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The largest zip tie is nearly 4 feet long and $75

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Re: The largest zip tie is nearly 4 feet long and $75

#71

Post by wildzzz »

Nextgrid wrote: post #63
encom wrote: post #25

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Electrician here. When I went to school around 2006 or so, we actually learned how to do this. Except more like a historical curiosity. It certainly looks beautiful when done right. Sadly, nobody has time or budget for beauty any more, and that goes for all the trades. And so, I carry around bunch of cableties in my toolbag every day. If only people would learn to cut the ends off correctly, so the next guy doesn't t…

Isn't cable lacing just inferior? Let's say you need to replace a chaffed/damaged conductor. With cable ties you cut the ones around damaged area, splice in a replacement, and slap new ties on there. With cable lacing, cutting the lacing anywhere would cause the lacing of the whole cable to lose tension and unravel?

It's not too hard to slip a new wire into a laced bundle. In the places that still use lacing (aerospace), they use tefzel insulated wires that have the benefit of being super slippery against each other. This makes it easy to slip one in but it also helps reduce stiffness in the bundle because the insulation isn't sticking to itself as much as other things like vinyl.

Last cable I made: https://ibb.co/4gw3GQGL

Re: The largest zip tie is nearly 4 feet long and $75

#72

Post by Cthulhu_ »

tzs wrote: post #41
giardini wrote: post #12

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Can I buy one for a belt? I'm periodically needing to add another notch to my belts and this seems a good replacement! Maybe another few colors, please?

I've got a belt like this [1] which works great. It is a braided belt and the prong on the buckle simply goes through the braiding so you in effect can have a hole wherever you want one. I often adjust it depending on what I'm doing and after a few years I've not noticed in damage or degradation from sticking the prong through the braid. [1] https://www.walmart.com/ip/George-Men-s-35MM-Black-Stretch-B...

That one reminds me of the NATO straps popular in combination with Casio watches, I used to have that.

But for a belt, I also have (used to have?) a canvas belt with a buckle that would pinch the belt instead of go through it. Two actually, the one had two D-rings, the other had a more involved system with a bar going through a slotted box of sorts.

Re: The largest zip tie is nearly 4 feet long and $75

#73

Post by whynotmaybe »

arethuza wrote: post #69
whynotmaybe wrote: post #66

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Let me guess, you don't need to look at the weather, you know it is THE day when your inbox is full at 9am of messages from most of your colleagues taking the day off?

There's even a service for it: https://www.taps-aff.co.uk/

Awesome, love the conditions "Decentish" and "Pish"

Re: The largest zip tie is nearly 4 feet long and $75

#74

Post by arethuza »

tmtvl wrote: post #67
arethuza wrote: post #49

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I can't help thinking that people here in Scotland with convertibles (of which there are a surprising number) would probably use less than you per year ;-)

Is that a 'Scots are cheap and greedy' joke?

No, it's always been a source of amusement to me the number of people who have convertibles here...

Re: The largest zip tie is nearly 4 feet long and $75

#75

Post by ssl-3 »

cucumber3732842 wrote: post #58

I'm not gonna go down the list, but any "looks down his nose at everyone without a degree" type mechanical engineer (you know the type I'm talking about) can provide you a litany of reasons that a zip tie gets inefficient at this scale and why other options are better. This product likely exists because of a stupid bureaucracy somewhere that has approved zip ties but is such a labor wasting pain in the ass to deal wi…

Zip ties get used for lots of things, including as a part of the termination of flexible ductwork. In this capacity, they hold the outer insulating layer in place.

There are also other methods by which to do this, but some tradespeople prefer it.

Anyway, round ducts are girthy things to encircle. A circle with circumference of 48 inches has a diameter of just over 15 inches, which is not big at all in ductwork world.

(But such zip ties aren't shaped like the $75 wanktastic dumb shit that the article is about. They're just long.)

Re: The largest zip tie is nearly 4 feet long and $75

#76

Post by cainxinth »

cyode wrote: post #19

The supersized option in a line of products is always funny for some reason. Last week I chuckled upon seeing this online store's inventory of coffee makers: ...10 cups, 12 cups, 18 cups, 50(!) cups: https://www.bialetti.com/it_en/shop/coffee-makers.html?cups=... (The 50 cups option turned out to be a decorative piece.)

Oversized things are fun in general. I’ve always loved Claes Oldenburg’s giant renditions of everyday objects.

Re: The largest zip tie is nearly 4 feet long and $75

#77

Post by ssl-3 »

kqr wrote: post #35
encom wrote: post #25

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Electrician here. When I went to school around 2006 or so, we actually learned how to do this. Except more like a historical curiosity. It certainly looks beautiful when done right. Sadly, nobody has time or budget for beauty any more, and that goes for all the trades. And so, I carry around bunch of cableties in my toolbag every day. If only people would learn to cut the ends off correctly, so the next guy doesn't t…

As one of the people who don't know how to cut the ends off correctly, how do I do that?

Step 1: Cut the zip tie tail off using whatever semi-appropriate tool is at hand.

Step 2: Remove nail clippers from your purse.

Step 3: Use them to trim the remaining tail. One single satisfying click is sufficient to leave an end that barely protrudes, is nicely-rounded, and which lacks sharp-and-pointy features.

Alternatively: Use the China-clone of the Xuron flush cutters that your 3D printer came with, or buy some (the real ones are made in Maine). Just cut it as close as you can.

Or for higher volumes and/or better repeatability, Panduit (and others) sell installation tools that tension zip ties and automatically cut them off rather exquisitely once a predetermined tension is reached by just squeezing a handle.

Re: The largest zip tie is nearly 4 feet long and $75

#79

Post by ecshafer »

cyode wrote: post #19

The supersized option in a line of products is always funny for some reason. Last week I chuckled upon seeing this online store's inventory of coffee makers: ...10 cups, 12 cups, 18 cups, 50(!) cups: https://www.bialetti.com/it_en/shop/coffee-makers.html?cups=... (The 50 cups option turned out to be a decorative piece.)

I would have to check the size, I think its like 50 cups, but its a commercial coffee maker targeted towards caterers and offices. So 50 cups isn't that unbelievable, its 5 normal coffee pots. But for a moka pot its pretty large.

Re: The largest zip tie is nearly 4 feet long and $75

#80

Post by pixl97 »

gnfargbl wrote: post #44
einpoklum wrote: post #42

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That is still relatively easy to cut your finger on. I don't know that there's a correct way, really. You would probably have to take the time to file or sand the edges. Which kind of levels the playing field with the cable lacing option really in terms of time spent.

Trimming the excess flush with the head is the correct way. It's not perfect, but it is much safer than leaving a sharp stub sticking out. The absolute worst thing is to trim at any angle other than 90 degrees -- doing that creates a small knife.

We call them thorns, and it's to keep other people out of the wiring closet!
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