Velcro for cables

[Eric]

What do all of you use to hold cables together when they're coiled up?

I have a bunch of standard 1/4" cables without any of those fancy little elastic loops, so I'm thinking some velcro or something would help keep things in order. I'm just not sure of what sort of velcro to get or where to get it.

What do you use for these sort of thing??

 

[wingsdad]

Home Depot or Lowes, in the aisle with wiring stuff like staples, zip ties, etc...is where I find this kind of thing in various colors and lengths. A pack of 50 8" wraps for about $5 goes a long way:
velcro 8" cable wraps

 

[Spudman]

I use these.

They are available at Home Depot, Lowes etc. I put all my speaker cable together in a clamp, monitor cables in another clamp, mic cables in another and so on. Works really well to organize set up. I can just drop a clamped pile of cables in a location and know they aren't all tangled and scattered. It has really simplified setup and tear down.

 

[deeaa]

Have you tried tying up cables this way:

Instead of coiling the cable, fold it in two. Just take both ends in one had and run the cable thru the other hand. Repeat until it is just about long enough that you can simply turn it into a bowtie, just like a shoelace. The right fold lenght depends on cable thickness, but usually around two feet is best.

That way you get a coil of cable nicely tied in the middle, with loops for hanging at both ends and that you can toss around to your hearts content and it won't open. An old roadie showed me how to do that and it sure works. Also as a plus, when you open it, it just drops out free and doesn't tangle nearly as much as when coiled.

Much better than using external ties that gather dirt, get in the way or get lost etc. IMO.

 

[peachhead]

I always manage to find velcro at work, and it works for me when I need it.

 

[kiteman]

Rubber bands.

 

[Spudman]

Not trying to be too picky but as an engineer I would get fired for doing it your way. It's not good for cables. It puts extra stress on the braids and beaks the fine wires and leaves the cables with bends and humps. There is a reason cables are gently coiled in a loop when you buy them or get them off the spool. It is more friendly towards the longevity of the cable.

Have you tried tying up cables this way:

Instead of coiling the cable, fold it in two. Just take both ends in one had and run the cable thru the other hand. Repeat until it is just about long enough that you can simply turn it into a bowtie, just like a shoelace. The right fold lenght depends on cable thickness, but usually around two feet is best.

That way you get a coil of cable nicely tied in the middle, with loops for hanging at both ends and that you can toss around to your hearts content and it won't open. An old roadie showed me how to do that and it sure works. Also as a plus, when you open it, it just drops out free and doesn't tangle nearly as much as when coiled.

Much better than using external ties that gather dirt, get in the way or get lost etc. IMO.

 

[Eric]

Home Depot or Lowes, in the aisle with wiring stuff like staples, zip ties, etc...is where I find this kind of thing in various colors and lengths. A pack of 50 8" wraps for about $5 goes a long way:
velcro 8" cable wraps

I got some of these the other night, and they are great! Exactly what I was looking for. Thanks for the tip.

 

[Kazz]

I get rolls of velcro tape that I originally used to tidy up computer installations at work....This stuff you just cut off the length you want....wrap it around and attach it to itself......great stuff.

 

[deeaa]

Not trying to be too picky but as an engineer I would get fired for doing it your way. It's not good for cables. It puts extra stress on the braids and beaks the fine wires and leaves the cables with bends and humps. There is a reason cables are gently coiled in a loop when you buy them or get them off the spool. It is more friendly towards the longevity of the cable.

Well I've got some cables I've done that for 20 years to no ill effects and that's how the local PA rental company also stores cables. Of course you can't make sharp bends or such, and it's not possible with, say network cables or any cables with plastics on 'em but I assure you rubber-coated mic and guitar cables can quite easily take being turned to loose loop knots for gazillion times. The sharpest bends will be like three inches diameter anyway. If you coil them the other usual way i.e. loop and throw the last loop around the coil to keep it together, you'll be making a much tighter bend in the cable.

 

[Plank_Spanker]

Pipe cleaners................................twist them up and it's good.............they're also very cheap.