gotchaforce
New Member
I posted this in audio theory but kensmith brought to my attention that we actually have a DIY subforum for things besides speakers and subs.... so here it is
final product:
My materials/supplies:
-Canare Canare 4S11 star quad
-tech flex 3/8th
-heat shrink 3:1: 1x 3/4, 1x 1/2, and 3x 3/8.
-wire stripper
heatshrink order:
http://www.partsexpress.com/webpage.cfm?&DID=7&WebPage_ID=73
partsexpress has nice, clean, heatshrink in my experience. Be sure to order the amount specified in my supplies list
star quad order:
www.bluejeanscable.com has cheap Canare 4S11 star quad, and they ship pretty damn fast
this is also where i got my locking banana plugs
techflex order:
http://www.partsexpress.com/pe/showdetl.cfm?&Partnumber=082-336
TECHFLEX CONSIDERATION:
Theres a crapload of stuff techflex makes.
If you go with the stuff i used, its cheap, and it still looks nice
im gonna experiment with nylon multifilament, and clean cut flame retardant however...
http://www.techflex.com/prod_CCF.asp
http://www.techflex.com/prod_NMN.asp
nylon multifilament = super soft, super professional looking
clean cut flame retardant = nice white tracers, EASY TO CUT, a little bit finer threading/softer than regular techflex.
its up to you to use these.
ANOTHER NOTE: If you plan on making 12' cables, 3/8th techflex will SHORTEN BY A LOT. One spool of 25' 3/8th DID NOT make two 12' cables! I had to buy two spools! I got some 1/2" techflex carbon to see how it fit over the star quad, and it did okay, its a hair bigger, so watch out for lumps and stuff though.
1) Take a ruler or something to measure with, then mark the cable with a black sharpie at 6.5".* Do this at BOTH ends.
*Note: 6.5" is about the MAXIMUM length you can do w/ 6" long heatshrink. You can also do shorter of course:
2) Do this to only one side of the cable for now. Theres about 1/16th to 1/8th of an inch of gray rubber around the cable that youll be cutting off. Take a box cutter or something sharp and precise and sort of saw into it at a very slow rate, if you feel it tearing into the tissue like paper around the cable then back off. You should feel it when you are through the gray rubber though, its not very difficult. Also, feel free to bend the cable to open the cuts and make it easier to follow the slice all around the cable. Try to make the cut straight around the whole circumference of the cable, if it isnt, no biggie, gonna be covered up a lot anyways.
3) Tug off the rubber outside
4) Cut all the string and junk, the smaller the scissors the better. We will braid em later...
Then cut the end off of each of the wires, an inch or so is good, anymore and it will be a hassle to fit it into banana plugs and crap:
5) Slide the techflex onto the end that you have NOT cut yet. (This step takes a while)
When youre done it will look like this:
final product:
My materials/supplies:
-Canare Canare 4S11 star quad
-tech flex 3/8th
-heat shrink 3:1: 1x 3/4, 1x 1/2, and 3x 3/8.
-wire stripper
heatshrink order:
http://www.partsexpress.com/webpage.cfm?&DID=7&WebPage_ID=73
partsexpress has nice, clean, heatshrink in my experience. Be sure to order the amount specified in my supplies list
star quad order:
www.bluejeanscable.com has cheap Canare 4S11 star quad, and they ship pretty damn fast
this is also where i got my locking banana plugs
techflex order:
http://www.partsexpress.com/pe/showdetl.cfm?&Partnumber=082-336
TECHFLEX CONSIDERATION:
Theres a crapload of stuff techflex makes.
If you go with the stuff i used, its cheap, and it still looks nice
im gonna experiment with nylon multifilament, and clean cut flame retardant however...
http://www.techflex.com/prod_CCF.asp
http://www.techflex.com/prod_NMN.asp
nylon multifilament = super soft, super professional looking
clean cut flame retardant = nice white tracers, EASY TO CUT, a little bit finer threading/softer than regular techflex.
its up to you to use these.
ANOTHER NOTE: If you plan on making 12' cables, 3/8th techflex will SHORTEN BY A LOT. One spool of 25' 3/8th DID NOT make two 12' cables! I had to buy two spools! I got some 1/2" techflex carbon to see how it fit over the star quad, and it did okay, its a hair bigger, so watch out for lumps and stuff though.
1) Take a ruler or something to measure with, then mark the cable with a black sharpie at 6.5".* Do this at BOTH ends.
*Note: 6.5" is about the MAXIMUM length you can do w/ 6" long heatshrink. You can also do shorter of course:
2) Do this to only one side of the cable for now. Theres about 1/16th to 1/8th of an inch of gray rubber around the cable that youll be cutting off. Take a box cutter or something sharp and precise and sort of saw into it at a very slow rate, if you feel it tearing into the tissue like paper around the cable then back off. You should feel it when you are through the gray rubber though, its not very difficult. Also, feel free to bend the cable to open the cuts and make it easier to follow the slice all around the cable. Try to make the cut straight around the whole circumference of the cable, if it isnt, no biggie, gonna be covered up a lot anyways.
3) Tug off the rubber outside
4) Cut all the string and junk, the smaller the scissors the better. We will braid em later...
Then cut the end off of each of the wires, an inch or so is good, anymore and it will be a hassle to fit it into banana plugs and crap:
5) Slide the techflex onto the end that you have NOT cut yet. (This step takes a while)
When youre done it will look like this:
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