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Warning: that old trick for fishing wire through insulation actually works
I was rewiring a 1950s house in Tacoma last week and hit a wall of packed cellulose in a finished ceiling. Couldn't get my fish tape more than two feet. My journeyman told me to try the old soap trick, which I always thought was a joke. I mixed a little dish soap with water in a spray bottle and misted the insulation along the path. The fish tape slid through like butter and saved me probably an hour of fighting it. Has anyone else got a weird old-school trick that actually saved your butt on a job?
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noah3873mo ago
That trick sounds like a messy shortcut that could cause problems later. Soap residue might attract dirt or mess with connections over time. Just seems smarter to do it the right way with proper tools.
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grant.richard3mo ago
Sometimes you just need the job done now, not perfect later. A tiny bit of soap rinsed off won't hurt anything if you're careful. Calling it the "right way" ignores that the right tool is often whatever actually works in the moment.
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