# Cable Beautification



## TNTTNT (Nov 2, 2008)

Hi all,

I have made some cables with Belden 1505F. It is great and I love them. I made some for a friend and he has thrown his £150 ($250) Van de Hul cables he previously used into a drawer. He has asked me for more.

I would like to mod the cables to look cool. I know this won't improve sonics, but I like the idea of it. Could anyone post a link to suitable products for cable sleeving. It doesn't matter it is U.S. or U.K., but at least it would give me an idea of what to look for. Also, does anyone know where to get coloured 3:1 15mm heatshrink? The plug is 10mm wide, and I have tried to find this for the ends, but it seems rarer than hen's teeth.

The cable diameter is 6.15mm, which goes into a 6.00mm plug - so it is a very tight fit. How do I use cable sleeving? How does it stick to the end of the plug, and does it need to go inside the plug to fasten?

I have had a great deal of help here, so I hope I can finish this project and post a pic of my final achievement. I have posted my progress with pics in an earlier posting, if anyone is interested.


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## Anthony (Oct 5, 2006)

http://www.parts-express.com/pe/showdetl.cfm?Partnumber=082-336

That and heat shrink tubing to hold it in place make for a very pretty cable.

Many other colors, diameters, etc are available.


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## TNTTNT (Nov 2, 2008)

You're a gentleman for your advice, so thank you. To make sure I have undertood, I don't need to try to squeeze the sleeving inside the plug with the cable, but I can rely on the tension of the heatshrink to hold it tight, if I butt the end of the sleeving against the edge of the plug?


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## Anthony (Oct 5, 2006)

Some plugs have enough room to "grab" around the techflex, but what I usually do is cut them so that they are just short of the connector (usually the crimp band) and then use 3:1 heat shrink to tighten up around both the braiding and the base of the connector. You need 3:1 heat shrink to fit over most connectors, otherwise, you have to put the heat shrink on before you make the cable (and heat it up afterwards -- much more of a pain).

Get a knife tip for a soldering iron or some other hot-knife product to cut the techflex. It melts the ends as it cuts and you avoid fraying. An alternative is to cut with scissors and then heat carefully with a lighter or match, but that is a lot more trial and error. I bought the hot knife for $10 and don't regret it.

Best of luck.


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## TNTTNT (Nov 2, 2008)

Thanks again,

The hot knife part sounds genius, so will look out for.

I rang Techflex in U.S. and was a bit embarrased. If I was calling a big company in the U.K. often I would wait 10 minutes in a queue, go through 20 menu options, speak to a hormonal moody teenager, and get the wrong advice.

In this case I got straight through and spoke to a very helpful and knowledgeable lady. She said to choose the size the same as the cable, so 1/4 inch cable would need 1/4 inch Techflex. This is because 1/4 inch is 1/8 unexpanded and grows to 1/2 inch. The 1/4 inch is the middle of the expansion range.

Will get the cables looking good and post pics. This will take time because it is hard to get Techflex and 3:1 shrink in the U.K., so will have to order from U.S.

Cheers again for the advice.


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## glaufman (Nov 25, 2007)

This and a few posts after it show what can be done with hollow laces from hockey skates... not sure if you have those over yonder...

http://www.hometheatershack.com/for...ng-soldering-speaker-cables-2.html#post209027


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## waldo563 (Apr 26, 2009)

Interesting idea about the use of lacing instead of the Techflex. I would guess that the advantages would be that a hot knife is not required and maybe it's cheaper. Thanks for the tip...I may give it a shot on the next set of cables I put together.


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## TNTTNT (Nov 2, 2008)

I received 3:1 shrink and techflex. The cable is 1/4" and I rang Techflex. They recommended 1/4" techflex, saying it come 1/8" pre stretched, but is in middle of expansion range when placed over 1/4" cable. I tried this and it looked good, but I think I might prefer less of the cable showing between stretched filaments, so I may order 3/8" which is 3/16" pre stretched.

Hockey isn't a big game here, so not sure where to get laces. I did find links to Nylon Braid in U.S., and wouldn't mind trying this. It looks more dense, like the hockey lace. I think the colour range may well be Henry Ford Black (_"Any customer can have a car painted in any colour he wants so long as it is black"_).

One thing I found and wish to say to repay the kindness shown on this thread. I bought a gas solder iron with hot knife attachment. I cut using the hot knife and always found I was about 3mm short, due to not knowing exactly where the plug would end. Even with shrink over, you could see the small gap through the shrink.

I found the solution. I have a spare very cheap iron with normal tip. I place the braid over the cable and pull it over the plugs. I then carefully use the normal tip like a pencil, and gently burn a line where the braid is stretched over the cable/plug junction. The braid is bulged over the junctioned the junction, so there is little danger of melting the cable or plug, if done with attention. This method is great, because if you can use a pencil, you can do this. Also, no need to be ultra precise about measurment, because you cut after the plugs go on.


Here is one I made.










The base cable I use is yellow, and green and Blue go very well with this. The yellow give a slight neon glow through the braid.


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## glaufman (Nov 25, 2007)

Very nice looking job!:T


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