This old guy in a Denver apartment showed me a trick with a coat hanger

I was running a new line through a tight wall cavity last week and my fish tape got stuck. The customer, this retired phone guy, said 'hang on a sec' and bent a wire coat hanger into a little hook, fed it up from the outlet below, and snagged my tape in about 30 seconds. What's the best old-school trick you've ever picked up from a customer?

4 comments

4 Comments

skyler_patel1mo ago

My grandpa was a lineman and taught me the same trick with baling wire. Those guys from the pre-fish tape era had to get seriously creative. It's amazing how often the simplest solution is still the best one.

beth_kelly1mo ago

Used to think that was just a hack. Grandpa knew his stuff.

ryan_hart381mo ago

An old plumber showed me how a wet rag can stop a pipe from sweating in summer.

shane_carter28d ago

So how exactly does that work with the wet rag? @beth_kelly said it's not just a hack but I'm still trying to picture it.