The Rodding Roundtable
Motorhead Message Central => Rodder's Roundtable => Topic started by: kb426 on December 03, 2009, 09:09:50 PM
Is there anything else out there to replace the nylon zip ties we all use? I'd like to find something that isn't as sharp as a knife when tightened and trimmed.
I find if I cut them with this, there are no sharp edges.
Heh Heh, What do you mean 'We All Use' Kimo Sabe?
I'm still using electrical tape, never moved up to wireties, even though I spent a few years scheduling activities in the Wichita Boeing Wireshop where wireties abounded along with really cool pnematic wiretie machines.
Just for Grins: Did you know that 95% of the workers in the Wichita Boeing Wireshop and PCB area were female?
Also have never caught on to that shink tubing type stuff either.
I quickly melt the sharp tip of the cut with a lighter. Makes it nice & smooth...plus it keeps the cheap ones from loosening up.
As an alternative, years ago, I used to tie harnesses with waxed string, learned that on airplanes.
An alternative to cutting the extra off. Take a pair of pliers and grip the excess just as it exits the grip point, Twist it a few turns and it will come right off with. This leavea a nice smooth end. Another trick. When removing zip ties do not cut the wrap. This can cause a wire to get pinched cut across the grip end and it will release the tie.
Tim
Quote from: "kb426"Is there anything else out there to replace the nylon zip ties we all use?
I find that velcro ties are handy for lots of situations. Office supply stores have them. Here's some at Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Velcro-Reusable-Self-Gripping-Inches-91140/dp/B001E1Y5O6/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=office-products&qid=1259946574&sr=8-1
Pick up a pair of flush cut diagonal cutting pliers. I think even Harbor Freight sells them. You will love them. I bought a pair (Crescent brand), And I use them a lot.
Frank, been there and done that with the wax string! It came in handy on the flight line.
Whatever happened to the stretchy "F-4" tape?
Quote from: "58Apache"Frank, been there and done that with the wax string! It came in handy on the flight line.
Whatever happened to the stretchy "F-4" tape?
f4 tape... i loved using that stuff.... havent seen it in years though, i worked on f 111's (avionics) and repaired numerous harness's with the wax string...
Quote from: "wvcab"Quote from: "58Apache"Frank, been there and done that with the wax string! It came in handy on the flight line.
Whatever happened to the stretchy "F-4" tape?
f4 tape... i loved using that stuff.... havent seen it in years though, i worked on f 111's (avionics) and repaired numerous harness's with the wax string...
http://www.f4tape.com/
later jim
You can buy self fusing tape at electrical supply outlets. Have a cold drink before you go in because it is fairly expensive but boy does it work. Most electrical codes accept it being used in wet applications for a water proof seal.
In the electrical trade I've found that Scotch 88 works well. It's strong and has a good pull strength. At the local electrical supply house it's a bit spendy. Almost $5.00 a role. I've wrapped bundles of wires to isolate the bunch. Automotive and not. At the end you have to remember to put two or three wraps just around the end of the tape only. applied in one running layer at the end it will eventually come unglued. Overlapped at the end it works pretty good. :D
I just saw the selffuse tape at Wallyworld around 6 dollars a roll ED
As i sit here dripping red sticky stuff from yet one more personal ding from a cable tie, have probably used over a thousand of those dang things getting my car wired up. I'll strap up a run, figuring that I don't have any more wires, and dam'd if another batch mysteriously appears. While all of the suggestions are great, I suspect that cable ties will continue to rule if for no other reason is that they are cheap, easy to remove when that stray wire appears and are simple to install
Go to a store that sells electronics assembly tools; get a pair of "flush" cutting side cutters (*); the cutting bevel on them is on the inside only, making a flush, smooth cut on the outside. another thing that works well, but is sort of "inconvenient", is to keep a solder gun handy with a "sealing" tip installed, and use it to melt down the sharp "leftover" edge.
I went to Sears and Home depot yesterday and was unsuccessful in finding flush cut *. I'll keep looking. I knew better than to ask one of the temp employees at Christmas time. H.D. had an assortment of Klein stuff but none were flush cutters.
I just bought & received these. The price was right, & they're quite well made. Oh, & they work very well on wire-tie flush-cutting, too!
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001MXA2BQ/ref=ox_ya_oh_product
I think I may have to buy some also. Looks like the deal to solve my dilemma. Thank you, everybody.