Lost art of cable lacing

[boji]

"last lock stitch" 

Ok that is a tie-off to remember.  Pretty too.  I think they do fishing poles that way as well, right before adding lacquer.

Thanks PRR.

 

[boji]

Updates:  Ok, after testing with different threads, nomex is the only way to go. 

Wax resists loop slippage, keeps knots tight as you move to next stitch,  is easier to pass under wires than standard thread, and shrinks in diameter when under tension.

As for the fancy Japanese solder sucker... meh.  Naysayers were right on this one.  No better than the standard big blue plastic ones, the exception being the nozzle does not melt.
Back to hot air + NTE or MG Chem superwick!

 

[PRR]

Sandman (telephone supplies) has waxed string.
http://www.sandman.com/25pair.html
(looong page, Search for "waxed", about 2/3rd down)
"Used instead of Tie Wraps in the old days (before Tie Wraps existed), and in Central Offices (and for special equipment) these days."
Also the "needles" which make it easier to pull ends through loops.

NASA Cable Lacing Instructions:
http://www.sandman.com/files/NASAcable%20lacing40-43.pdf

Also "telephone grey" tie-wraps in case you need to hide the fact you were tampering with Ma Bell's cables.

He has 28" tie-wraps. You can also find them in HVAC supply: used to terminate flexible duct.

And Velcro tie-wraps.

And mushroom spools and several D-rings.

 

[boji]

Ooh More diagrams.  And without copier degradation.  Tasty links!

Thanks PRR!

Edit: And such love on the sandman pages,  as I'm knee deep in RJ45 interconnects.  Should have just stuck with DB 15/25 convention.  Hindsight 20/20 n all.

 

[PRR]

> I'm knee deep in RJ45 interconnects

I'm just doing CAT0 patching. One POTS phone line to 5 jacks in the house. But the jack runs are crap-wire or abused. We already identified one bad wire that was killing service, and the re-re-re-re-splicing around was getting really ugly.

While 8-wire RJ45 is total overkill for one phone line, the stuff is *cheap* and easy to patch in/out. Line from demarc comes in lower left, punched-down on lower block with 12 parallel RJ45. Lines from house come in from above and punch-down to 8 separate RJ45. Jumpers patch in/out to make/break any single line at will.

 

[boji]

Ugh, yessr.  Breakout trees are giving me premature basal thumb arthritis (I suspect).

But +1 on cat0/3 over cat5. My knees much prefer delivering 4-line RJ11 where businesses can sacrifice a run initially meant for internet. But those are the same people who won't chance VoIP no matter how much I tell them it's better and cheaper.  :

 

[PRR]

Phone went out AGAIN!! (10 of the last 30 days.) With patching I quickly proved that it was bad at the inside demarc with all upstairs lines disconnected. So out in the hot sun to check at the outside demarc. No tone, 0.000V DC where should be 48V. "Not my fault!"

It cleared-up in 2 hours. They may have been working on the lines. (On a Sunday??) Dead-Zero is more a short than an open (mile of wire will pickup some stray V). The concentrator at the end of the street was zapped in a lightning storm last week, and they may still be cleaning ashes.

 

[alexc]

When I was a student engineer working in the local railway authority, I was posted to various places in the 'running sheds' where the various trades people and some engineers would refurb the 'rolling stock'  ...  electric rail cars used in urban and inter-urban services.

Well, even a plain electric rail car with overhead pantograph power has a tremendous amount of wiring, terminating areas and switching relays to the max.

They all had the large blue print plans to their 'wiring' and they knew exactly what they were doing.

To me, at 18yrs old and still coming to terms with getting up at 5am, it seemed incredible - more like 'knitting' and 'crochet' of what appeared to be dozens of wiring looms, each being bundles of 50 or so serious current  'control distribution' wires.

Everyone properly terminated, identified with special tagging  collars (labelling)  ..  and running the full length of the car to the couplings, and all the local functions, doors, alarms, hydraulic monitors, etc etc.

And the stitched it all up in these beautiful looms ..  mechanically robust, immobilized for heavy duty environments and so on.


Amazing stuff, and they did it mostly lying down or on their backs ..  sometimes sitting comfortably at the junction boxes .. with peak concentration in the early morning cold.

Just working thru the blueprints for any given 'circuit' was a challenge, to my fresh out of high school eyes  ???

...

But yes - the art of loom assembly and commisioning is a great art of the electrical people!

 

[boji]

sometimes sitting comfortably at the junction boxes .. with peak concentration in the early morning cold.

You put me there!  Nice story.

 

[boji]

The concentrator at the end of the street was zapped in a lightning storm last week, and they may still be cleaning ashes.

I looked up concentrator and all I could find were parabolic reflectors for making chicken noodle soup.

 

[PRR]

> parabolic reflectors for making chicken noodle soup.

Yes, I believe that is what my telephone company is using. It can't hurt!

Try some context. Google telephone concentrator.