Long underground pipe pulls

[zcanyonboltz]

We pulled in some underground today about a 250 yard underground pull. I was wondering how they used to get the wire through the pipe before shop vacs and pull string were invented? Push a fish tape that far? Also what'd they do before tuggers?

 

[Ponchik]

Compressed air and a string to pull the rope in.

Used a fork lift, vehicle or a hand winch pull the wire in.

 

[LEO2854]

We pulled in some underground today about a 250 yard underground pull. I was wondering how they used to get the wire through the pipe before shop vacs and pull string were invented? Push a fish tape that far? Also what'd they do before tuggers?

Before tuggers there were trucks. before trucks there were horses .

Before cordless drills we used a scratch all and a screwdriver with flat head screws..

The scratch all would be used to punch the hole so you could thread the screws in by hand.

 

[Sierrasparky]

Before tuggers there were trucks. before trucks there were horses .

Before cordless drills we used a scratch all and a screwdriver with flat head screws..

The scratch all would be used to punch the hole so you could thread the screws in by hand.

Scratch Awl-- I remember using one that way. Boy am I an old fart.

 

[electricalist]

Before tuggers there were trucks. before trucks there were horses .

Before cordless drills we used a scratch all and a screwdriver with flat head screws..

The scratch all would be used to punch the hole so you could thread the screws in by hand.

So you 're responsible for flat head screws.
You made me laugh.
You made me cry.
You made me shake my flat head screw driver at the sky. WHY,WHY,WHY.

 

[Sierrasparky]

So you 're responsible for flat head screws.
You made me laugh.
You made me cry.
You made me shake my flat head screw driver at the sky. WHY,WHY,WHY.

You ever wonder how we got those flathead screws in?????



Yankee screwdriver. !:thumbsup:

 

[electricalist]

I figured a hammer. Since they never wanna come out

 

[Rampage_Rick]

We pulled in some underground today about a 250 yard underground pull. I was wondering how they used to get the wire through the pipe before shop vacs and pull string were invented?

Ferrets. Not kidding. They'd tie a string to the ferret and lure it to the far end of the pipe (a dead rabbit was one type of bait) They also used to use ferrets at the Boeing plant to run wires through the wings. Sometimes they'd decide to take a nap and you'd have to bang along the wing to wake them up. I've heard firsthand about the ferrets used up the '60s to pull strings in BCTel conduits.

http://www.geniusstuff.com/blog/business-ferrets/

 

[ptonsparky]

Put the wire in as you glue the conduit.

CO2 and a string line was my favorite. You knew the conduit was empty after a shot of that.

 

[electricalist]

Put the wire in as you glue the conduit.

CO2 and a string line was my favorite. You knew the conduit was empty after a shot of that.

Watching lizards fly.

 

[ptonsparky]

Watching lizards fly.

As a side note we learned to put on a 90 or some other means of deflection, after having to scrub down a building wall just one time.

Then there was that incident of a hole in a door...

 

[Frank DuVal]

Trucks. One of my first supervisory positions was to oversee the electricians at a wastewater plant. I questioned why the 1972 Chevrolet 6 cylinder trucks kept needing clutches. These trucks had less than 30 K miles on them at the time. Well, they used the trucks to pull wire in underground conduits. I convinced the head people a tugger was a lot cheaper than clutch replacements!:happyyes:

Frank DuVal

 

[GoldDigger]

Trucks. One of my first supervisory positions was to oversee the electricians at a wastewater plant. I questioned why the 1972 Chevrolet 6 cylinder trucks kept needing clutches. These trucks had less than 30 K miles on them at the time. Well, they used the trucks to pull wire in underground conduits. I convinced the head people a tugger was a lot cheaper than clutch replacements!:happyyes:

Frank DuVal

There is something to be said for an automatic transmission if you are going to pull either a trailer or wires with your pickup. But you do not have the fine sense of tension control that a clutch would give you.

WARNING: The inertia of the massive truck once you get it moving can lead to an uncontrolled increase in tension if the wire jams at any point.
A tugger has low inertia and so can set an absolute tension limit.

 

[ActionDave]

There is something to be said for an automatic transmission if you are going to pull either a trailer or wires with your pickup. But you do not have the fine sense of tension control that a clutch would give you.

WARNING: The inertia of the massive truck once you get it moving can lead to an uncontrolled increase in tension if the wire jams at any point.
A tugger has low inertia and so can set an absolute tension limit.

Ughhhh! You bring up a painful memory that I had almost forgotten involving a wire pull, a truck, and a bunch of conduit pulled off a brick wall.....

It seemed like a good idea at the time.

 

[iwire]

I was wondering how they used to get the wire through the pipe before shop vacs and pull string were invented?

I doubt there were electrical conduits before string was invented.

Household electric vacuums where on the scene in 1900.

Also what'd they do before tuggers?

Steam powered winches where around by 1880 and I am sure they went electric as soon as it was practical.

 

[GoldDigger]

Steam powered winches where around by 1880 and I am sure they went electric as soon as it was practical.

Horses and mules, as well as teams of workers were in existence before the steam winch, but I also doubt that a lot of electrical work was done in conduit back then. :angel:

 

[iwire]

Horses and mules, as well as teams of workers were in existence before the steam winch, but I also doubt that a lot of electrical work was done in conduit back then. :angel:

:thumbsup:

Exactly, humans have found ways to pull things for a long time.

 

[stevenje]

Ferrets. Not kidding. They'd tie a string to the ferret and lure it to the far end of the pipe (a dead rabbit was one type of bait) They also used to use ferrets at the Boeing plant to run wires through the wings. Sometimes they'd decide to take a nap and you'd have to bang along the wing to wake them up. I've heard firsthand about the ferrets used up the '60s to pull strings in BCTel conduits.

http://www.geniusstuff.com/blog/business-ferrets/

I can just see it now....A ferret with a small hard hat, an orange safety vest and of course a pair of approved safety glasses. Steel toed boots not required.

 

[zcanyonboltz]

I doubt there were electrical conduits before string was invented.

Wow pretty interesting stuff here! I just meant how'd they get the string through the conduit.

 

[iwire]

Wow pretty interesting stuff here! I just meant how'd they get the string through the conduit.

They must have been magic.