mkgrady
Senior Member
- Location
- Massachusetts
I read in a post that fish sticks work well. I'm doing a fair amount of old work but I can't figure out why the sticks would be better than a short 1/8" snake. Are the sticks better?
fish sticks and glow sticks
- Thread starter mkgrady
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mdshunk
Senior Member
- Location
- Right here.
Re: fish sticks and glow sticks
I do about 90% old work, and I never use a fish tape. I find fish tapes are only of value in conduit. Yes, I use the fish sticks a lot when you have to fish dead straight. If you need a sturdy fish that you need to precurve to "aim" it inside the wall or ceiling, I use a piece of #6 or #4 bare solid copper. Each has their own use. I fish with three things amost exclusively... 1) string and weight, 2)fish sticks, 3)#6 solid copper
I do about 90% old work, and I never use a fish tape. I find fish tapes are only of value in conduit. Yes, I use the fish sticks a lot when you have to fish dead straight. If you need a sturdy fish that you need to precurve to "aim" it inside the wall or ceiling, I use a piece of #6 or #4 bare solid copper. Each has their own use. I fish with three things amost exclusively... 1) string and weight, 2)fish sticks, 3)#6 solid copper
highkvoltage
Senior Member
Re: fish sticks and glow sticks
I totally agree with the other posters. I will not go to a residential job with out them. You can fish anything with them. I also have several sets. To go from a basement to an attic takes a 10th of the time. Need to fish into an existing box a few minutes and your ready to pull wire.
I totally agree with the other posters. I will not go to a residential job with out them. You can fish anything with them. I also have several sets. To go from a basement to an attic takes a 10th of the time. Need to fish into an existing box a few minutes and your ready to pull wire.
hurk27
Senior Member
- Location
- Portage, Indiana NEC: 2008
Re: fish sticks and glow sticks
Count me in.
I have five sets and several of both heads arrow point for pushing though insulation and the hook for snagging. I also use the Greenlee De-versa Bits and kelms grips with the fishing snap leader hook up with both. I have a flashing led that can also screw on the end to find it quickly in a dark wall. Just tape that stupid bottom end cap on the storage tube!
[ July 07, 2005, 12:01 AM: Message edited by: hurk27 ]
Count me in.
I have five sets and several of both heads arrow point for pushing though insulation and the hook for snagging. I also use the Greenlee De-versa Bits and kelms grips with the fishing snap leader hook up with both. I have a flashing led that can also screw on the end to find it quickly in a dark wall. Just tape that stupid bottom end cap on the storage tube!
[ July 07, 2005, 12:01 AM: Message edited by: hurk27 ]
M
mkoloj
Guest
Re: fish sticks and glow sticks
http://www.mccartenco.com/products/wcpd/index-1785_1112.html
That is the kit I got, it consists of 20 6' sections. You can get smaller kits with less sections, but for me I have a couple of guys who are pretty rough on the tools so I stocked up on them. They have different thicknesses .159", 1\4" and 5\16" The smallest ones are a little harder to keep the tip up above things in the ceiling when you are working with more than 1 section, the 1\4" are the ones I prefer, and the thickest ones don't have the flexibility to pull out of tight spaces too easily. I definitely recommend the 1\4".
As I said I stocked up as I have a couple of tool assassins working with me and they have yet to damage one of these so I am happy with the durability.
Also when running thru existing conduits, cable trays or thru a J-hook path the basket attachment is the key to keeping my cables from interweaving with the existing cables. I am speaking from a tele\data standpoint and i'm sure some of my situations don't apply to the sparky's. I have used the greenlee versions and was not happy with them as they tend to splinter if not handled gently. I have also not had any of the threaded connectors snap as I did with the greenlee.
[ July 07, 2005, 08:45 AM: Message edited by: mkoloj ]
http://www.mccartenco.com/products/wcpd/index-1785_1112.html
That is the kit I got, it consists of 20 6' sections. You can get smaller kits with less sections, but for me I have a couple of guys who are pretty rough on the tools so I stocked up on them. They have different thicknesses .159", 1\4" and 5\16" The smallest ones are a little harder to keep the tip up above things in the ceiling when you are working with more than 1 section, the 1\4" are the ones I prefer, and the thickest ones don't have the flexibility to pull out of tight spaces too easily. I definitely recommend the 1\4".
