Tools for putting together patch/instrument leads?

SquireJapan

Hello!

I'm after a little advice as to what tools to use in making up some guitar cables.

For various reasons, I'd long since lost almost all of my tools - but on the plus side I'm now in a position where I can buy some new ones!

So, what I used to do when wiring up jack leads was simply hold the jack in a vice (with a bit of cloth or something to stop it marking the jack itself). As I don't have a workshop or vice anymore, I was thinking of what other options might be useful. So far I've thought of nothing (other than a vice).

Any suggestions? 

I'm also going to be using just plain old snips for cutting and stripping cable - anything else I should consider? Was also thinking of getting something that will "crimp" the end of the jack neatly (I used to use these, but they were never great).

Thanks!

ecc83

Don't mess about with bits of old underpants in the vice! A few layers of gaffer tape or similar will do, or a set of plastic jaws.

For more than 50yrs I stripped cable with side cutters (and still do at home now). You want a pair of overall length ~120mm and a cutting edge about 12mm. But if you are contemplating a LOT* of cables I strongly urge you to buy an automatic cable stripper and pay for a good one from RS or similar.

Small snipe nosed pliers, again about 120mm and a pair of big lekkies pliers to nip up the back end of Neutrik jack plugs.

If you want to do a really "pro" job, a variety of sizes of heat shrink sleeving and some silicone sleeving. and therefore, heat gun.

Tube of silicone grease or you can use silicone (bumper) spray. Just squirt some in the cap and dip in.

Test meter but I find a simple continuity buzzer is much faster.

*If you are not doing a lot, don't do any and give Rob (Kabl) the living!

Dave.

Danny1969

Drill a jack sized hole in a lump of 4 x 2 " wood, use a bit about 30cm long so it's got a bit of weight and won't move. My lump of wood here also has holes to keep XLR plugs and sockets still as well

I use a stanley blade to remove the jacket of the cable and auto strippers to remove the individual wire insulation. Small side cutters to trim wire

For soldering I use a Weller WS 51, I use heatshrink for the hots and a Weller hot air gun to shrink it.

Continuity testing is useless for cables as it won't pick up faults that will render a cable half working but not 100% 

I have made hundreds of mic leads and guitar cables now and with the above tools I can average around 8 mic cables an hour

Ianpdq

Danny1969 said:

Continuity testing is useless for cables as it won't pick up faults that will render a cable half working but not 100% 

It will if you know what your doing

Danny1969

Ianpdq said:

Danny1969 said:

Continuity testing is useless for cables as it won't pick up faults that will render a cable half working but not 100% 

It will if you know what your doing

I do and it won't  

steamabacus

If you've got a pair of pliers, a quick and easy way to hold things during soldering is just to wrap a rubber band around the handles of the pliers making them 'sprung loaded' when shut. Open them up, place the tip of the jack plug in the jaws of the pliers and let them spring back and hold the plug. Lay the pliers flat on your work surface and you have a securely help plug onto which to solder your cable.

SquireJapan

Not a bad idea that. I think I can stretch (ha!) to a rubber band.

The wood idea would (ha! oh dear ...) be good, except I no longer own power tools. Annoyingly I could do with a drill, but only to make the holes to mount the PSU on my pedaltrain.

I've a bunch I want fo make up, half because it would be way way cheaper, and the other half because I've not done anything practical in fookin' ages.

Probably twenty patch leads and a few straight leads.

thermionic

One of these is dirt cheap and will be much better than the croc clip third hand tools:

SquireJapan

thermionic said:

One of these is dirt cheap and will be much better than the croc clip third hand tools:

I did see that on Maplins actually, wasn't sure - Rolson stuff used to be a bit hit and miss. Worth a go though - I'll have a look the next time I'm back in Maplins.

ecc83

"Continuity testing is useless for cables as it won't pick up faults that will render a cable half working but not 100% "

Not sure what you mean Danny? Can you give a "half working" example?

I must have made up 1000s of cables in my time and used many and various testing systems including one that employed a computer and a custom program. (I built the test beds, some other cleverer sod wrote the progg!) But although the system impressed visitors to the factory it was still only essentially a battery and a bell! (just did up to 96 ways in one hit)

Dave.

Danny1969

@ecc83

A good example is I have had many mic leads pass on my RS multi continuity tester but in real practical use passing balanced ac signal current audio they can exhibit  faults which often manifest in loss of low end, prone to feedback etc. These faults can be caused by stretched conductors, insulation that has got too hot and been pulled wafer thin. One conductor isn't run isn't equal to the other. Cable with internal breaks (often by the chuck srain relief) Yeah they will pass a 0 to 40 OHM DC cont test but they won't work 100% passing audio

I test all repaired leads by moving them about while they are passing audio, that tend to show up faults for me. New leads probably don't need it but I still do it. 

ecc83

"passing balanced ac signal current audio they can exhibit  faults which often manifest in loss of low end, prone to feedback etc."

^ Total Russ Andrews bllx. Just one F.A.C.T. The source and sink impedances in a balanced system are unlikely to be matched to better than 1%. No cable fault other than OC or S/C could be within an order of that.

Dave.

Ianpdq

I stand by my first comment as I have repaired a lot of cables that are OC or SC with a decent continuity tester and never had any comebacks