Pet Carriers & Cable Ties
As you know, here at CableTiesPlus, we are always looking for different or unique ways people use electrical accessories. We have seen dresses made from cable ties and have discovered that you can use heat shrink tubing to fix handles on tools. I have found another way to use cable ties while I was watching Animal Cops on Animal Planet one day. As you may know if you have ever seen the show, there are times when the rescue team needs to go out on multi-animal rescues. When they do this, they fill their vehicles with pet carriers to put the animals in. When they put the pet carriers into the trucks, they are disassembled with the tops of the pet carriers fitting perfectly inside the bottom of the pet carrier. This allows the rescue team to get more pet carriers in the vehicles than they would if they left the pet carriers whole. They then quickly assemble the carriers on site to put the animals in.
Normally, the top attaches to the bottom of the pet carrier with nuts and bolts. This can be time-consuming to assemble so, if you have to do it quickly, or you have a lot to assemble, time is not of the essence in this case. The men and women of the show though do not use the nuts and bolts to put the pet carriers together, they use cable ties. By using cable ties, they can get the pet carriers put together quickly and securely before they load the animals into the pet carriers. One of the best things is no harm will come to the people handling the carriers because there are no nuts or bolts for them to scratch or cut themselves on. Another thing, they know that the animals are safely secured in the crates and they do not have to worry about any bolts not being secured correctly. The best part, it is cost-effective to use cable ties.
This is just another use of our cable ties. I’m sure there are many more unusual uses so please feel free to comment below and let us know your unusual use of cable ties.
Our 2013 New Year Resolutions
As the year ends, it is natural that we look back at the year and see what resolutions we need to make. Here at CableTiesPlus, we are no different.
First, thank you, our customers for making 2012 as successful of a year that it has been. We know that you have many choices and you chose us and for electrical supply needs, for that, we are very thankful.
Our first resolution is to provide the best in customer service. Here at CableTiesPlus, we have always been committed to providing excellence in customer service. We train our customer service representatives to be knowledgeable in all our products and we want to continue to provide that excellence in customer service in 2013 and beyond.
Our second resolution is fast and accurate shipping. However you place an order, when we receive that order, we want to ensure that when you place an order, you know that you will receive exactly what you ordered. While we take steps to ensure that happens, during 2013, we want to continue on with our record and ensure that when you need something, our warehouse staff continues to get the items to you quickly and accurately so that your projects are successful.
Our third resolution is communication. Communication is so important. Here at CableTiesPlus, we have many different ways of communicating with our customers. You can sign up for our emails on our home page, www.cabletiesplus.com. We send out information such as new products and what we have going on sale. We are also on Facebook. Follow us for updates to our blog, new products, and products you may not have known we carry.
Thank you all for making 2012 a wonderful year for us. May you and yours have a prosperous new year.
Unusual Uses for Heat Shrink Tubing
Heat shrink tubing is a very versatile tool to use around wiring and cable installations. With the ability to shrink around the installation and the protections it offers, heat shrink tubing is a must have in electricians’ boxes. However, after reading on the web some unusual uses for heat shrink tubing, I thought I would share some of them.
An article in hatches Magazine from January 2006 (http://www.hatchesmagazine.com/page/january2006/89), shows how the author used heat shrink tubing for making legs for his fishing flies. I do have to warn you, the pictures in this article may be disturbing to those who do not make fishing flies, however, the article for those of you who do make flies will find the information very useful.
I have used adhesive lined heat shrink tubing to fix handles on my tools when the grips become pitted. It works great and the tools even feel better because it has a softer grip on them.
Broom and mop handles can use some softening. Adhesive-lined heat shrink tubing works great for this. Just cut the length you want and heat it up and you have a soft grip now on your handles.
Another use I read about was a Special Education teacher used adhesive-lined tubing to help her students be able to grip their pencils better.
A backpacker blogged about using heat shrink tubing for sealing the end of his cords and ropes. He also mentions about using heat shrink tubing to help out the titanium tent stakes.
While the purpose of this article is to share the creative heat shrink uses CableTiesPlus would like to remind you that these are not accepted uses of heat shrink tubing. Please use caution when using heat shrink tubing for these uses.
American Wire Gauge
The United States has set some standards for measuring the wire gauge of electrical wiring called the American Wire Gauge (AWG). This is the size of a copper wire that is used in electrical applications. This standard was needed in order for everyone to be able to use a standard measurement of wiring across manufacturers and across locals.
