A foreman in Denver called me out on my wire pulling method last year

I was pulling 4/0 aluminum for a feeder, doing my usual thing of just lubing the cable and pulling hard. This older foreman, guy named Ray, watched for a minute and said, 'You're fighting it. You're gonna burn up your fish tape and stretch the jacket.' He told me to stop and showed me how to set a proper backfeed at the box. He said the trick is to keep the cable in a big, smooth loop as it comes off the spool, not let it kink. I argued that it took too long, but he made me try it. The pull went smooth as butter, no heat on the rope. I've done it his way ever since. Anyone else have a trick for pulling heavy feeders that saved you time or cable?

2 comments

2 Comments

daniel_martinez841mo ago

Ever have someone show you a trick that just makes you feel dumb for not seeing it before? I had a guy teach me to use a cheap roller skate wheel as a corner guide for a tight pull, and it changed everything. Honestly felt like a genius move after fighting those angles for years.

leor371mo ago

Wait a roller skate wheel. That's the part that got me. I spent like 200 bucks on a fancy conduit bender guide last year. You're telling me a five dollar skate wheel from a thrift store does the same job. I need to sit down for a minute. That's the kind of simple fix you kick yourself over.