point is make sure that you even can do what you want to do before you fish it.

And if you do - a little trick:
Use some fish sticks and put a bent coat anger on the end to make a little sled for the end - hepls to get by some things - and try the 'shake it' method. And for fishing 'down' a plumb bob.

[Fulthrotl]

Fish sticks and I used to use a training crossbow untill I loaned it out to a few morons who almost blinded themselves with it. I used it to get across known asbestos areas of a ceiling.I used it for years and treated it as if it were a 357 mag.Moron would to borrow this and then would climb up a ladder and shoot it into a duct 4 feet away so the bolt would bounce back off the duct and hit him in the face. He would come down the ladder screamming MY EYE!!! MY EYE!!!!!!and holding his hand over his eye with blood running down his face. It only hit him in the face but this person should not procreate. He is stuck on stupid. I could hit a 4 sq box 100'away on a reg basis.

crossbow? "perk":D:D:D

we don't need no steenking paintball gun.... we gotta crossbow....:D

just for curiosities sake... which was was he pointing it when he shot it..?
toward his face, or away from his face?

[Fulthrotl]

Now that is awesome!
http://i100.photobucket.com/albums/m15/curtismelaniej/awesome.jpg

Finally a tool that does what it claims! At a price though.

you really gotta be careful posting stuff like this... now i've got a strong
case of desire for one of these..... a bit of research found the companies
web site, and the fellow who developed it and markets it... he's a sparky
in Minnesota, and was just going out to do a service change when we
chatted....

i really don't need one... i don't needone.... idon'tneedone.... keep telling
myself that..... idontneedone......

[quogueelectric]

crossbow? "perk":D:D:D

we don't need no steenking paintball gun.... we gotta crossbow....:D

just for curiosities sake... which was was he pointing it when he shot it..?
toward his face, or away from his face?He was trying to aim over the duct but he shot low and the BOLT (term for crossbow little arrow) hit the duct and bounced straight back into his face. When I used to use it on a regular basis I could shoot 50' across a V in the bar joist into the sheetrock on the opposite side of an office. I would often have the helper go to the next acess hole shine a flashlight until I could get a bead then have him skedattle when I said fire in the hole. Pull my mc cable across with little to no disruption to the office people. Keep in mind that this was I think a barret training crossbow not the real mcoy. I got too much crap from coworkers so I eventually gave up on it. I would not hesitate to purchase another one though if I had a known or questionable asbestos area to limit my exposure. People are not intimidated by fishsticks or 1/2"pvc.

[cschmid]

OK now my curiosity is up so whats the price and I am from Mn and am curious..If you feel you can share the info PM me..

[electricalperson]

you really gotta be careful posting stuff like this... now i've got a strong
case of desire for one of these..... a bit of research found the companies
web site, and the fellow who developed it and markets it... he's a sparky
in Minnesota, and was just going out to do a service change when we
chatted....

i really don't need one... i don't needone.... idon'tneedone.... keep telling
myself that..... idontneedone......

buy one for me and ill tlel you if you need it or not :)

[Fulthrotl]

buy one for me and ill tlel you if you need it or not :)

or i could buy one for me and tell you if you need one or not..... hm. a
simple solution.... i'll flip a coin....... bummer, dood.... you lost... :roll:
guess i gotta buy one and let you know how it works out.... wonder if
it is any good for lassoing the possum that runs along my back fence....:wink:

[TwinCitySparky]

OK now my curiosity is up so whats the price and I am from Mn and am curious..If you feel you can share the info PM me..


Well, the list price shows $207.99

But then, wait -

Get it today for $219.00 !

:grin:

[G & G Electric]

The best fishing sticks you can buy are at the Blue Box. They ae actually chimny sweep rods. They are about 4 feet in length, have theaded ends, and are thicker than the fishing sticks that most electricians are familiar with. You can put 5 or 6 of these things together with hardly any bend. They're also cheap at less than $5 each (central Texas price)

[cschmid]

Well, the list price shows $207.99

But then, wait -

Get it today for $219.00 !

:grin:


Ebay you gotta love it..

