Why does nobody talk about the order of your lines at the ground block...

I just figured out I've been landing my ground wire before my messenger for almost 2 years now. An old timer watched me do a house yesterday and asked why I was making extra work for myself. He showed me that if you do the messenger first the ground sits way cleaner and you don't have to fight the slack. Has anyone else had a basic thing like that totally go over your head?

2 comments

2 Comments

the_jennifer24d ago

Parkerkim is right, that stripping thing gets so many people. But I gotta gently push back on the messenger first thing - it's actually not always the best order, especially if you're dealing with rolled service or a tight rack. I've had messenger go slack on me and then the ground wire ends up looking like a wet noodle if I don't tie it off right. @parkerkim probably already knows this but some guys swear by landing the ground first in those situations so the messenger has something solid to pull against. Your old timer's method works great for straight drops with lots of room to move around, but in tight spaces you might create a whole new headache with wire memory fighting you. Just depends on the setup you're working with.

parkerkim24d ago

The "why was I making extra work for myself" thing hits home. A few years back a guy watched me strip a cable and just went "you know you're doing that backwards, right?" I had been fighting with it for an actual year. Your mileage may vary but sometimes the simplest stuff just sneaks right past you.