Has anyone here ever used "the rope trick" to remove a crank pulley nut?

In essence you remove the spark plug and feed in some rope so the piston cannot go through the full stroke and allows you to use a breaker bar to get it off if you do not have air tools.

I need to pull the pulley off my project cars motor to paint the timing cover and put a new front main seal in as well as freshen up the pulley.