Ahh now full fledged State Employee...:D

[220wire]

a magnet, a string, something metallic, chewing gum, and 6 yards of duct tape

[electricalperson]

did anybody ever use the wire python? its a piece of ball chain with a heavy magnet on it and you use a tool on the outside of the wall to pull it down to the hole. i have one and i like it but personally i think its just as easy to shove a snake down and catch it

[smo]

did anybody ever use the wire python? its a piece of ball chain with a heavy magnet on it and you use a tool on the outside of the wall to pull it down to the hole. i have one and i like it but personally i think its just as easy to shove a snake down and catch it

That works really well when dealing with insulated walls, especially blown-in insulation. The name I have heard it referred to is "Magna-Pul".

[76nemo]

ive heard of people using a remote control tank or truck with a string attached. they say it works pretty well


Now THAT, I have never heard of, and certainly couldn't of come up with that myself. Now that would be something to see on a jobsite:D

[76nemo]

Fish sticks and I used to use a training crossbow untill I loaned it out to a few morons who almost blinded themselves with it. I used it to get across known asbestos areas of a ceiling.I used it for years and treated it as if it were a 357 mag.Moron would to borrow this and then would climb up a ladder and shoot it into a duct 4 feet away so the bolt would bounce back off the duct and hit him in the face. He would come down the ladder screamming MY EYE!!! MY EYE!!!!!!and holding his hand over his eye with blood running down his face. It only hit him in the face but this person should not procreate. He is stuck on stupid. I could hit a 4 sq box 100'away on a reg basis.


OH MY, oh my, oh my. Hardest I have laughed in awhile. I am printing that one for the workboard, no doubt:grin:

Still laughing, that's just grand!!!!!!:D

[Fulthrotl]

He was trying to aim over the duct but he shot low and the BOLT (term for crossbow little arrow) hit the duct and bounced straight back into his face. When I used to use it on a regular basis I could shoot 50' across a V in the bar joist into the sheetrock on the opposite side of an office. I would often have the helper go to the next acess hole shine a flashlight until I could get a bead then have him skedattle when I said fire in the hole. Pull my mc cable across with little to no disruption to the office people. Keep in mind that this was I think a barret training crossbow not the real mcoy. I got too much crap from coworkers so I eventually gave up on it. I would not hesitate to purchase another one though if I had a known or questionable asbestos area to limit my exposure. People are not intimidated by fishsticks or 1/2"pvc.

s'funny.... i was talking to my neighbor today, who's a retired tin knocker.....
and he was talking about some electrician he saw once shooting string
with a crossbow.... i think you are famous, dude.
:D

[Fulthrotl]

or i could buy one for me and tell you if you need one or not..... hm. a
simple solution.... i'll flip a coin....... bummer, dood.... you lost... :roll:
guess i gotta buy one and let you know how it works out.... wonder if
it is any good for lassoing the possum that runs along my back fence....:wink:

it showed up today.... first impressions:

the thing is impeccably made. everything is CNC machined aluminum,
anodized. nice case, everything done right.

once it's zeroed to the laser beam, you can hit within 4 or 5 inches
at 60 feet.

it shoots a pretty flat trajectory.

with a full co2 cartridge, going for elevation in the front yard,
it went across the street, over a 40' tall tree in the neighbors front yard,
over their 2 story house, and into the backyard of the house on the
street behind us.

imagine a .50 caliber barrett crossbred with a dental floss
dispenser.... you get the idea.....

you don't need to use any more dynamite, butch. this'll do just fine.:D
greenlee, eat your cable casting heart out....... this things got stones.

the possum on the back fence will never know what hit him.

[cschmid]

it showed up today.... first impressions:

the thing is impeccably made. everything is CNC machined aluminum,
anodized. nice case, everything done right.

once it's zeroed to the laser beam, you can hit within 4 or 5 inches
at 60 feet.

it shoots a pretty flat trajectory.

with a full co2 cartridge, going for elevation in the front yard,
it went across the street, over a 40' tall tree in the neighbors front yard,
over their 2 story house, and into the backyard of the house on the
street behind us.

imagine a .50 caliber barrett crossbred with a dental floss
dispenser.... you get the idea.....

you don't need to use any more dynamite, butch. this'll do just fine.:D
greenlee, eat your cable casting heart out....... this things got stones.

the possum on the back fence will never know what hit him.


LMAO Can you get some footage of this event..Possum is going to educational classes now..