Fishing Cable over beams in warehouses, quickly

[cctvman 0]

Hi All,

 

Just wanted to get your thoughts on a situation I frequently encounter. Often I am running cable in large warehouses or industrial environments with exposed beams. From my experience the beams range in height from 12" to approx 20". Normally I take out the ladder, climb up to the height necessary and begin to fish the rods over the beams, but it occured to me the other day that there might be a faster way of doing it.

 

I was thinking, instead of moving and climbing up the ladder each time I could simply take my connected fish sticks in hand which reach approx. 12' add that to my maximum reach of close to 8' and try to almost javelin throw the fishing rods over the beam. I think most of the time fishing cable using my original technique would be consumed by moving the ladder, and climbing up and down. By doing it this way it seems like I could, or atleast should be able to reduce that time drastically, obviously there may be some points where the ladder may be essential but using this technique when the ladder is not essential seems like it would be a very productive use of time. Even if a small ladder is still needed, I think it would be much quicker to setup and move a smaller ladder than the larger ones Im currently using.

 

I have considered throwing a projectile over the I-beam but often I find that there are small triangles above the beams that I am fishing over and I find that if I fish the cable through these triangles the cable stays straight, and therefore neater without the need for tiewrapping and the labour that is incurred with tiewrapping at regular intervals. My concern with throwing a projectile is that I might get it through the wrong triangle and then I might have to spend a substantial amount of time throwing it back through in the reverse direction in order to start again.

 

Any thoughts, experiences would be greatly appreciated.

 

CCTVMAN

[jisaac 0]

go get a tennis ball and drill a hole all the way through it. Then get some pull wire or strong rope rope and feed it through the ball. Tie it off. Or pull the wire back to the side of the ball where you feed it into and make the end touch the wire going into the ball. Super glue the hell out of it.

then just send the ball over your beams and then tie your pull wire to your cable and pull it.

simple enough.

[CSG 0]

I just take my JLG scissorlift to the job, go up on the lift, and drive the lift where ever the cables need to go.

[jeromephone 6]

we sometimes use a telepole and make a z on the end of it you can then take your weight i.e. tennis ball with a few bolts inserted and just place it in the correct V the tennis ball works well because you and roll it a bit on a flat beam. the z on the telepole works well because you can catch the wiree and push the ball back through the triangle if you get the wrong one.

[able1 0]

The tennis ball works great. Depending on the height of the beams being able to be accurate with the ball is best. I use a light string that will not cause the ball to go off track. If you miss just be careful how you pull it back. It can wrap the beam. Then you have to use the ladder again.

 

Once you get the accuracy the process can be very fast.

 

BTW it would be nice to have a scissorlift but we can all afford one.

 

Les

[cctvman 0]

we sometimes use a telepole and make a z on the end of it you can then take your weight i.e. tennis ball with a few bolts inserted and just place it in the correct V the tennis ball works well because you and roll it a bit on a flat beam. the z on the telepole works well because you can catch the wiree and push the ball back through the triangle if you get the wrong one.

 

What is the largest ceiling height you have done using the telepole? How long is your telepole? I imagine it must bend easily when your working at full extension, no?

 

CCTVMAN

[jisaac 0]

we sometimes use a telepole and make a z on the end of it you can then take your weight i.e. tennis ball with a few bolts inserted and just place it in the correct V the tennis ball works well because you and roll it a bit on a flat beam. the z on the telepole works well because you can catch the wiree and push the ball back through the triangle if you get the wrong one.

 

man we use the telepole and z tip combo all the time. You get two people 40 feet apart and the can easily just extend and then other one hook very fast. Well worth the money for the poles

[G-MEN 0]

I use the 16 foot grabbit telescoping poles in applications like that. I was on a job site once and I saw these guys using a crossbow with a pullstring tied to the arrow.

[cctvman 0]

we sometimes use a telepole and make a z on the end of it you can then take your weight i.e. tennis ball with a few bolts inserted and just place it in the correct V the tennis ball works well because you and roll it a bit on a flat beam. the z on the telepole works well because you can catch the wiree and push the ball back through the triangle if you get the wrong one.

