Cable ties - never see them used to hold cables

[funkyrobot]

Whilst sat at my desk pondering many things, I had a thought about cable ties. Why is it that you hardly ever see them holding cables, but securing pretty much everything else?

I've seen them used for all manner of things on bikes, in engine bays, holding pictures up etc. However, I hardly ever see them holding cables together.

Is there anything else that is used for so many other things than the name implies?

[randlemarcus]

Duct tape. I have used it to seal a duct before, but mostly it lives in the van, with the hoods

[FN2TypeR]

I used to ply my trade as a sparky so I have seen many a cable tie holding many a cable in place.

The worst ones are the low quality ones - if you really yank on them to pull them tight they snap and you punch yourself in the face as your hand comes free of them

[C0ffin D0dger]

My ex-marine friend calls them plasti-cuffs, well the big ones anyway. Gives you an idea of what they used them for!

[GAjon]

Them dildo rails, loads of houses have them, never seen them used.

[Christmassss]

GAjon said:

Them dildo rails, loads of houses have them, never seen them used.

:laugh;

[a]

Cable ties can be pretty handy for their intended purpose:

[james_tigerwoods]

GAjon said:

Them dildo rails, loads of houses have them, never seen them used.

Erm. What now?

I know what you meant.... I hope....

[pherlopolus]

a said:

Cable ties can be pretty handy for their intended purpose:

This appeals to my OCD except for the order.

I patched a whole Gov office, first making looms up and leaving it a work of art. Glad I didn't go back after as I am sure it would have been washing lines all over the place!

[2Btoo]

a said:

Cable ties can be pretty handy for their intended purpose:

Very nice - I like it a lot!

Never seen them used like that before.

[austinsmirk]

used 2 to tie the straw back onto my 5 year old dtr's witches broom on Sunday.

does that count ?

[OldSkoolRS]

I spent most of Saturday putting my AV rack back under the stairs after having a separate supply run to it. I used cable ties on all the audio, video and mains cables.

I did my living room a little while ago running cables through for Atmos speakers.Not very elegantly done (will all be hidden with sound treatment/fabric covering):



Starting to look a little more finished now:



Having said that; I use cable ties at work for many things and rarely on cables...

[pherlopolus]

Hope you didn't run mains in same bundle as the AV

[hast2]

We don't use Cable Ties for securing wiring at my work, they've been banned. The reason is if you need to undo them it can only be done by cutting them, and that's dangerous because you need to use something sharp (got to love health and safety) Also the quality dept. got involved too, they don't like them because if you use something sharp to undo them you might accidently or unknowingly cut one or some of the wires. We now use Velcro straps.

[brrapp]

GAjon said:

Them dildo rails, loads of houses have them, never seen them used.

I've got a copy of a letter somewhere from one of my ex-tenants asking for permision to fit a dildo rail in her living room. It was passed around the office to much hilarity. We looked on her differently after that when she came in to pay her rent every Tuesday.

[Tycho]

Funkycoldribena said:

2Btoo said:

a said:

Cable ties can be pretty handy for their intended purpose:

Very nice - I like it a lot!

Never seen them used like that before.

Nor me.
But does it matter or is it aesthetic?

Pain in the arse if the middle one needs changing though.. It does look nice and I believe this was from a RC model website and it is so the cable aren't touching as they can get hot IIRC.

[Halmyre]

hast2 said:

We don't use Cable Ties for securing wiring at my work, they've been banned. The reason is if you need to undo them it can only be done by cutting them, and that's dangerous because you need to use something sharp (got to love health and safety) Also the quality dept. got involved too, they don't like them because if you use something sharp to undo them you might accidently or unknowingly cut one or some of the wires. We now use Velcro straps.

Some years ago I was helping at a village show. Someone was looking for a means of cutting cable ties that were holding up various things. I loaned him my Swiss Army knife. "Watch yourself, it's bloody sharp!", I warned him (as I knew to my own cost). Pretty soon he was carted off to A&E with blood pouring from a hand wound.

Always use side-cutters to cut cable ties!

[Likes Fast Cars]

The first time I ever saw them - and used them - was to tie cables, and some bloody big mothers of cables at that!

Of course we all soon discovered better uses for them, any of which I won't go into here

[Camaro]

Use them as HT lead separators, if you watch Roadkill you'll understand.

[Mr Pointy]

brrapp said:

You do know that the better quality ones have release toggles don't you?

Nonsense. those are for easy reuse, not permanent installations. You cannot rely on them not releasing when pulled tight.