Wire Gauge Sizes
Determine the size of the wire based on gauge number can be confusing. The best way to remember is: The higher the gauge number, the smaller the diameter of the wire is. For instance, a 0000 wire is 0.4600 inches in diameter but a 14 gauge wire has a diameter of 0.0641 inches. I realize that this is counter intuitive, but if you remember, bigger gauge #=smaller wire diameter, you will be okay. Now, as always, there are exceptions to this rule, but for our purposes, when working with copper electrical wiring, you will be okay with that rule because the majority of household wiring follows this rule.
If you need to know the diameter of a certain gauge, there are several tables you can look at on the internet. Wikipedia has a nice table. You can also use a calculator to determine the diameter of wire.
Color Coding on Electrical Wiring
Color coding for wiring is very important so that everyone knows what a ground wire is and what a live wire is. The only two items that are color mandated in the United States are the neutral and ground wires. Neutral wiring is either white or gray. Note: some call the white silver. In the United States, the standard is green, bare copper, or green and yellow striped for ground. Any other color wiring is for the phases wire (the wire that conducts electricity).
Accessories – Different Terminals and Connectors
There is a wide variety of terminals and connectors on the market today for joining wires. What many people do not know is that when choosing a connector, you must know what sizes of wire the connector will fit. Unfortunately, unlike the physical wires, there is no set standard with coloring. For instance, the table below shows the different colors and what each color means for the wire connectors we carry at CableTiesPlus. These sizes are for copper-to-copper wiring only.
AWG Color Coding
Blue300V
No. 22 to 14 AWG
Min. 2 No. 22 Str
Max. 3 No. 16300V
.64 mm DIA to 1.63 mm DIA
Min. .65 mm2
Max. 3.93 mm2*1,000V maximum in fixtures and signs.
| Color | Wire Combination Range(Inches) | Wire Combination Range(mm) | Gray | 300VNo. 22 to 16 AWGMin. 2 No. 22 StrMax. 2 No. 16 | 300 V.64 mm DIA to 1.29 mm DIAMin. .65 mm2Max. 2.62 mm2 | Orange | 600V*No. 22 to 14 AWGMin. 1 No. 18 & 1 No. 20Max. 4 No. 16 & 1 No. 20 | 600V.64 mm DIA to 1.63 mm DIAMin. 1.34 mm2Max. 5.76 mm2 | Yellow | 600V*No. 18 to 12 AWGMin. 2 No. 18Max. 4 No. 14 & 1 No. 18 | 600V1.02 mm DIA to 2.05 mm DIAMin. 1.64 mm2Max. 9.14 mm2 | Red | 600V*No. 18 to 10 AWGMin. 2 No. 14Max. 2 No. 10 & 2 No. 12 | 600V1.02 mm DIA to 2.59 mm DIAMin. 4.16 mm2Max. 17.14 mm2 |
|---|
When looking at wiring accessories, it is important to look at the details for the individual items to ensure you are getting the proper accessory for the wiring you are using.
We hope you enjoyed learning a little bit more about wiring and how sizes are determined. A little side note. The size rule, higher gauge=smaller diameter, also works when you are working with sterling silver or gold wire for jewelry.
4 Uses for Cable Ties
There is an old saying, if it looks like a duck, walks like a duck, and quacks like a duck, it must be a duck. While that is true in many instances, it is definitely not true with cable ties. Cable ties are a staple in any electrician’s tool box, but did you know that there are many other uses around the home and office that you did not even think about? Here are five different uses for cable ties that you may not have thought of.
1: Making Decorations
This adorable spider was made by Martha Stewart using black cable ties and other objects.
http://www.marthastewart.com/268681/black-spider-craft
This cute snowman Christmas wreath is put together with green cable ties. The instructions on how to make this wreath can be found at http://sewmanyways.blogspot.com/2010/11/tool-time-tuesdaysnow-wreath.html.
