Cable Management

[Edrick]

What's the name of the black chinese finger trap stuff that you would use to feed cables through to keep them organized?

 

[Chris15]

If it's what I think you're talking about, I know it as snake skin, though suspect that may be a brand name...

 

[cpf]

Braided expandable cable sleeves?

http://cableorganizer.com/wire-management/

 

[Les]

Kellems Grips?

http://www.controlbooth.com/wiki/Kellems+Grip

 

[derekleffew]

Braided Sleeving, Braided Sleeve, Techflex, Cable Sleeve, Braided Cable Sleeve, Expandable Braided Sleeving, or Mesh Cable Sleeve.

Braided Cable Sleeving, Braided Sleeves, Techflex, Cable Sleeves, Braided Cable Sleeves
Plastic Heat Shrink Tubing : Braided Wire Sleeving : Nylon Cable Tie : BuyHeatShrink.com : Expandable Sleeving : Gun : Tube : Printer

I also like spiral wrap:

http://cableorganizer.com/spiral-wrap/ , especially where cables have to enter/exit in the middle, with large connectors, or where feeding from one end is an issue. More versatile, but not as flexible.

 

[ScottT]

Personally I call them Chinese finger traps, but that's just me and I've never heard anyone else call them that.

 

[Edrick]

To cut the stuff do you need to use a hot knife? Someone told me you can just cut it and fold it in on it's self.

 

[museav]

To cut the stuff do you need to use a hot knife? Someone told me you can just cut it and fold it in on it's self.

For permanent installs I'm used to just cutting it and then putting heat shrink over the ends, extending the heat shrink a bit in either direction from the end of the braided sleeving to clean it up, keep the ends from getting snagged and keep the braid from sliding down the cables. You can also get braided sleeving that wraps around the cable bundle and has velcro down the entire length to close it, handy if you are routinely adding or removing cables from the bundle.

 

[bishopthomas]

What Brad said is what I do as well. I'll see if I can get pictures today of some of the snakes I've made.

 

[Edrick]

That'd be great always love photos.

 

[65535]

Techflex makes a clean cut expandable cable organizing sheathing that does not unravel and requires no hot knife or heat shrink.

 

[porkchop]

Kellems Grip is usually made out of metal and used for strain relief, techflex sounds like the stuff that you're looking for.

 

[museav]

Techflex makes a clean cut expandable cable organizing sheathing that does not unravel and requires no hot knife or heat shrink.

Unless you need to routinely add or remove cables then even the Techflex 'Clean Cut' product would typically still be used in conjunction with heat shrink or tape at the ends. If you leave the ends of the braided sleeving untreated then the sleeving tends to slide down the cable, get caught on edges, etc. Heat shrink or tape over the ends of the braid helps keep it in place on the cable bundle and generally makes the bundle a bit more user friendly. Techflex addresses both tape and heat shrink termination in their related technical information, Techflex - Literature Library.