Just curious of how everyone else does it. I am working on an 8ft timesaver+ and its going to be DC for the time being. How do you attach the wires to the underside of the plywood? I tried a staple gun but the crushed the wire.
Thanks in advance
A staple gun made for wire would work a lot better. (IE The Arrow T25)
Or cable ties with a screw mount loop at one end.
Or tie wrap bases, with the caveat that the glue might last long term, so add a small screw though the center.
Or specialty wire mounting clips.
I hope that this is helpful.
The mind is like a parachute. It works better when it's open. www.stremy.net
You can use screw eyes or I have also used plastic cable staples. They do not hold the wire tight as the staples from the gun, but I prefer that, so that if I need to make adjustments, there is a little slack to work with. If you want to hold them tighter, just loop the wire around and through a second time. There are also, pound in wire staples made for telephone wires that should work, very similar to the ones for the above gun, but you have to hammer them in.
I also bore holes through my frame and pass the wires through those to keep them up out of the way.
Good luck,
Richard
Just tape a small piece of cardboard to the bottom of the Staple Gun.
This will rais the gun up a small amount and then the staple will not cut through the wires.
You may have to play around with the thicknesses of the cardboard until you find a combination that works.
I usually just hold the staple gun away from the wires and shoot the staple into the wood just enough to hold the wires - if I want the staple tighter I can always use a small hammer to bump the staple tighter to the wires!
BOB H - Clarion, PA
I use safety cup hooks. They allow me to remove the wire when making connections and hold it out of the way the rest of the time.
Enjoy
Paul
I use a staple gun with a cable standoff attachment, but I still don't staple the wires. I put the staple in parallel to the cable run and then put a cable strap under the staple and over the wires. You can do the same thing with twist ties like the ones that come with garbage bags. You can even use a short piece of wire.
If you staple a twist tie, you don't even need the stand off. Just staple the twist tie in the middle and then twist it around the wire.
The reason I don't just staple the wire is that I want to be able to add or subtract wires in the future without having to pull all the staples.
Dave
Lackawanna Route of the Phoebe Snow
If you have an electric staple gun look for a small lever next to the staple head. Many will have the lever that when pushed lowers a wire guide to prevent the staple from pushing past the wire.
Springfield PA
Screw in Coffee cup hooks can be used for the same thing.
Johnnny_reb Once a word is spoken it can not be unspoken!
My Train Page My Photobucket Page My YouTube Channel
I use plastic anchors that are held in place with a single nail. The wires are strung through the open section of the plastic anchor.
Rich
Alton Junction
I use plastic cable clamps:
Nick
Take a Ride on the Reading with the: Reading Company Technical & Historical Society http://www.readingrailroad.org/
nbrodar I use plastic cable clamps: Nick
Just curious, Nick. What are the clothespins for?
Marlon
See pictures of the Clinton-Golden Valley RR
Medina1128 Just curious, Nick. What are the clothespins for?
The clothespins hold my skirting.
I'm not a believer in men wearing skirts. Unless of course you're scottish
Watch what you say about us Scots. I know where you shop!
Clothes pins work great. Relatively cheap. got the idea from a MR magazine from '68(?).
Thats exactly what I was looking for. Picked up a couple packs today and they work great.
Thanks all.
I drilled 1" holes about 12" apart in the under structure of the benchwork, and run all of my wiring thru these holes.
CCG
Spring clothespins from the Dollar Store are the cheapest way to go, for me anyway. I don't have a pack right in front of me, but I think they're 24 or 36 to a pack. I use latex to mount them, so they're easy to position and remove and provide a flat surface for writing.