I'm wiring in a rotary phase converter and am almost finished. But I
don't want to run a separate piece of conduit to the subpanel. I only
have to pull a single 6 ga. neutral wire through the existing conduit
and it isn't that long, maybe 5', but it's metal flex and I'm having a
heck of a time (read: It ain't happenin') doing it because of the 90
deg. angle and the other wires in there. There's plenty of room but
just not making it. Tried to thread a piece of 12 ga. solid conductor
through first to use it to attach to the 6 ga. and pull it on through
but I can't even get the 12 ga. through. I'm trying not to go buy a
fish wire just for this one job. Any suggestions?

On Sun, 6 Jan 2008 12:58:00 -0800 (PST), El Cazador
wrote:

I'm wiring in a rotary phase converter and am almost finished. But I
don't want to run a separate piece of conduit to the subpanel. I only
have to pull a single 6 ga. neutral wire through the existing conduit
and it isn't that long, maybe 5', but it's metal flex and I'm having a
heck of a time (read: It ain't happenin') doing it because of the 90
deg. angle and the other wires in there. There's plenty of room but
just not making it. Tried to thread a piece of 12 ga. solid conductor
through first to use it to attach to the 6 ga. and pull it on through
but I can't even get the 12 ga. through. I'm trying not to go buy a
fish wire just for this one job. Any suggestions?

Try blowing a chalkline thru the conduit with compressed air. If it
makes it, then you can use it to pull (rather than push) your wire.

"El Cazador" wrote in message
...
I'm wiring in a rotary phase converter and am almost
finished. But I
don't want to run a separate piece of conduit to the
subpanel. I only
have to pull a single 6 ga. neutral wire through the
existing conduit
and it isn't that long, maybe 5', but it's metal flex and
I'm having a
heck of a time (read: It ain't happenin') doing it because
of the 90
deg. angle and the other wires in there. There's plenty of
room but
just not making it. Tried to thread a piece of 12 ga.
solid conductor
through first to use it to attach to the 6 ga. and pull it
on through
but I can't even get the 12 ga. through. I'm trying not to
go buy a
fish wire just for this one job. Any suggestions?

Do you have an old wire welder liner laying around? They
make a great snake to get through
tight holes and pull wire. More flexible than a regular
fish wire, and if they hang up rotating
a bit usually gets them back on the path.

"El Cazador" wrote: (clip) Any suggestions?
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
How about disconnecting the wires and flex at one end, straightening it out,
fishing the wire through, and then reconnecting it?

"El Cazador" wrote in message
...
I'm wiring in a rotary phase converter and am almost finished. But I
don't want to run a separate piece of conduit to the subpanel. I only
have to pull a single 6 ga. neutral wire through the existing conduit
and it isn't that long, maybe 5', but it's metal flex and I'm having a
heck of a time (read: It ain't happenin') doing it because of the 90
deg. angle and the other wires in there. There's plenty of room but
just not making it. Tried to thread a piece of 12 ga. solid conductor
through first to use it to attach to the 6 ga. and pull it on through
but I can't even get the 12 ga. through. I'm trying not to go buy a
fish wire just for this one job. Any suggestions?

A couple of times in the past I have used a wire tthat is already in the
conduit to do the pulling. Of course that means I am pulling 1 wire out and
so I need to pull 2 wires in.

Carl Boyc

One important tip my dad taught me - if you have a string in a 'tube'
or tunnel - and you want to add something - add a string and add the
wanted thing and pull from the other end.

Always keep a string inside. And make it a strong nylon type so it
won't rot.

If it never gets used - it is cheap. If your wire fuses and you have
to replace it then you are in duck soup and happy!

Martin

Martin H. Eastburn
@ home at Lions' Lair with our computer lionslair at consolidated dot net
TSRA, Life; NRA LOH & Patron Member, Golden Eagle, Patriot's Medal.
NRA Second Amendment Task Force Charter Founder
IHMSA and NRA Metallic Silhouette maker & member.
http://lufkinced.com/


Don Foreman wrote:
On Sun, 6 Jan 2008 12:58:00 -0800 (PST), El Cazador
wrote:

I'm wiring in a rotary phase converter and am almost finished. But I
don't want to run a separate piece of conduit to the subpanel. I only
have to pull a single 6 ga. neutral wire through the existing conduit
and it isn't that long, maybe 5', but it's metal flex and I'm having a
heck of a time (read: It ain't happenin') doing it because of the 90
deg. angle and the other wires in there. There's plenty of room but
just not making it. Tried to thread a piece of 12 ga. solid conductor
through first to use it to attach to the 6 ga. and pull it on through
but I can't even get the 12 ga. through. I'm trying not to go buy a
fish wire just for this one job. Any suggestions?

