Perforated cable ties and buttons - At Last, A Tool ?

[rfs1957]

Is this what everyone uses or have I invented a good idea ?



I found fitting these a real pain and could never get them satisfactorily tight until I forged the end of an old screw-driver, and I've now been using it for a couple of years.



Because it's very thin, you can push against the button whilst putting tension on the strap -





and then the strap will bite on the button -





and the fork then serves to push the top strat hard down over the button





This has GOT to be of interest to someone, somewhere ?!

[PeterCrespin]

You need to get out more Rory - possibly out of France if Brexit is any guide :-(

I'd say it's a nice solution in search of a problem. After all, they're not hose clips, just a way of keeping the harness from dragging on the road. But hey, if you like 'em so tight you can see the electrons bulging the wire upstream, it's a neat tool. Reminds me of the clutch spring tool on old Brit bikes.

Glad you're back and posting though.

[christopher storey]

I do not think that being very tight is very desirable. And, IIRC, the last lot I bought was very easy to fit, because the holes had a slight longitudinal slit extension which made them very easy to fit .

[abowie]

The trick with this stuff is NOT to cut it to length.

Put a button in the last hole on the roll.

Wrap the tie around the engine frame and loom, with the cut end facing away from you and the button on a firm section on top. The roll goes under from front to back, and comes out above with the roll towards you.

Use the thumb of one hand to hold the end in place against the frame. Then with your other hand pull the roll hard towards you, stretching the tie towards you. Under tension the holes elongate. Pull the hole down over the button.

NOW cut off the roll.

[neil4444]

I just pull tight, push down over the pimple with a small bore socket & cut to length.
Oh, and in the winter I warm the roll before using.

[PeterCrespin]

I just pull tight, push down over the pimple with a small bore socket & cut to length.

Same here, except I use my thumbnail. The advantage of that is I never lose the special tool and if it breaks I have a spare. Now if my name was Churchill I could sell my nail clippings...

[rfs1957]

Well, well, that went down like a lead balloon eh ?

Tightness : not attempting to strangle wiring or w.h.y. but I could never get to that "next" hole that gave a better shape to the banding, and meant it stayed put.

Re-using : it is much easier to re-use again the bands you've removed with this tool, witness the comments from our friend abowie that the way to fit them is "not to cut them to length first" - perhaps implying that some of us then chuck them away ? I just re-fit them, and wanting to do so was one of the principal reasons I spent 5 minutes on the anvil and with a die-grinder to make the tool.

Yes, yes, Peter, I ought to get out more often.

Rory

[MarekH]

Why not just drop the cable tie into a cup of boiling water and it'll go on nice and easily. Failing that, use a hair drier on it for a minute.

kind regards
Marek

[rfs1957]

If the cars are worth so much, it indeed makes sense to just chuck the straps away every time you remove them.
On the other had, a small roll of perforated tape is £13.52 and the tool costs £0.20p
PS the holes in the SNGB tape are still the correct round shape and not slit.

[Heuer]

Original buttons were white, reproductions are black.

[ETTony]

Where do you guys source the buttons.
I can only find them for 11p +vat each, half a crown in old money each
I would expect a never ending bag of the things for a few quid.

[mgcjag]

Hi Tony....what you gat and what you expext are two different things have a look here strap and buttons http://www.sngbarratt.com/ProductDetail ... b9ba7e572a