Appreciation post: My fish tape snapped inside a wall in Phoenix last month

I was pulling a new line through a tight chase in an old house. The tape got stuck on a nail, and when I gave it a hard tug, it broke clean off about 15 feet in. I had to cut a small access hole in the drywall to fish out the broken end and finish the run with a fresh tape. What's your go-to move when a fish tape breaks on a job?

2 comments

2 Comments

william_miller1mo ago

Cutting drywall is a rookie move. I just grab the broken end with a magnet on a string.

william_miller1mo ago

Yeah, the magnet trick is a classic. I saw a video where a guy used a really strong neodymium magnet tied to some fishing line. He just dropped it down the wall and it latched onto the screw head like nothing. Way faster than making a mess with a saw.