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Question about using a fish tape for a tricky drop in an old house | Cable Installers - Vivisector

Question about using a fish tape for a tricky drop in an old house

I was working on a job in a 1920s bungalow in Portland last month, trying to get a line down from the attic to a first floor outlet. The wall was full of old plaster and blocking I didn't expect. My helper said, 'Just push harder, it'll go.' I tried that for ten minutes and got nowhere. Then I remembered a tip from a guy at a supply house years ago about bending the very end of the tape into a small, tight hook. I did that, gave it a little twist as I pushed, and it slid right past the blockage. That small change saved me probably an hour of frustration and a potential wall repair. It made me realize that sometimes the old tricks are the best ones, even with all the new tools we have. What's your go-to method for dealing with stubborn old walls?

4 comments

4 Comments

the_blake5mo ago

Man, the "just push harder" advice is a classic. My own personal record for stubbornness was trying to force a tape past a fire block for a solid half hour, sweating and cussing. Finally pulled it back and the end was bent into a perfect little pretzel. Looked like modern art. That hook trick is a lifesaver. Sometimes you just have to outsmart the house instead of trying to beat it.

morganmartinez2mo ago

Just push harder" is like the universal answer for everything until you snap something in half and have to start over. I dunno man, at that point I'm just throwing tools in the truck and calling it a day.

carr.abby5mo ago

Actually, that's a fire stop, not a fire block. They're meant to be a total pain to get through. Forcing it just wrecks your tape and doesn't work. You gotta poke a small hole through the putty stuff first, then feed the line.

singh.harper5mo ago

I mean, it's like the house is actively fighting back sometimes.