This woman made a Christmas tree using cable ties and mess. Is is not pretty. I am thinking of doing this one this year. She includes step by step instructions on her blog.
http://www.makesmyheartsmile.com/2012/11/christmas-decorationswhat.html
This Better Homes and Garden herbal Christmas wreath is also put together with cable ties. Directions can be found here: http://au.lifestyle.yahoo.com/better-homes-gardens/gardening/how-to/h/-/15455237/how-to-make-a-herbal-christmas-wreath/
Martha Stewart uses cable ties to make this beautiful Autumn center piece. http://www.marthastewart.com/267415/autumn-branch-centerpiece
2: Jewerly
Ambre France, a jeweler in the UK has fun making jewelry from cable ties. She makes earrings, bracelets, and rings out of cable ties. You can view her jewelry at the website: http://ambrefrance.co.uk/pieces/cable_ties.html
Heather M Skowood makes some pretty jewelry with cable ties. http://ganoksin.com/blog/heatherskowoodjewelry/2010/06/07/new-cable-tie-jewelry-2/
3: Home Decorations
Andi Regan in New Zeland makes these beautiful wreaths that are not for the holidays. These are made to hang on the wall all year round.
http://www.cleverbastards.co.nz/the-store/art-%26-object/mini-sea-urchin—orange%2C-red/34385
This bowl is pretty awesome. This person used several different sizes of cable ties to make this work. This one took a lot of patience and forethought before even starting.
http://www.maydae.com/2010/04/
3: Furniture
Even furniture can be made from cable ties.
http://blog.gessato.com/2011/09/03/meltdown-chair/
4: Clothing
Andi Regan even makes clothing out of cable ties. This is a dress she made a while ago. You can visit her facebook page http://www.facebook.com/pages/Andi-Regan-Art/166807220028116 to see some of her other creations.
As you can see, cable ties are just for cable organization and identification. You can do anything with them from making household items to making a gown that can be worn down the runway. Contact CableTiesPlus for all your cable tie needs. They carry cable ties in different colors to add color to your artistic products.
3M Resuable Fasteners
At Cable Ties Plus (CTP), we offer more than just cable ties, we offer heat shrink tubing, wire connectors, and more. This product, in some situations, can replace screws thus saving having to put holes into items. It can also attach signs to just about any clean surface including your automobile, plus keep things closed such as a door or box. This product is called Hook & Loop Fastener. Here at CTP, we are carrying the Trial Bags which is a 1 inch by 10 foot roll in black.
Hook & Loop
The Hook & Loop Fastener on one side has soft pliable loops. The other side has J-shaped loops that when you put the two sides together, they grab a loop and hold.
The Hook & Loop Fastener is available with two main type of adhesives, acrylic and rubber based. Note: When using pressure sensitive adhesives (PSA) a cure time of 1 hour is the minimum amount of time before using the product in its intended use. It is recommended that you wait 72 hours for maximum adhesive bonding and drying.
There are two types of rubber adhesives available on the Hook & Loop. Both adhesives are pressure sensitive (PSA). One is a high performance rubber adhesive. This allows the fastener to be attached to a wide variety of substrates (surfaces). The high performance adhesive is used on part number: TB3526N/TB3527N. The other rubber adhesive is a general purpose rubber adhesive which is good for low surface energy surfaces and is available on part number TB3530/TB331N.
The Hook & Loop Fastener also comes with an acrylic PSA. One is a general adhesive which is good for a variety of surfaces and provides a good temperature resistance, part number TB3546/TB3547. The other acrylic PSA is referred to as a high performance acrylic. This acrylic adhesive is resistant to many environmental and chemical conditions. It also has a high temperature resistance. Part number TB3571/TB3572 is available with this adhesive.
The Hook & Loop fastener also comes in a low profile or thin product where concealing the way the item is attached is important. This fastener’s part number is TB3506/TB3507. This product has about 1400 polypropylene hooks per square inch. Both sides of this product have a general purpose acrylic PSA. This product is available only in white.
Lastly, this fastener also comes in a polyester material which is good for moisture resistance. The PSA is high performance acrylic which offers resistance to some environmental and chemical
Dual Lock Reclosable Fasteners
The Dual Lock Reclosable Fastener is a new product in our fastener line. We are currently carrying the fastener in the trial bag size. This gives the user a 1”x 10’ roll.
The Dual Lock Fastener has as unique look. The strips contain stems that look like a bunch of little mushrooms lined up in a row. When you mate two strips together, you get an interlock that creates a strong seal. You can also hear them snap together giving you the knowledge that the product is securely sealed.