As I said I stocked up as I have a couple of tool assassins working with me and they have yet to damage one of these so I am happy with the durability.
Also when running thru existing conduits, cable trays or thru a J-hook path the basket attachment is the key to keeping my cables from interweaving with the existing cables. I am speaking from a tele\data standpoint and i'm sure some of my situations don't apply to the sparky's. I have used the greenlee versions and was not happy with them as they tend to splinter if not handled gently. I have also not had any of the threaded connectors snap as I did with the greenlee.
[ July 07, 2005, 08:45 AM: Message edited by: mkoloj ]
mdshunk
Senior Member
- Location
- Right here.
Re: fish sticks and glow sticks
Jeeze... 20 sections? That's more like a duct rodder than fish sticks!
Jeeze... 20 sections? That's more like a duct rodder than fish sticks!
tx2step
Senior Member
- Location
- North Texas, DFW area
Re: fish sticks and glow sticks
Fish Sticks -- YUM!!!
You guys are making me hungry!
Fish Sticks -- YUM!!!
You guys are making me hungry!
mdshunk
Senior Member
- Location
- Right here.
Re: fish sticks and glow sticks
Indeed. I'm surprised that they don't make a fish stick accessory kit and call it "tartar sauce".
Indeed. I'm surprised that they don't make a fish stick accessory kit and call it "tartar sauce".
M
mkoloj
Guest
Re: fish sticks and glow sticks
I don't use 20 sections at once I just have back-ups when the guys destroy them, which they havn't yet. I workaround a lof of old school electrician's who aren't too familiar with them laugh when I whip out the fishing poles, but after they see them in action and I am down a 100' hallway in a few minutes they all of a sudden stop laughing and want to check them out and know where I got them. The accessory kit has come in handy more than once, one time that stands out is when we were installing fiber in an existing conduit between 2 buildings and the installing contractor left a pull string in the conduit between 2 boxes and a helper tripper over the string at one end and yanked it about 15-20' down the pipe and I could see it when I looked in but could not reach it, so I attached a zig-zag tip from my kit and reached into the pipe and snagged the string. If it wasn't for that tip I believe there would have been a good amount of profanity out of me towards that kid.
I don't use 20 sections at once I just have back-ups when the guys destroy them, which they havn't yet. I workaround a lof of old school electrician's who aren't too familiar with them laugh when I whip out the fishing poles, but after they see them in action and I am down a 100' hallway in a few minutes they all of a sudden stop laughing and want to check them out and know where I got them. The accessory kit has come in handy more than once, one time that stands out is when we were installing fiber in an existing conduit between 2 buildings and the installing contractor left a pull string in the conduit between 2 boxes and a helper tripper over the string at one end and yanked it about 15-20' down the pipe and I could see it when I looked in but could not reach it, so I attached a zig-zag tip from my kit and reached into the pipe and snagged the string. If it wasn't for that tip I believe there would have been a good amount of profanity out of me towards that kid.
petersonra
Senior Member
- Location
- Northern illinois
- Occupation
- engineer
Re: fish sticks and glow sticks
The cable TV guy had a set of these. Way cool.
I was thinking of getting a set to help me run Cat5 cable into another room, but never got around to it.
The cable TV guy had a set of these. Way cool.
I was thinking of getting a set to help me run Cat5 cable into another room, but never got around to it.
macmikeman
Senior Member
- Location
- Planet macmikeman
Re: fish sticks and glow sticks
Here is two really helpful tools. #1 is a little set called the "Wet Noodle" you can buy at ADI. It is just a chain for fish down, but also has a really useful flexible magnet stick that will bend around corners. I replaced the tiny chain with a more heavy duty one which works better for romex pulls. The magnet stick is great for retreiving the chain out thru little 5/8" holes drilled thru bottom of wall partitions. The other cool tool is the "Grabber", which I also purchased thru ADI. It is a telescoping extendo rod for fish/retreive.
Here is two really helpful tools. #1 is a little set called the "Wet Noodle" you can buy at ADI. It is just a chain for fish down, but also has a really useful flexible magnet stick that will bend around corners. I replaced the tiny chain with a more heavy duty one which works better for romex pulls. The magnet stick is great for retreiving the chain out thru little 5/8" holes drilled thru bottom of wall partitions. The other cool tool is the "Grabber", which I also purchased thru ADI. It is a telescoping extendo rod for fish/retreive.
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