This old timer in Phoenix showed me a trick with a zip tie that I still use

I was working a commercial retrofit about three years ago, pulling new MC cable through some tight ceiling grid. I was struggling to fish a line past a fire damper, getting pretty frustrated. This retired electrician, Frank, who was just helping the GC that day, walks over and doesn't say a word. He takes a zip tie off his belt, threads it through the end of my fish tape, and cinches it tight so the plastic head acts like a little guide. He just said, 'The plastic slides right past the metal. Don't fight it, guide it.' It worked perfectly on the first try after that. I must have used that trick a hundred times since on drop ceilings. Anyone else have a simple little hack like that from a more experienced hand?

3 comments

3 Comments

the_mia1mo ago

Ever think zip ties were just for bundling wires? That trick completely changed how I fish lines now.

hall.nina29d agoTop Commenter

Know that feeling well, it's like a little light bulb goes off. I used zip ties to fix a wobbly chair leg once and felt like a genius. The simple fixes are always the most satisfying.

robin_roberts841mo ago

Totally! It's wild how often the best tool for a job is something we already own. I keep finding new uses for binder clips and old toothbrushes around the house. Makes you wonder what other simple things we're all overlooking, right?