Romex tools etc.

[laketime]

Who looks in the box?

 

[K8MHZ]

My 'tree' is the best Romex tool I own.

Sorry, no pic, but it is basically a base with a vertical 2 x 4 with a spinning clamp at the top. A coil of cable gets set on the base with the vertical through the center. The clamp is hung either from a ceiling joist or a ladder or two. Pulling the wire off is easy as the base is free to spin with the pull. I actually have three of these somewhere. I was taught how to make them when I was a second or third year apprentice.

 

[mivey]

My 'tree' is the best Romex tool I own.

Sorry, no pic,...

Well go take one so we can see it.

 

[tkb]

I like the Carlon wire dispenser.
http://www.carlon.com/Master%20Catalog/Wire_Handling_Products_Brochure.pdf

See page 3 for the WK7203

I got mine for about $50 from the supply house.

 

[VoltageHz]

It's on Amazon.com for $46 plus $13 shipping. $60 is a good price for something like that which will save you a lot of time and energy. Thanks for the heads up!

 

[mivey]

I like the Carlon wire dispenser.
http://www.carlon.com/Master Catalog/Wire_Handling_Products_Brochure.pdf

See page 3 for the WK7203

I got mine for about $50 from the supply house.

I've never used a rack for small romex. When using a small coil, I always grab the #coils I estimate I need, then walk out the curl and start pulling. I can see it would be handy if you could make a non-stop pull, but I invariably wind up having to go around something to keep from getting snagged. If there were oodles of runs taking the same path, I suppose you could nail in some boards to help feed the cable (works great near the panel) but I'm not sure it would save much over pulling from multiple coils.

 

[tkb]

I have used the Carlon wire dispenser for 10-3 MC and pulled it from the center of the coil with the dispenser on the floor and pulling up through a ceiling. No problem.

I never used the stud bracket. The floor bracket works for me on everything.

 

[peter d]

that sounds like a pain in the knuckles

No, not really.

 

[Karl H]

Which work great on UF, by the way.

Seriously? I may just get one of those strippers for the rare occasion I have
to use UF cable. I can't stand that stuff.

 

[mjf]

don't waste time or $$

don't waste time or $$

If you're going to be working in romex, just buy 1000' spools. They make um so that they fit between 2 studs for a reason. 2 nails and a piece of pipe and you're in business.

 

[220/221]

Always strip wire before you put it into the box

That's how I learned and still do it. Some time in the early 80's, production workers started stripping the sheath inside the box. I can see how it may be faster but never liked blindly sticking my razor knife in there, especially with 3 wire.

I never used the stud bracket. The floor bracket works for me on everything.

We have a couple of stud hanging spool thingys that get used occaisionally.

If you are roping a bunch of houses, the drill extension may be a good investment for the top plates. We never used them in the olden days though. 8' ceilings were the norm and @ 6' 1" I am just tall enough to drill the top plates with an angle drill.

If you're going to be working in romex, just buy 1000' spools.

Probably the best advice so far.

 

[danickstr]

the great thing about advice is that you don't have to follow it, unless it comes from the guy whose name is at the bottom of your check. Something about a cat and its skin comes to mind.

 

[mivey]

That's how I learned and still do it. Some time in the early 80's, production workers started stripping the sheath inside the box. I can see how it may be faster but never liked blindly sticking my razor knife in there, especially with 3 wire.

It's not so much about blindly sticking your knife in the box. Just get it started and zip the romex apart. You still have to trim the shield & filler though.

Seems faster to me to strip before putting in the box.

 

[LarryFine]

Which work great on UF, by the way.

Seriously?

Seriously. Just place the cable and squeeze, relax very slightly, and push on the stripper with the thumb of the hand holding the cable.

You do need to keep the body perpendicular to the cable. If you tilt it with a sharp stripper, it may nick the conductor insulation a bit.

 

[LarryFine]

If you're going to be working in romex, just buy 1000' spools.

I would if they'd sell it for appreciably less per foot. Otherwise, it's not worth carrying it around. Using up remnants isn't difficult.

Added: I do try to run the longest section out of a new roll first. I'd rather end up with a 50' scrap piece than two 25' pieces. I've even run a pair of runs using both ends of the same single coil to end up with one piece instead of two.

 

[480sparky]

I would if they'd sell it for appreciably less per foot. Otherwise, it's not worth carrying it around. ..........

Then don't carry them around. I back up the the garage, and set them up right on the slab.

Without coiling up like 250' rolls, I can pull it clear across the house to the other end without snagging it on anything, so I'm not carrying 3 spools all over the house.... they all stay out in the garage.

 

[LarryFine]

Seems faster to me to strip before putting in the box.

Absolutely agree. I also "reverse" wire, feeding toward the box I'm maling up instead of away from it. I can rope a receptacle circuit and end up with only the shortened EGC wires as scrap.

 

[jeremysterling]

...I would be ashamed to lasso wire around my head.

No shame in my game. Like the others said, for short runs of MC (and I suppose NM), this unwinding trick works pretty good.

 

[LarryFine]

Then don't carry them around. I back up the the garage, and set them up right on the slab.

Without coiling up like 250' rolls, I can pull it clear across the house to the other end without snagging it on anything, so I'm not carrying 3 spools all over the house.... they all stay out in the garage.

Hmm. On the next big house, I'll consider it. I don't have the room or weight capacity in the van to carry around six 100' spools.

Added: You still gotta lug them around and into and out of the van.

 

[LarryFine]

No shame in my game. Like the others said, for short runs of MC (and I suppose NM), this unwinding trick works pretty good.

I do that, too. I pull out about what I think I'll need, and unwind it from there back toward the end, spinning it, not overhead, but out to the side, like the rodeo cowboy who jumps in and out of the spinning lariat.

It's a little less violent.