# Cable Pulling



## JBC1 (Dec 4, 2010)

What do you use for a grip(s) when you pull cable (1/0 to 750mcm, THHN & XHHW)? 
I have seen duct tape, wire mesh (chinese finger traps), screw clamp grips... What is best?


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## Chris Kennedy (Nov 19, 2007)

Tell me more about the pull in question and I'll tell you how we do it here.


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## MDShunk (Jan 7, 2007)

I generally use the Greenlee thing that looks like a cat of nine tails. I guess it has a real name, but I don't know what it is. Some people call them pulling fingers.


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## pugz134 (Nov 8, 2010)

None of the above. Make a head with the cables. Cut off all but 4 to 6 strands on 2 sides of the cable and feed them through the loop on the rope. Take a loose strand and wrap it around the head. Hit it with duct tape and some 33. Add lube and pull. Haven't had one come apart yet. Longest pull was 6 350's up 400 feet to a mechanical penthouse. 

Just my 2 cents.


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## qckrun (May 18, 2009)

Multiple ways Chinese fingers, half hitching, bend wire over and loop through rope loop, hand push if close lol, Allen klemum.


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## Jlarson (Jun 28, 2009)

Sometimes I use grips, sometimes the set screw thingamabobs and sometimes I cut strands out and make up a head, sometimes using a little tie wire too. All depends.


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## gilbequick (Oct 6, 2007)

All of the above.
If we're doing alot of pulls we'll use the Maxis grips. They save loads of time.


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## BBQ (Nov 16, 2010)

Our supply house is offering to crimp on pulling loops for paralleled sets.

I don't know how much they are.


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## case320 (Mar 4, 2009)

We use the wire snaggers by recor seal( I believe thats the name) same as the maxis ones. No complaints.


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## Dead eye (Mar 26, 2010)

Like Pugz said above, make your own head. I like to wrap a thin rag around the head befor you start taping. Don't cover the rag with tape completely, as the fabric will hold some of the soap.

As for soap, lots of it. Take a handful and throw it into the pipe before the head enters. Soap is cheap! Just ask a foreskin that has a head break on a big pull...

If I was pulling a ton of wire those Maxis grips look interesting.


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## Acadian9 (Jun 6, 2009)

Make sure you stagger the cables when you make a head using the cables. And try to feed from the top to the bottom because quite frankly, pulling cables UP 35 stories is not something I want to do lol.


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## pugz134 (Nov 8, 2010)

I didn't want to pull up but there was nowhere to set up and how do you control 6 350's going straight down 400'?


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## sbrn33 (Mar 15, 2007)

I might be an old dude but I just don't trust Kellems grips on a big pull. I have no idea how I would get the wires out if they did slip. What a mess that would be.
I strip em long and make a nice small well made head.


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## JBC1 (Dec 4, 2010)

case320 said:


> We use the wire snaggers by recor seal( I believe thats the name) same as the maxis ones. No complaints.


Case320- where did you buy the wire snagger? I have never seen it before


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## Demac (Apr 28, 2010)

I think we pulled this into 3.5 inch EMT. I snapped this pic with my phone about a year ago because this was the first pull head I was shown, and I had just started work.

Rag and Duct tape. And soap.


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## Sparky208 (Feb 25, 2011)

We use the greenlee fingers. I have pulled 4 600 kcmil and a ground 800' feet from a manhole to the electrical room and then 600' from the manhole to the panel with no problems.


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## BBQ (Nov 16, 2010)

Acadian9 said:


> Make sure you stagger the cables when you make a head using the cables. And try to feed from the top to the bottom because quite frankly, pulling cables UP 35 stories is not something I want to do lol.





pugz134 said:


> I didn't want to pull up but there was nowhere to set up and how do you control 6 350's going straight down 400'?


I agree with pugz, with large heavy conductors you pull up.


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## Mike in Canada (Jun 27, 2010)

sbrn33 said:


> I might be an old dude but I just don't trust Kellems grips on a big pull. I have no idea how I would get the wires out if they did slip. What a mess that would be.
> I strip em long and make a nice small well made head.



I love kellem grips. I tape the back end so they can't slip. The wire mesh helps the head slide over obstacles.


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## HARRY304E (Sep 15, 2010)

BBQ said:


> Our supply house is offering to crimp on pulling loops for paralleled sets.
> 
> I don't know how much they are.


 Those look good are those wires 750's?


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## nitro71 (Sep 17, 2009)

pugz134 said:


> None of the above. Make a head with the cables. Cut off all but 4 to 6 strands on 2 sides of the cable and feed them through the loop on the rope. Take a loose strand and wrap it around the head. Hit it with duct tape and some 33. Add lube and pull. Haven't had one come apart yet. Longest pull was 6 350's up 400 feet to a mechanical penthouse.
> 
> Just my 2 cents.


 
I'm thinking there should have been bus duct in that building.. When planning a pull like that do you have to use certain type of conductors due to extreme tension on them when you're pulling them in? 

I'm with the rest that would pull that upward unless you had a method to mechanicaly brake the reels. One time I was working in a mine and we were feeding some large SO cable(mine cable), probably 3" in diameter or so. Was feeding down a level through a hole, seems like we had a pulley also. After a while it was to heavy to slow down and was free wheeling through the hole. It was stand back and watch it go.


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## JacksonburgFarmer (Jul 5, 2008)

Generally, I make up a "head". Stip and wrap like shown above. I have never seen one of those come appart when done correctly.

I have seen the pulling fingers pull the inner strands past the outer ones before....I dont think that is good for the conductor itself when that happens....but I dont know if that is how you are supposed to do it. I was an apprentice on a job with moron JW's. I think they had the wrong size fingers, and trimmed the outer ring of strands off to make it fit. 


Also this was the same job the morons tried setting up a chugger with only 2 3/8" anchors instead of all 4.....and the chugger ripped off the floor and blew a door out of the building.....


I suggested using all 4 but foreman said I was a dumb 3rd year and didnt know what I was talking about....2 would be fine......yep sure was greg....you idiot!:laughing:


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## Acadian9 (Jun 6, 2009)

pugz134 said:


> I didn't want to pull up but there was nowhere to set up and how do you control 6 350's going straight down 400'?


Simple to control. I was the person who fed the cables (I had one guy managing the reels) but it was only 4 cables (250's i think) but the run itself had a horizontal part that went like 50ft so all i did was step on the cables to hold them from falling. Is your run 100% vertical?


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## pugz134 (Nov 8, 2010)

Just one short hook and straight to the bottom.


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