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The Lost Art of Lacing Cable (2018)

thebroadcastbridge.com

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Re: The Lost Art of Lacing Cable (2018)

#12

Post by close04 »

stinos wrote: post #5
wickerman wrote: post #3

I didn't know about this at all! Why is it not done anymore?

Likely same reason as many, many other things: the modern 'automated' version (tie wraps usually) is easier, cheaper, faster. And has the standard consequences which unfortunately get ignored: requires close to no skill, plastic, seldom reusable, probably won't get recycled and ends up as waste eventually. Lacing has some of those disadvantages as well though.

One big problem with lacing is that it's one long string of knots instead of many individual tie points. You can always cut a zip tie and replace it with another. For lacing that was cut in the middle fixing is a slightly more involved process. So unless it's a final install it could bring some headaches. It's very unforgiving if you realize you got something wrong.

With regards to the material used, I have never used or seen waxed linen cord. It was always purely synthetic (plastics) possibly due to cost, availability, or performance.

Re: The Lost Art of Lacing Cable (2018)

#14

Post by gumby »

forgotmypwd123 wrote: post #4
wickerman wrote: post #3

I didn't know about this at all! Why is it not done anymore?

The comments below the article outline a few reasons. Overcompression of the cables, difficulty making changes later, etc. Cable ties and velcro wraps seem to make more sense.

“Zip tie” cable ties aren’t only the ones that risk overcompression but also have a big “box” that juts proud from the bundle which can interfere with threading, moving other things around it, can snag on things passing by, etc.

Re: The Lost Art of Lacing Cable (2018)

#15

Post by dsfyu404ed »

The internet loves to jack it to cable lacing but if it were really a silver bullet then you'd see it more. It's fine for holding wires together and being light weight but does little to protect wires from abrasion. There's a reason every modern wiring harness that isn't going into (or near) space uses split or expanding loom secured at the ends or spiral loom (not sure what the real name for that stuff is). Not to mention that cable lacing is slower and more expensive and easier to screw up than wire loom.

Cable lacing has its uses but those uses are nowhere near as common as the internet would have you believe.

And before you ask, I feel similarly about the western union splice. It's an outdated relic from a time when man hours were cheap and materials were expensive. They are very rare today for a reason.

And yes, I know this will be a very unpopular option here. Most people who understands the nuance of the trade-offs of various ways of securing wires are smart enough to avoid commenting in here. Obviously I am not that smart.

Re: The Lost Art of Lacing Cable (2018)

#16

Post by walrus01 »

Waxed string is still used by purists in the telecom industry, particularly for attaching -48vdc cabling to overhead ladder racks. Velcro is catching up rapidly.

There's a bellcore standard for waxed string diameter and tensile strength...

Bell document from 1984: https://fulltrackproductions.com/service%20bulletins/Complet...

https://youtu.be/aiO-rNyVngU

I know a number of people who will have a much lower opinion of you if you bust out a big bag of white zipties and then proceed to install them, and cut off the tails improperly (those things are SHARP).

Zipties are entirely banned from some major ISP pops that have large amounts of very critical , relatively fragile 2mm jacket singlemode fiber patch cables.

Re: The Lost Art of Lacing Cable (2018)

#17

Post by Aromasin »

dsfyu404ed wrote: post #15

The internet loves to jack it to cable lacing but if it were really a silver bullet then you'd see it more. It's fine for holding wires together and being light weight but does little to protect wires from abrasion. There's a reason every modern wiring harness that isn't going into (or near) space uses split or expanding loom secured at the ends or spiral loom (not sure what the real name for that stuff is). Not to m…

There's certainly a time and place for it though still. Certainly in the aerospace industry, cable lacing is a very important part of the harness making process. When trying to be compliant to safety measures (like incredibly low or high temperature points, flammability, or vibration) heatshrink/conduit/tape often fails spec and the only alternative is good old fashioned wires and lacing.

Re: The Lost Art of Lacing Cable (2018)

#19

Post by dsfyu404ed »

wickerman wrote: post #3

I didn't know about this at all! Why is it not done anymore?

Labor is expensive, materials are cheap. Cable lacing doesn't protect the wire from abrasion like wire loom does.

For bigger bundles of wires there's also the "plasic flow" (basically the weight of the bundle causing the cable to cut the insulation) issue another commentor mentioned that loom is basically immune to.

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