Try blowing a chalkline thru the conduit with compressed air. If it
makes it, then you can use it to pull (rather than push) your wire.

Remove all the wires and then pull the original wires and the new one back
through all at one time.


"Carl Boyd" wrote in message
...

"El Cazador" wrote in message
...
I'm wiring in a rotary phase converter and am almost finished. But I
don't want to run a separate piece of conduit to the subpanel. I only
have to pull a single 6 ga. neutral wire through the existing conduit
and it isn't that long, maybe 5', but it's metal flex and I'm having a
heck of a time (read: It ain't happenin') doing it because of the 90
deg. angle and the other wires in there. There's plenty of room but
just not making it. Tried to thread a piece of 12 ga. solid conductor
through first to use it to attach to the 6 ga. and pull it on through
but I can't even get the 12 ga. through. I'm trying not to go buy a
fish wire just for this one job. Any suggestions?

A couple of times in the past I have used a wire tthat is already in the
conduit to do the pulling. Of course that means I am pulling 1 wire out
and so I need to pull 2 wires in.

Carl Boyc

"El Cazador" wrote in message
...
I'm wiring in a rotary phase converter and am almost finished. But I
don't want to run a separate piece of conduit to the subpanel. I only
have to pull a single 6 ga. neutral wire through the existing conduit
and it isn't that long, maybe 5', but it's metal flex and I'm having a
heck of a time (read: It ain't happenin') doing it because of the 90
deg. angle and the other wires in there. There's plenty of room but
just not making it. Tried to thread a piece of 12 ga. solid conductor
through first to use it to attach to the 6 ga. and pull it on through
but I can't even get the 12 ga. through. I'm trying not to go buy a
fish wire just for this one job. Any suggestions?

Rent a fish tape from U Haul.

Max

This is way to simple but.................you did make a nice 180 degree
bend on the 12 guage before pushing it thru didn't you? I am with 100 % with
Carl, in that pulling one old wire out and two in might be your best bet.
Good Luck Lyndell
P.S. I know what you are up against. I pulled coax cable in two rooms in my
house this weekend. I used fishtix (fiberglass rod in 4' lengths you screw
together and use like fishtape) and had to go buy a 54" long drill bit from
the borg to get the job finished. Worst though is laying in the pink
insulation in the attic. Hang in there you will get it.

"El Cazador" wrote in message
...
I'm wiring in a rotary phase converter and am almost finished. But I
don't want to run a separate piece of conduit to the subpanel. I only
have to pull a single 6 ga. neutral wire through the existing conduit
and it isn't that long, maybe 5', but it's metal flex and I'm having a
heck of a time (read: It ain't happenin') doing it because of the 90
deg. angle and the other wires in there. There's plenty of room but
just not making it. Tried to thread a piece of 12 ga. solid conductor
through first to use it to attach to the 6 ga. and pull it on through
but I can't even get the 12 ga. through. I'm trying not to go buy a
fish wire just for this one job. Any suggestions?

On Sun, 06 Jan 2008 15:35:11 -0600, Don Foreman
wrote:

On Sun, 6 Jan 2008 12:58:00 -0800 (PST), El Cazador
wrote:

I'm wiring in a rotary phase converter and am almost finished. But I
don't want to run a separate piece of conduit to the subpanel. I only
have to pull a single 6 ga. neutral wire through the existing conduit
and it isn't that long, maybe 5', but it's metal flex and I'm having a
heck of a time (read: It ain't happenin') doing it because of the 90
deg. angle and the other wires in there. There's plenty of room but
just not making it. Tried to thread a piece of 12 ga. solid conductor
through first to use it to attach to the 6 ga. and pull it on through
but I can't even get the 12 ga. through. I'm trying not to go buy a
fish wire just for this one job. Any suggestions?

Try blowing a chalkline thru the conduit with compressed air. If it
makes it, then you can use it to pull (rather than push) your wire.
What's your time worth. My fish tape cost me SIX BUCKS.
Paid for itself 5 times over first time I used it.

