Appreciation post: I was wrong about using a fish tape for that old plaster wall

Had a job in a 1940s house in Springfield last week where I needed to run a line down an interior wall. I grabbed my usual steel fish tape, thinking it would punch right through the old plaster and lath. Instead, it just kept getting stuck and bending, wasting almost 45 minutes. My partner handed me his fiberglass rod set, and it slid through the first try without snagging. I guess the stiffness of the steel was the problem with that old, crumbly material. What other old-house tricks have you guys picked up for tricky walls?

3 comments

3 Comments

claire_hayes352mo ago

Honestly, people forget how much the dust from that old plaster messes with your tools. I had a steel tape get so gummed up with fine powder it wouldn't retract right. The fiberglass rods don't seem to hold onto that grit the same way. Tbh it's less about the strength of the push and more about the material sliding clean. That gunk acts like glue in there.

lily972mo ago

@claire_hayes35 My tools have a whole new layer of "patina" thanks to that dust. It's basically free glue for every moving part. Guess I'll just add "clean gunk" to the job list now.

tylerr391mo ago

My tools are basically dust sculptures at this point.