Changed my mind about using a certain wire pulling lubricant

A foreman on a job in Tacoma last month watched me struggle with a long pull and said, 'That stuff you're using turns to glue when it gets cold.' He handed me a different brand, and the next 30 feet went in smooth. I've switched for every outdoor job since. Anyone have a favorite lube for conduit runs in freezing weather?

3 comments

Log in to join the discussion

Log In

3 Comments

paulperry6mo ago

Sounds like that foreman saved your bacon.

3

faithk926mo ago

Yeah he really did. I mean, I've been in a spot like that before where a more experienced guy caught a mistake I was about to make. It wasn't even something I saw coming, just a small detail in the plan that would've caused a huge problem later. Having someone who's been around and is willing to speak up is everything. It saved a ton of rework and honestly taught me to double check that specific thing from then on.

7

daniel_martinez845mo ago

That foreman definitely saved his whole team a lot of headaches. I had a similar thing happen on a job where I was running conduit and an old timer just gave me a look and pointed at a joist I was about to drill through. Turns out there was a gas line running right above it that I completely missed in the prints. He didn't even have to say a word, just that look was enough to make me stop and check. I would have been in a world of trouble if I'd gone through that joist, probably a gas leak and a huge mess to fix. It's wild how much you can learn from just watching someone who's been doing it for twenty years. Never hurts to have that second set of eyes looking out for you.

1