--
Posted via a free Usenet account from http://www.teranews.com

On Sun, 06 Jan 2008 22:22:43 -0500, with neither quill nor qualm,
clare at snyder.on.ca quickly quoth:

On Sun, 06 Jan 2008 15:35:11 -0600, Don Foreman
wrote:

On Sun, 6 Jan 2008 12:58:00 -0800 (PST), El Cazador
wrote:

I'm wiring in a rotary phase converter and am almost finished. But I
don't want to run a separate piece of conduit to the subpanel. I only
have to pull a single 6 ga. neutral wire through the existing conduit
and it isn't that long, maybe 5', but it's metal flex and I'm having a
heck of a time (read: It ain't happenin') doing it because of the 90
deg. angle and the other wires in there. There's plenty of room but
just not making it. Tried to thread a piece of 12 ga. solid conductor
through first to use it to attach to the 6 ga. and pull it on through
but I can't even get the 12 ga. through. I'm trying not to go buy a
fish wire just for this one job. Any suggestions?

Try blowing a chalkline thru the conduit with compressed air. If it
makes it, then you can use it to pull (rather than push) your wire.
What's your time worth. My fish tape cost me SIX BUCKS.
Paid for itself 5 times over first time I used it.

50 footer for five bucks:
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/cta...emnumber=38156

--
"As democracy is perfected, the office represents, more and more closely,
the inner soul of the people. We move toward a lofty ideal. On some great
and glorious day the plain folks of the land will reach their heart's
desire at last, and the White House will be adorned by a downright moron."
- H. L. Mencken, in the Baltimore Sun, July 26, 1920.

In article ,
"Martin H. Eastburn" wrote:

One important tip my dad taught me - if you have a string in a 'tube'
or tunnel - and you want to add something - add a string and add the
wanted thing and pull from the other end.

Always keep a string inside. And make it a strong nylon type so it
won't rot.

Very wise words, the few times I have done it it has repaid me a
hundredfold and when I didn't it cost me a major hassle

Free men own guns - www(dot)geocities(dot)com/CapitolHill/5357/

Lyndell Thompson wrote:
... buy a 54" long drill bit from the borg ...

Too late for Lyndell, but the faster way to do it is to weld a bit on
the end of a rod. Maybe Lyndell doesn't have a welder. In which case
this was an opportunity to buy one. Buy a $$$ welder to make a $ tool.
Makes sense to me.

Bob

True words of wisdom Bob. I have a welder, but not a thin enough rod to be
flexible. It was way too much to spend on a drill bit but I must say it went
thru the doubled top plate like hot butter. The driving force of course was
SWMBO asking when will you be done. :-)
Lyndell
BTW 3/16" is the right size for good flexibility. save some of you all the
trouble of buying a bit. 1/4" is just too stiff.

"Bob Engelhardt" wrote in message
...
Lyndell Thompson wrote:
... buy a 54" long drill bit from the borg ...

Too late for Lyndell, but the faster way to do it is to weld a bit on the
end of a rod. Maybe Lyndell doesn't have a welder. In which case this
was an opportunity to buy one. Buy a $$$ welder to make a $ tool. Makes
sense to me.

Bob

In article ,
Larry Jaques wrote:

On Sun, 06 Jan 2008 22:22:43 -0500, with neither quill nor qualm,
clare at snyder.on.ca quickly quoth:

On Sun, 06 Jan 2008 15:35:11 -0600, Don Foreman
wrote:

On Sun, 6 Jan 2008 12:58:00 -0800 (PST), El Cazador
wrote:

I'm wiring in a rotary phase converter and am almost finished. But I
don't want to run a separate piece of conduit to the subpanel. I only
have to pull a single 6 ga. neutral wire through the existing conduit
and it isn't that long, maybe 5', but it's metal flex and I'm having a
heck of a time (read: It ain't happenin') doing it because of the 90
deg. angle and the other wires in there. There's plenty of room but
just not making it. Tried to thread a piece of 12 ga. solid conductor
through first to use it to attach to the 6 ga. and pull it on through
but I can't even get the 12 ga. through. I'm trying not to go buy a
fish wire just for this one job. Any suggestions?

Try blowing a chalkline thru the conduit with compressed air. If it
makes it, then you can use it to pull (rather than push) your wire.
What's your time worth. My fish tape cost me SIX BUCKS.
Paid for itself 5 times over first time I used it.

50 footer for five bucks:
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/cta...emnumber=38156

I don't know about the HF fistape, but I have struggled with cheap
fishtapes, and finally gave up and got a real one. The cheap ones I
threw away were from Ideal, and were replaced by fishtapes made by
Greenlee bought for small dollars at Home Depot.

It's not the tape itself that causes the problem, it's the hoilder into
which the tape spools that causes the problems.

In any event, just buy a 25' Greenlee fishtape and be done with it.
Anyone on this newsgroup is likely to use a fishtape many times over the
years.

Joe Gwinn