Watched a guy in Atlanta fix a panel with a tool I never thought to use

I was helping a friend rewire his garage in Decatur last week, and we ran into a real tight spot with the main panel. The bus bars were so close together I was about to call it a day and order a whole new unit. Then this older electrician from the crew next door comes over, sees us struggling, and pulls out a set of those thin, angled needle-nose pliers. I mean, I have a pair, but I always thought they were just for tiny electronics work. He bent the tip just a little, slid it in, and had the conductor seated perfectly in like ten seconds. It totally changed how I look at my own tool bag. Now I keep those pliers right up front. Has anyone else found a simple tool that saved a job like that?

3 comments

3 Comments

janaf763mo ago

A tiny flathead saved me once, same vibe.

janaf763mo ago

My buddy used a zip tie as a temporary belt once.

leelewis2mo agoMost Upvoted

Used to think zip ties were just for cables and holding things together. Never really considered them for actual problem solving like that. Definitely changed my mind on their usefulness.