Fishing a large conduit made easier
Michael Novotny
Boeing Information Services Inc.
Problem
When feeding fish tape through conduit, you can run up against some unavoidable obstacles--a couple of 90o turns or previously installed cables--that make it difficult to push the fish tape through the entire length of conduit. The fish tape may get stuck on the second 90o turn, or it may become caught on the previously installed cables.
Solution
To feed the fish tape through the entire conduit successfully, fish the conduit from both ends using two cases of 50- or 100-foot fish tape and 12 cord (a strong, waxed-linen lacing string).
Procedure
1) Using the first case of fish tape, expose one end of the fish tape itself. Make several loops with the 12 cord. Then tape the bundle of loops to the end of the fish tape.
2) Take the end of the second case of fish tape, open it, and create a hooked end. The fish tape end should be bendable.
3) Set up technicians at each end of the conduit. One should have the hooked-end case of fish tape, and the other should have the case with the looped end. Begin fishing or snaking the conduit from both ends. The object is to get the hook to catch one of the loops.
4) Spin the hooked end to make it easier to grab one of the loops. Once accomplished, pull one end of the fish tape while the other end is fed through the conduit. It`s a success when the second case of fish tape emerges from the conduit. Now a pull wire can be attached to the fish tape that has been routed through the entire conduit to complete the cable-pulling job.
Bend the steel end of one of the reels of fish tape into a hooked shape (left). For the second reel, make a bundle of loops out of 12 cord, a type of strong, waxed-linen string, and tape the bundle to the fish tape (right).
The objective of feeding fish tape from both ends of the conduit is to get the hooked end to catch on one of the loops that is taped to the other fish tape. Once hooked, the fish tape can be pulled through the remainder of the conduit.
Michael Novotny is the telecommunications manager for Boeing Information Services Inc. (Brook Park, OH).