 

man we use the telepole and z tip combo all the time. You get two people 40 feet apart and the can easily just extend and then other one hook very fast. Well worth the money for the poles

 

Thats brillant, I dont know why I didnt think of that. I used to find the problem with the telescopic poles is that because they are telescopic they are not smooth like fish sticks, therefore you cannot pull them along surfaces easily. But by using two back to back you completely elliminate this problem because they only have to extend out and it is not necessary for the base to be pulled along the cable path.

 

Brilliant!

 

CCTVMAN

[cctvman 0]

I use this telescopic pole, its has a maximum distance of approx 18' althought the advertisement says 20' I was wondering if anyone used the same product or has had any experience with it, good or bad.

 

Also has anyone tried using this green lee cable caster? I think if it was accurate enough it could be very useful for threading beween the triangles above an I-beam. Id be a little more cautious about using it in more confined areas though because I would be concerned I might lose the dart.

 

CCTVMAN

[able1 0]

I use this telescopic pole, its has a maximum distance of approx 18' althought the advertisement says 20' I was wondering if anyone used the same product or has had any experience with it, good or bad.

 

Also has anyone tried using this green lee cable caster? I think if it was accurate enough it could be very useful for threading between the triangles above an I-beam. Id be a little more cautious about using it in more confined areas though because I would be concerned I might lose the dart.

 

CCTVMAN

 

I have not tried the Greenlee Cable Caster but I have taken a Wrist Rocket Sling Shot and strapped on "with hose clamps" my spinning reel. Use a lead sinker and voile. It does work quite well in the right application. Above a drop ceiling where the gap is greater than 2 feet and is fairly clear of obstructions it is good. However the distance is only about 30 feet with any kind of accuracy. This is due to the arc of the sinker. As with any projectile there is a arc of the trajectory. Because of the speed and the drag of the line you can only get about 30 feet accurately. If your trying to use it in a open warehouse you can get more distance if you are not trying to get above the bar joist or beams.

 

I once had a 70 foot hallway in a school that had hatches at each end. The ceiling was 12x12 tiles supported on a furring strip frame. The distance about the tiles was about 18 inches with 6 inch fiberglass insulation batts with the paper side up. I had to get wire to get wire to the other end.......................................................

 

Rather than a long Q&A here. I looked in the local Merchandiser Want Ads and found a kid that was selling his big wheel R/C truck. Took the body off strapped on my MagLite and a pullstring. Drove the thing over the insulation to the other end and finished the job. Best $100 buck tool in the tool crib.

[G-MEN 0]

I've used that Fisher Price cable caster before and I wasn't pleased with the results; first off it wasn't very accurate and the dart would get tangled around the drop ceiling support wires. Not to mention the 1 pound test line on it. We use this telescoping pole made by Grabbit. http://www.chumbo.com/Info.aspx?id=255983 it has a removable z tip and has a sleek design that doesn't get hung up on existing wires or other obstacles above the ceiling. A real time saver in long runs or runs in tight spaces.

[rory 0]

Do you guys actually have drop ceilings all open like that in the US?

 

man everyone ive ever done here has been only a foot or two high, either had AC duct blocking every single way, or beams/bars and goodness knows what else blocking the way .. hardly ever seen a straight run..

[able1 0]

Do you guys actually have drop ceilings all open like that in the US?

 

man everyone ive ever done here has been only a foot or two high, either had AC duct blocking every single way, or beams/bars and goodness knows what else blocking the way .. hardly ever seen a straight run..

 

Rory,

 

Remember this. The amazing stuff only happens in Hollywood and in advertising.

 

The only time I ever saw a ceiling like that was in a new school over the Large Group Instruction LGI rooms. Only challenge there was the back of the room the ceiling there was at about 9 feet and at the front was about 21 feet. The LGI was on an incline the ceiling was level.

 

Otherwise most drop ceilings are as you describe. And if the installer was not careful the whole this was racked to one side which make it impossible to get the tiles out with out breaking.

 

But give me a basement with drop ceiling over drywall any day.

 

Later,

[rory 0]

Do you guys actually have drop ceilings all open like that in the US?

 

man everyone ive ever done here has been only a foot or two high, either had AC duct blocking every single way, or beams/bars and goodness knows what else blocking the way .. hardly ever seen a straight run..

 

Rory,

 

Remember this. The amazing stuff only happens in Hollywood and in advertising.

