Relaxing Cables

[DavidDaMonkey]

We are finally getting around to sorting, labeling, and inventory-ing all of our power and XLR cables. I also want to relax all the bends and kinks out of them and re-roll them correctly. I've heard this can be done by just laying them out in the sun. Does anyone have any experience with this? How long does it take? Do I need to hang them, or can they just lay flat on the ground? I think I'm going to do it on the roof, so either is an option, as least for some of the shorter ones, although just laying them out flat would be easier.

 

[Eboy87]

I lay them down my driveway in the sun and have no problems. To quote Tank in the movie Space Cowboys, "Sure will take the wrinkles out."

 

[derekleffew]

I prefer hanging them, as laying them out will not necessarily remove the twists and kinks. If you have a fly system, attach one end of each cable to a batten and fly it to high trim. If the cables are too long, attach just the center.

Another way, though more labor-intensive, is to throw one end off a high place, then coil it by pulling up one coil's length at a time.

Once relaxed, take care not to make the cable all tense again when coiling. Over/under or CW or CCW; the cable will tell you what it wants. Become Zen with your cables, and they will do you right.

 

[DavidDaMonkey]

Once relaxed, take care not to make the cable all tense again when coiling. Over/under or CW or CCW; the cable will tell you what it wants. Become Zen with your cables, and they will do you right.

Its not my "Zen"ness I'm worried about. Its the various "helpers" that try to wrap the cable around their forearm thats the problem.

 

[MNicolai]

I did this a few weeks ago. By the time we finished laying out all of our 2P&G extension cords, edison extension cords, mic cables, speaker cables, and everything else, we were already able to start coiling up the first ones we set out.

Oh, plus while doing this we discovered a raccoon in one of our dumpsters, which got in overnight, but had no way to get out. We ended up having to put a ladder in there for it to climb out on.

Don't just think of it as relaxing them, but also consider that once you've coiled them up properly, or improperly also for that matter, they will start to "tense up" in the way you've coiled them. I like to think of it as training my cables.

 

[soundlight]

Putting them out straight in the sun is the best way that I've found. Works great. Just make sure to coil the cable the way that it wants to be coiled.

 

[Hughesie]

or you can try this,

say your taking the cables to relax them and claim it on business expenseses

 

[Sayen]

or you can try this,

say your taking the cables to relax them and claim it on business expenseses

Just for today, you get to be my hero. I think I need to go call my work.

 

[DavidDaMonkey]

Well I laid out the cables today and almost all of them relaxed wonderfully. There are a few stubborn ones that I'm going to leave out overnight since they are on the roof and no one will touch them. Thank goodness for this Texas heat!

 

[tech2000]

I never before thought of laying the cables in the sun. Good idea! I have some cables to do that to!

 

[Clifford]

So do I. We've got a few coils of the nastiest 1/4" jack I've ever seen. Now I know what the new people will be doing in the fall.

 

[Les]

While they're in the sun and the tape goo (if applicable) is all sticky, you'd might as well take some cleaner to them also!

 

[Raktor]

While they're in the sun and the tape goo (if applicable) is all sticky, you'd might as well take some cleaner to them also!

Isopropyl works good.

 

[Les]

Thanks! I avoided specifying anything because I wasn't sure what would be best to use

 

[FMEng]

Once relaxed, take care not to make the cable all tense again when coiling. Over/under or CW or CCW; the cable will tell you what it wants. Become Zen with your cables, and they will do you right.

Amen! If you wrap cables correctly, you'll never have lumpy, twisted cables. I can show you 30 year old Gotham mic cables that lay as flat as the day they were bought, because they were always wrapped right. Uh oh, I'm showing my age.

 

[howlingwolf487]

We wipe our cables down with something...thought it was "GreenGlo" or something like that, but I'm not sure.

Lay them out in the sun afterwards and roll them up nice and neat.

Also, you can hang them from the grid or a batten with a little weight in the free end of the cable.

 

[Ross]

I like to get my cables drunk. After all, it usually relaxes me.

 

[Hughesie]

I like to get my cables drunk. After all, it usually relaxes me.

Combine that with my beach holiday idea and we're in business

 

[museav]

I like to get my cables drunk. After all, it usually relaxes me.

Then the audio comes though louder than normal but all slurred!

 

[Van]

Combine that with my beach holiday idea and we're in business

I'm glad y'all finally went there, I've been fighting the desire to swoop in with a smartass comment for a week.

Oh BTW I prefer a citrus based cleaner for my cables when cleaning them, keeps them from geeting exposed to too much alcohol, which is a bad thing.