casey_torres60•7d agoMost Upvoted

Chat with an electrician at a supply house made me rethink my coax prep routine

I was at the Graybar supply house in Denver last Tuesday grabbing some RG6 and this old electrician, probably late 60s, starts watching me strip cable. He says "son you are working way too hard on that thing" and I laughed it off at first. But he showed me how he uses a simple utility knife at a 45 degree angle instead of those fancy coax strippers I always use. Took me maybe 30 seconds to try it on a scrap piece and honestly the cut was cleaner and faster than my $40 prep tool. I have been doing cable work for like 8 years and never thought to try anything different. It got me wondering how many other little habits I have that could be easier if someone just showed me once. Has anyone else had an old timer teach them a trick that totally changed how you do a basic job?

2 comments

2 Comments

karen_shah567d ago

My grandpa was the same way with plumbing work, the man could do more with a pair of channel locks and a crescent wrench than most guys can with a whole toolbox full of expensive specialty tools. Seeing this post brought back a memory of him showing me how to sweat copper pipes with a simple propane torch and no fancy flux brushes, he just used a stick of solder and a rag. It is kind of amazing how many of these old school tricks are just sitting around in people's heads waiting for someone to ask. I bet that electrician has a dozen more simple tips like that if he ever felt like sharing.

viola1717d ago

and honestly that's the kind of stuff you see everywhere once you start looking. like how my grandma taught me to flip a trash bag inside out before putting it in the can so it doesn't stick to itself, little things that save you a headache for years. it reminds me the old ways stick around for a reason, sometimes simpler really is better even if the fancy tool looks cooler on the shelf.