How to Use a Fish Tape
OK--you finally wore down the wife. She's letting you get a flat screen television. Now, it's just a matter of getting it mounted to the wall. You'll need a couple of things including a fish tape and a friend to help. A fish tape is a narrow piece of plastic that allows you to pull cables behind the wall, ceiling or floor. Like the name implies, you're fishing for cables. Read on to learn how to use a fish tape.
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Instructions
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Drill or notch the studs. Make sure the hole's diameter is twice the size of the wires you plan to pull through it. You may have to drill several holes to achieve the correct size.
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Prepare the cables. You can save a lot of energy and time by pulling the cables through the wall, ceiling or floor in a bundle. It's easier than doing it one-by-one. So, determine what will have to be pulled through before you get started.
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Push the fish tape through the run. Do not attach cables to it yet.
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Tape the cables onto the fish tape. Make sure you tape the connectors behind each other, instead of bunching them all together. Keep the bundle as small and narrow as possible, so it goes through the wall smoothly.
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Pull the fish tape through the run again. Do it slowly to ensure the cables stay attached.
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Tips & Warnings
Always wear protective eye gear when operating power equipment.
Don't run power cables through the wall.
Don't sharply bend cables. This could affect their performance.
