Got a fish tape stuck in a wall back in '08

I was working in an old brick apartment building in Chicago, pulling a line through a plaster wall. The tape hit a hidden fire block and just jammed solid. I tried pulling it back for about twenty minutes, even greased it up, but it wouldn't budge. In the end, I had to cut it and leave a foot of steel in the wall. Anyone else have a trick for getting a tape unstuck when it's really wedged?

2 comments

2 Comments

logansullivan28d ago

Wish I'd known that trick before I got one stuck so bad I had to explain to the homeowner why their wall now had a permanent metal souvenir. My pride was the only thing more stuck than that tape.

charlie_stone7228d ago

Ever try a little back-and-forth twist? I used to just pull straight back and get mad when it stuck. One time I saw an old timer give the tape a sharp quarter turn while pulling steady. It felt wrong, like I'd just snap it, but it came free from a block that had it locked solid. Now that's my first move before I even think about grease or cutting. It breaks the friction in a different way.

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