sleeving question

[QueBert]

I bought Vantec's cqable sleeving kit + some blue molex's at the local computer store. I've read a few how-to guides on the net for the best methods to have a really clean finished product.

I was thinking about using shrink wrap on each wire, so the molex connectors won't have yellow/black black/red wires showing from the inch and a 1/2 or so between the molex and the sleeving. But, I have no idea where I would find heat shrink that would compress that much. I'm guessing I'd need something in the 6mm range? I don't have a credit card so ordering off the web is kinda out of the question. And locally we have a Radio Shack, which carries a few heat shrink packages, but none have really small stuff. (Riverside Ca)

Is my idea about using heat shrink the best method?

 

[HardWarrior]

The things I have that are pre-sleaved have those black rubber tubes at each end. I read somewhere that you shout take a lighter and burned the frayed end first before you put the rubber things on.

 

[akira34]

Originally posted by: HardWarrior
The things I have that are pre-sleaved have those black rubber tubes at each end. I read somewhere that you shout take a lighter and burned the frayed end first before you put the rubber things on.

Those "black rubber tubes" are pieces of shrink tubing as found in just about every Radio Shack as well as online at frozencpu.com. I go to an electronics supply superstore (You-Do-It Electronics) near me for the stuff since it's about 1/2-1/3 the price of what you find online or at RS. I would NOT use a lighter to do it around a power supply. You're better off either grabbing your sister's hair dryer or getting a heat gun (again, electonics supply places will have them) to carefully heat the tubing until it "shrinks" down to it's smaller size (typically 1/2 the diameter it starts off at).

Make damned sure the kit you purchased has the molex pin removal tools. You'll want AT LEAST the female removal tool. The male pin removal tool also comes in handy a LOT... If you have a recent P4 or Athlon64 mobo/system you'll also want the tool to remove the wires from the 4 pin (square) connection to the mobo for the additional power required. Do yourself another favor (talking from experience here) invest in at least a roll of black electrical tape as well as at least one other color (other than red or yellow) for the second black wire. That way, you can mark which one is the first and second black wire. I picked up a color pack of sharpies (or sharpie-type) markers to mark the connectors with for when I do the sleeving. That way, I know (at a glance) where the red, first black, second black (marked with blue on the connection and with a small piece of blue tape on the wire), and yellow wires go. For the floppy connector, a very small slot screwdriver (we're talking VERY small, precision level tiny here) is all you need to compress the flang preventing the wire from pulling out. Once you have them out (mark the connector first) you'll need the screwdriver to set the flang back up (so that it won't pull out when you connect it again). You'll need the black tape to bunch the ends together so that the sleeving passes over (without tearing). You'll also need to fold over the pins between the ends (from start to PSU) so that you can sleeve all the way up. REMEMBER to slip the tubing onto each section before putting the connections on, and/or removing the tape. Otherwise, you'll need to remove the pins and re-tape them to get it on.

For the power supply wires (power feeds) use 1/4" sleeving. For fans, use 1/8" sleeving. Most power supplies already have the ATX connection/feed sleeved. If not, you can safely avoid doing that one (too damned many wires to keep track of, if you invert two you could toast your mobo, processor and/or more parts).

 

[HardWarrior]

See? This is why I'm just going to wait until I buy another PSU and have it done FOR me! 🙂

 

[akira34]

Originally posted by: HardWarrior
See? This is why I'm just going to wait until I buy another PSU and have it done FOR me! 🙂

Not a bad option, if you don't mind spending an additional $40 (or more) on a PSU. I already have all the tools and just need to order more of the consumable items when it comes time. I did the last two systems I built and don't quite have enough left to do another PSU (might, but it would be tight). I'll be ordering up some more supplies this coming week. Probably with some other stuff too (haven't decided what to do about the cooling of my Athlon64 3400+ just yet). Either way, before I build another system, I'll have to order about $10 worth of sleeving so that I have it on hand for then. I don't bother replacing the molex connections, since the cases I'm using don't have windows in them. As such, there's no need to replace the connections. I save the $$ that those cost and put it aside for more sleeving.

I just wish every PSU was the same as to how the wires are routed. It seems like every one has something odd about it. Either two feeds have wires crossed over at the PSU end, or something like that. Kind of annoying in that you can't always sleeve as high up as you'd like to. NOT that anyone is going to see that far up anyway, but I like the details. I prefer to have everything fit together perfectly, and I work on it until it is.

 

[HardWarrior]

I don't mind paying to avoid hardship. In fact, I think frozencpu will take any PSU you buy and slap custom length, modular connections on for a fee. TBH, considering how I have tame snakes every time I want to redo my case I'd gladly pay for one of those jobs. Yeah, my expensive PSU has some strange faults in the way the connectors are as well. Maybe it is time for ANSI or IEEE to step in with some sort of standard. I thought I read someplace that you were on water, akira. No?

 

[Nebor]

I almost went the extra $40 for sleeved cables on a Zalman PS, but I just couldn't justify it for a PS that really is just a transition.