 

The only time I ever saw a ceiling like that was in a new school over the Large Group Instruction LGI rooms. Only challenge there was the back of the room the ceiling there was at about 9 feet and at the front was about 21 feet. The LGI was on an incline the ceiling was level.

 

Otherwise most drop ceilings are as you describe. And if the installer was not careful the whole this was racked to one side which make it impossible to get the tiles out with out breaking.

 

But give me a basement with drop ceiling over drywall any day.

 

Later,

 

LOL .. yeah if we start poking those poles around these ceilings we'd have all kinds of ripped up AC duct . .. unfortunately it is mostly hands on here ..

[able1 0]

LOL .. yeah if we start poking those poles around these ceilings we'd have all kinds of ripped up AC duct . .. unfortunately it is mostly hands on here ..

 

Yea, and we ALL know how much you need the AC in your neck of the woods.

[cctvman 0]

Do you guys actually have drop ceilings all open like that in the US?

 

man everyone ive ever done here has been only a foot or two high, either had AC duct blocking every single way, or beams/bars and goodness knows what else blocking the way .. hardly ever seen a straight run..

 

Rory,

 

Remember this. The amazing stuff only happens in Hollywood and in advertising.

 

The only time I ever saw a ceiling like that was in a new school over the Large Group Instruction LGI rooms. Only challenge there was the back of the room the ceiling there was at about 9 feet and at the front was about 21 feet. The LGI was on an incline the ceiling was level.

 

Otherwise most drop ceilings are as you describe. And if the installer was not careful the whole this was racked to one side which make it impossible to get the tiles out with out breaking.

 

But give me a basement with drop ceiling over drywall any day.

 

Later,

 

LOL .. yeah if we start poking those poles around these ceilings we'd have all kinds of ripped up AC duct . .. unfortunately it is mostly hands on here ..

 

 

Well I'm from Canada and the vast majority of the drop ceiling I have seen has been straight runs, its rear that I'll see AC ducts completely blocking me off in any direction. I cant even really imagine what you mean when you say its mostly hands on. If your blocked, your blocked, no? I get angry if I cant see the end of the run from where Im starting. Really puts things into perspective. lol

 

CCTVMAN

[rory 0]

yeah its like basically having to remove every single tile and pushing every wire under the AC duct or if you have room, over the duct ..its no fun man .. thank goodness I dont actually do it for a living anymore .. i pay other people to run the cable most of the time now .. and if they dont have duct .. well actually all businesses here do so .. and then they are so dirty too .. then there is the exposed high voltage as we dont have enforced codes here .. been shocked by 120 so many times i lost count now .. got 2 holes in my head from nails, from running cable in attics during my alarm days .. And if there isnt AC Duct, its most likely a weave of metal bars and lighting and you just cant get many straight runs ..

 

took me 30 minutes to run 10 feet of cable the other day .. cut my hands and arms right up too from exposed screws all over the place, while sqeezing the cable under metal bars and the AC duct etc etc .. i had issues even mounting the camera where i wanted as the darn Ac duct was 1/2 inch from the drop tile! (had to apply some tape to the holes in the duct needless to say )

 

So someone mentioned poles ...

[able1 0]

.. got 2 holes in my head from nails, from running cable in attics during my alarm days .. .. cut my hands and arms right up too from exposed screws all over the place, while sqeezing the cable under metal bars and the AC duct etc etc ..

 

Rory,

 

So do you charge extra for each hole or length and depth of cut???

[iLL 0]

I had one of these and use to carry it in my truck all of the time. I just glued a small plastic wall hanger on it and tied a piece of pull string or thin nylon rope to it, and I just saved my self 3 to 4 hours of running string everywhere! I used to run data and phone cables not just cctv...

 

http://www.hobbytron.com/XUFO.html

 

 

For small runs, I would just tie the pull string to a full roll of electrical tape and just throw...

[jeromephone 6]

Another thing we use a lot is a length of plastic conduit usually 1/2 inch it only costs a couple of buck is flexible enough to bounce over junk in the ceiling and when you forget and leave it on the job osr break it trying to fish through something no big deal. nylon string and a lenght of light chain are very usefull too if you have to fish a wall drop the chain down and you will soon know if it is fire stopped or unfishiable.