The Dual Lock Fasteners come in 3 different stem densities: 170, 250, and 400. This means that there are 170, 250, or 400 stems per square inch. By combining different stem densities, you can create the strength you need. CableTiesPlus carries two different trial bag options: 250/250 and 400/170. We recommend using either the 250/400 combination for the strongest hold or the 250/170 for the lightest loads. The 400/170 provides a medium weight hold. 3M does not recommend using a 170/170 as this combination is the weakest combination available and it may not hold up under any pressure. Nor do they recommend using the 400/400 combination unless it is a permanent solution, because it provides the strongest hold and you may damage the fasteners when trying to pull the two sides apart.
Adhesives
The fasteners are available with two different types of adhesives. A rubber based adhesive and an acrylic based adhesive. Both of these adhesives are pressure sensitive so once you place the strips onto a surface, a cure time of 1 hour is the recommended minimum amount of time before using the product in its intended use. It is recommended that you wait 72 hours for maximum adhesive bonding and drying. Both these adhesives provide a permanent bond.
Rubber Adhesive
The Dual Lock Reclosable Fasteners, TB3540 and TB3541/42, come with a rubber based pressure sensitive adhesive (PSA) which is good for many plastic surfaces, powder coated paints and other low surface energy materials.
Acrylic Adhesive
Acrylic adhesives bond to the widest variety of surfaces including hard-to-bond-to surfaces such as oily metals and hard-to-bond-to plastics. The Dual Lock Fasteners, TB3550 and TB3551/52 have an acrylic PSA.
Closures
Each combination of fasteners has an approximate life cycle of 1000 closures which saves money and time because you do not have to keep changing the fasteners out. The table below is a summary of the products.
|
Part Number |
Material |
Stem Density |
Backing |
Life Cycle of Closures |
Temperature Resistance |
|
CP-TB3550 |
Polypropylene |
250 |
Acrylic PSA |
1000 |
200°F |
|
CP-TB3551/52 |
Polypropylene |
170/400 |
Acrylic PSA |
1000 |
200°F |
|
CP-TB3540 |
Polypropylene |
250 |
Rubber PSA |
1000 |
120&F |
|
CP-TB3541/42 |
Polypropylene |
170/400 |
Rubber PSA |
1000 |
120&F |
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to call us at 800-926-5981.
Releasing Cable Ties
You used a cable tie to bundle something together and now you need to open the bundle. No matter how many times you try or what you try, you cannot open the cable tie you used. Fortunately, you are not alone. Most cable ties are meant to do this. Cable ties, unless specifically identified as releasable are one use only. They are meant to close, not open. The only way to get that tie open is by cutting.
When cutting a cable tie, you can use scissors. When using scissors, please ensure you are using the right scissor strength. Kiddie scissors will not work and can possibly break. You do not need the heavy duty scissors or some type of major lock cutter, you just need strong scissor that can do the job properly. We do urge you though, to please be very careful as most cable ties are not meant to be easily cut. If you are trying to cut through extra heavy duty cable ties or metal cable ties, please use a wire cutter as this is the safest cutting tool for the job.
Another caution when cutting a tie is to ensure you are not cutting into whatever the tie is holding together. Make sure you hold the scissors parallel to the surface of what is bundled. This will ensure that you do not cut into whatever is being bundled.
If you know you are going to need a reusable cable tie, CableTiesPlus carries a variety of releasable cable ties that will work.
About CableTiesPlus
Don’t let our name fool you, CableTiesPlus carries more than just cable ties. Yes, we have a large selection of cable ties for just about any job you are about the tackle but we also have many other products. Here at CableTiesPlus, we specialize in electrical and electronic wiring accessories.
We carry a large selection of heat shrink tubing. This tubing is used to protect wiring and cable bundles from the elements, corrosives, and many other items. We have two different kinds of shrink tubing, flexible unlined and adhesive lined.
We also carry a large selection of expandable braided sleeving. This is used when your product does not need the environmental or chemical protections that the heat shrink tubing offers. This product is available in either a flame retardant or general purpose product.
CableTiesPlus also carries an enormous inventory of terminals and connectors. From butt connectors to wing connectors, we have the size and voltage you need.
The inventory that is available on our website is not our total inventory. If you do not see what you are looking for on our website, please call us at 800.926.5981. Our customer service representatives are happy to assist you in any way they can.