Cable Building - Techflex Installation - Super Tight or Moderate Stretch?

msg

I've been building some cables with materials ordered from Douglas Connection. I've been quite pleased with the results so far - Doug puts together some really nice kits and you can get everything you need from him for a great set of cables.

I have a question for anyone who's used Techflex -

How tight do you guys stretch it? The Furez cable I'm using is quite flexible on its own. By the time I finish with the cables, they're not quite as flexy, and I think it may be due to stretching the Techflex on pretty tight.

Do you guys just snug it up or do you work it down the cable for the tightest installation?

mantis

I build cables each and every day. I use Tech Flex on occasion when it makes sense. I usually don't put it on super tight. I do however shrink wrap the ends well so they don't come apart but I leave a little wiggle room so it doesn't do exactly what you experienced.

msg

Great, thanks Dan, this is what I figured. Indeed, the heat shrink is a must. With the ones I've already done, it seems like I can work the cable a bit to stretch this stuff a little, but on my next ones I'll relax on the stretch.

This is a lot of fun, and I've been pleased with the results so far.
Been talking to Doug. I think I'm going to try some of his Furez connectors, but I'd been killing myself the past few weeks researching connectors, ending up completely indecisive, so I just decided to go with the Sewell Silverbacks for now. These outer sleeves are non-conductive.

This cable set is one I made to be able to work with some vintage gear that doesn't have banana plugs or compression terminals like we've grown accustomed to - just spring clips. Sewell makes some flexy braided connectors that I thought I'd try as opposed to the pin ones, which I find wiggly and sometimes don't stay in place.

westmassguy

Very nice Scott

mantis

They look really nice.

pitdogg2

I do not use any tech flex on my cables. Those flexible ends you'll find have more problems than the pins. Most of all spring connectors I have come in contact with I could still use my bananas.

In my experience I have had the flexible ends short out from the flex think bread wrapper that you bend back and forth a few times.

pumpkinman

Very nice job Looks great

msg

Thanks guys, really enjoying this. The diy's a pretty rewarding experience, you know?

Thanks PD - that's good info on the flex braid connectors. Have you had actual shorts, or do you mean they deteriorate and you get spotty connectivity? I'll keep an eye out. Since they're double-screw type, at least they'll be easy to swap out if they become problematic. I may look for some better pin types in the meantime. I found some I might try, if I don't just pick up some MIT Iconn Pin Base connectors. I see those pop up from time to time. Use of the Iconn system would add some "flexibility" to the cables' use as well, in that you solder the pin base to the wire, and can then use them as a pin connector, or can thread on their other connector types, like bananas or spades.





These are the more affordable pin connectors I was looking at. The main thing I don't like about using connectors like these or the flex braid is that it somewhat limits the cables' use, and using them elsewhere would require changing the connector. It may be better in this case to just tin the wire in Cardas Quad and leave it at that? Only potential problem with that idea is that the smallest wire I use is 12awg, and I've noticed that this can be a bit of a tight fit in older equipment.

pitdogg2

Yes I did get intermittent shorts I traced back to the Monster flex pins I used. I did find the crimp on monster bananas would fit the spring type connectors. I have also use the last picture of pins and found they worked better then the straight type. Less stress on speaker post.

voltz

Looking good Scott!

msg

PD - yeah, that's what I figure, too.

Thanks Darryl (and also for enduring the bombardment with neurotic questions )

F1nut

For cutting Techflex you can get a rope cutting blade to use with the big Weller solder guns. Cuts, seals and prevents the ends from fraying. You can also use an old knife. Heat up the blade with a propane torch, then cut the Techflex. Works just like the Weller blade attachment.

To make the ends look pretty, there are sources for speaker boots available.

msg

ah, nice, good tips, thank you.
I hadn't really considered picking up cable boots/pants before, but now that you mention it, that would be a nice finishing touch.

helipilotdoug

We have these splitters we use when making speaker cables. They really make a nice transition from the main cable to the individual conductors. They are made from aluminum and are can be set up for several different sizes of cable.

msg

Oh, yes, good point, Doug. Indeed, this particular project and a couple of others I'm working on are bare bones diy upgrade from import wire, and not intended to be an standard example of the near artful offerings from Douglas Connection. Working on my own, I'm gaining real appreciation for Doug's work and all that goes into building a set of cables. The "Real DC" cables are very finished, professional construction, like these ones that DK had done (photo borrowed from DK's review):



Or these others that I saw while searching a while back:

voltz

I got to hear some of Doug's alpha bi-wires hooked up to the Polk SDS 3.1tl's at skip and driven by a Parasound Integrated amplifier, and it sound fantastic.

So i asked myself was it the speakers? (but their totally stock except tweeter) was it the Amp? or Doug's Cables....

The answer I gave myself was it was all 3 and who ever buys this needs to talk to Doug about pairing them with his cables You know he will do you right!

cortico

Nice job! I like the look of a stretched the braid, and always use the closest diameter to the cable so fibers get a bit more spaced out...here a few cables a made recently

cortico

Forgot to mention, I like to use waterproof heat shrink, it has thermal glue inside which helps bonding with the braid.

msg

woh, nice, man!
I like your design. very clean.
where do you source your connectors?

cortico

Thanks! On the amp side I just use bare wire lightly twisted, I found out that it works well with older spring clip speaker terminals. Speaker side it's just common Y spade connectors, those have hook that prevents it to come of if they eventually get loose.

motorhead43026

cortico wrote: »

Nice job! I like the look of a stretched the braid, and always use the closest diameter to the cable so fibers get a bit more spaced out...here a few cables a made recently

There is a SDA interconnect cable on eBay that looks just like yours, is it?

cortico

Yeah it's mine! I made a couple extra with the extra materials I ordered.

pitdogg2

cortico wrote: »

Forgot to mention, I like to use waterproof heat shrink, it has thermal glue inside which helps bonding with the braid.

Yep totally agree I like to use it as much as I can in all cable builds.

voltz

I see cortico has some CRS's too

a few cables I made:

msg

woh, Darryl, where'd you get the Furez stamped heatshrink? That looks very good on there.

cortico

voltz wrote: »

I see cortico has some CRS's too

Neat Looking cables Voltz! Yeah, I do have the earlier CRS version, love them!

Toolfan66

Nice work guys...

helipilotdoug

msg wrote: »

woh, Darryl, where'd you get the Furez stamped heatshrink? That looks very good on there.

I don't normally stock that Furez printed heat shrink but can get it for you if you want some. Just let me know

msg

Will do, Doug. I've been meaning to give you a shout to order a few things.