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Re: [TowerTalk] Wire lubricant for cable pull thru conduit

To: "Grant Saviers" <grants2@pacbell.net>, "Dick Dievendorff" <dieven@comcast.net>
Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] Wire lubricant for cable pull thru conduit
From: "Tom KD8DEG" <kd8deg@centurytel.net>
Date: Mon, 25 Feb 2013 18:20:01 -0500
List-post: <towertalk@contesting.com">mailto:towertalk@contesting.com>
Hi Dick!!!

Pulled telephone cable for many years in all types of conduit.

Go to this site http://www.polywater.com/, I found this to be the best lube, and when it drys out there is nothing left of it. Most any electrical supply house carries it.

Also I would stager that many cables about 5 to10 inches down, depending on the size of the cable, on the main cable. Start with the second cable down 5 to 7 inches, then the next 5 to 7 inches and so on with the rest. If you do have trouble at a bend this will make it easier than trying to get the whole head through the bend all at once.

KD8DEG  Tom


----- Original Message ----- From: "Grant Saviers" <grants2@pacbell.net>
To: "Dick Dievendorff" <dieven@comcast.net>
Cc: <towertalk@contesting.com>
Sent: Monday, February 25, 2013 5:36 PM
Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] Wire lubricant for cable pull thru conduit


Hi Dick,

What I've learned -

Measure the conduit first, I've been surprised by actual pull lengths different than what looked right on paper. I use conduit measuring tape, about 1/4" wide and flat. I have lots if you want some, or check with an electrical supplier. If the conduit is straight with only end sweeps then the calcs may be ok. This tape is also great for blowing thru the conduit as a leader. I tie it to a crumpled up plastic grocery bag and use the shop vac to blow, and away it goes! I pull a couple of small towels through before pulling the cables to clean out whatever got there during construction and reduce the condensation.

Pull everything at once. A rolling hitch around the bundle plus electrical tape will work. Taper the end by staggering the cables and tape all the way onto the free pull line. Or you could use the Kellums as a connection to a "master" cable and tape on the rest. A taper helps at the conduit junctions and sweeps. The ROMEX cables will make the job much harder, especially the UF stuff for underground/water exposure. You might consider pulling 9 (or whatever you actually need) conductors of stranded THHN in 12 or 14 gauge, that will be much easier. HD stocks it in blu, blk, grn, wht & red and sometimes org.

3/8" polypro works as the pulling rope and is cheap but use gloves. It may put some twist into the cables as it untwists, so the pros use flat pull webbing (what I use) or double braid rope. With the number and low flex of your cables, two persons are a must and three will be better. One to pull, one to feed at the entry and apply lube, and a third to bring up the cable end. With 100', I would stretch it all out unless dirt/contamination is a problem. Then it will be necessary to feed off the spools, definitely a third person in this case. Unwind the coils otherwise the twists will make the pull a lot harder. An electricians reel stand is a big help, but not having one I jury rig something up with C clamps and pipe/conduit scraps.

I have used the TFE loaded lube, not sure it helped much over the usual stuff, check HD. One quart should be enough and the feeder should glop it on as the cables go in. Disposible gloves are nice. The feeder also needs to center the cables into the conduit as they move, otherwise both the conduit end and outer cable sheaths suffer. You should have the anti chafe collars on the conduit hub end threads.

With the conduit load you plan, I think later pulls may be very difficult but pull an extra 3/8 line and measuring tape with the pull. Are any of your cables spares? I stick in an extra CAT5, 4 conductor control, RG6, and RG8 for future antenna or whatever projects.

If the date works, perhaps I can lend a hand and bring some stuff.

Grant KZ1W


On 2/25/2013 12:07 PM, Dick Dievendorff wrote:
I’ve never run anything through conduit before.


I have a 100 foot long 3” conduit between house and tower, and in that
conduit I hope to run two ½” coax cables, three 3-wire ROMEX cables carrying 24V for three different rotators, two 8-conductor (CAT-5 like) cables for an
antenna switch, and three two-wire cables for the rotator position
indicators. It’s a good-sized bundle. There are no 110 AC power lines in
the bundle.


I think I need to pull all this at once, with lubricant, and include a
length of pulling rope or tape in the bundle for “next time”.   I believe
that I want to pull these through all at once  in order to avoid risk of
damage to cables already installed.


What’s the right sort of lubricant for this? What quantity should I buy?


I have some light nylon “fish” cord that I think I can pull through with a
small wadded up plastic bag and a shop-vac.  After I have that pulled
through, I assume I attach it to a hefty pull cord. What sort of pull cord
should I be shopping for?


Any tips on tying the “bundle” to the cord so that I have a smooth thing to pull? I have Kellums Grips suitable for ½” coax, but not for anything else.
Is this a “pulling eye”?


I presume I want one person on each end that can communicate, one to feed a
smoothed bundle in one end while the other pulls.


Should I tape the whole bundle together every few feet?


Thanks,


Dick, K6KR


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