Navin

Member

Registered: 25 Aug 2011

Posts: 39

Cable ties

I have sore fingers today following a lot of wire twisting.

Apart from the need for bigger holes, are there any reasons not to use cable ties instead of copper wire?

One advantage of using them is that once the end is in the ratchet they can be tightened with one hand whilst the other applies pressure or holds parts in place.

They can be progressively tightened which could make adjustments easier although once tightened most can't be undone without cutting.

The smallest I've seen are 2.5mm

Phil

Employee

Registered: 8 Jun 2011

Posts: 68

Re: Cable ties

Firstly, good question.  Cable ties are something we have experimented with and indeed use on some of our boats.  Cables ties sound great, but in reality you have to use quite a large guage to get the strength required to match the wire, so you would need say a 2.5mm to 3.5mm hole. 

One major disadvantage when using cable ties is they are not easy to loosen once tightened, whereas you can easily untwist a wire. 

Wire can be removed, whereas the serated part of the ratchet gets stuck in the epoxy, meaning you have to leave the tie in, which if you have to reuse the same holes 2 or 3 times like with a Wood Duck or Shearwater, this is then not an option.  I suppose you could drill them out, but this then introduces another process and time.

For sore fingers, I recommend a small pair of pliers, which means you can tighten up wires with one hand without sore fingers.  Pliers are also useful for helping to feed wire through from the inside of a boat when sticking hull panel to deck.  They are able to grip the wire even when you have epoxy sticky (and gloved) fingers.

I hope this answers your question and also helps.

Phil

Richard

Member

From: East Sussex

Registered: 7 Jun 2011

Posts: 75

Re: Cable ties

I notice a lot of chat about plastic ties. at last clear and straight forward info thanks.

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Canoe & Kayak Owner

Navin

Member

Registered: 25 Aug 2011

Posts: 39

Re: Cable ties

Thanks Phil,

I have been using pliers as well, but I've found the wire snaps when I'm tightening up to pull joints together.

Phil

Employee

Registered: 8 Jun 2011

Posts: 68

Re: Cable ties

If you are having wires snap on a regular basis it could be you are twisting the wires too much. 

For best results you are supposed to push the wood together then pull the slack of the wire through, then twist the wire only sufficiently to hold the wood.  If you try and twist the wire like a tourniquet you run the risk of damaging the wood and snapping the wires.

You should try to follow these steps:

1.  Push the wood together
2.  Pull the wires to take the slack
3.  Twist the minimum required to hold the wood

I hope this helps and you have better results.