New Fishing tool beats fishtape in walls

[charlie tuna]

about 15 years ago we came across a 1/4 inch ---not 1/8 inch but 1/4 inch fish tape the phone company left behind in a pvc underground raceway. my working partner cut 30 feet of it and taped the one end and bent a tight hook in the other. that was the end of our fishing in the wall problems and data cabling across ceilings. we did alot of remodel office work and were constantly using it weather we were working power or data. rolls up in a three foot circle and stores between the van's roof supports. when there is insulation in the wall we use the cut-off and taped end and it goes down thru the insulation. try it - you'll like it!!!

 

[tonyi]

If you can come across one, old full height 5 1/4" hard disk drives usually have some very powerful magnets on the mechanism that positions the heads. Even newer drives have very powerful magnets in them.

I was using one of these magnets on a string to find buried metal boxes that the sheetrockers had covered over. Even a small one will react to steel through 5/8 rock.

 

[hs545]

Other sources of powerfull magnets are audio speakers and Microwave ovens. The Magnetron usually has two large magnets, don't forget to discharge the cap first!

 

[wireman3736]

I try to keep a little of every thing on the truck, fish tape, rods, steel ball chain and a small powerfull magnet that extends 18" and that will fit up a 3/4" hole, it swivels on the end, What ever it takes, if none of these work a cordless sawzall.