what about regular electrical tape?
On Wed, 29 Oct 2008, Tom Fowle wrote: > Here's a handy idea a colleague technician suggested which I used successfully > > I wanted to wrap something around 2 wires from a temperature sensor > to make a neat cable. The sensor came with 2 3 foot teflon wires, but nothing > to hold them together. > > You can get teflon shrink tubing but it is expensive > and tends to be kind of stiff. > > My colleague, martin, suggested using teflon > plumber's tape thusly. > > I fixed two pegs to clamps on the edge of my bench so that they stuck > up a few inches in the air far enough apart > to hold the wires. I filed slots in the tops of these pegs to hold > the wires and taped them in place so the wires were > neatly stretched out above the bench edge. > > I took plumber's teflon tape, rolls cost a buck or so > from any hard warestore, and started near one end of the wires. > > First I wrapped two or three turns over top of each other going around the > wires, and holding a little pressure. The tape isn't sticky but sticks to its > self when pulled only slightly tight. > > Then I began wrapping the tape in a spiral > around the wires trying to keep maybe a 30 degree angle > where the tape left the wires so as to make the spiral. Make sure each wrap > covers the previous one by about half the tape width. > > It is not, as you may think, a fussy or critical > job, it just takes a bit of time. > > As long as there is some slight tension as you wrap, it comes out > fine and makes a nice neat, non-meltable covering. > > I slipped short lengths of actual shrink tubing over the ends, one where the > wires came from the temperature probe, and one where I soldered the wires > into a 1/4 inch plug. These make sure the ends of the teflon tape stay put. > > Shrink the tubing with your heat gun, or someone's hot breath if available, > and you're done. > > It's been kicking round the lab for a week during testing and hasn't fallen > apart yet. > > This scheme would be hard to do for longer lengths, but worked great for this > setup. > > Apparrently even though my wraps aren't perfectly even, it looks fine. > > Have fun > Tom Fowle > >
