Cable Sleeving Guide

[non]

blue aqua-->that's a lot of 1/4 sleeves for a single pack. It is 1/4 for 24 pin & pciex cable right?...anyway it's beautifully done Im planning to sleeve the pciex & 24 pins on my olympia, but since i just finished with the molex cable & it requires the almost all of 1/4 of my vizo kits , i think i need to purchase another kit. Thanx 4 the guide man..

[mattlef]

Each cable might require a little bit of force to remove. It can get tricky with the tool in one hand and the cable in the other and trying to provide enough force to remove the pin. I used a staple which allowed me to just leave it in there and use both hands for an easy removal of the pin.

It takes some practice but you'll feel like a pro in no time.

Well, i should be getting my pack in tomorrow, so we'll see how long it takes lol I'd put a decent estimate at... um.... lol, 4-5 hours?

And, for the MurderMod Sleeving, could I use a lighter flame to heat the shrink or is that too risky? (obviously without the flame touching the shrink...)

[BlueAqua]

@BlueAqua: very very nice work BA! i wish i knew how to get the shrink tubes thru the ends of the SATA cables & would fit that snuggly as yours

The secret is to find heat shrink that is just large enough to fit over the connector and have the highest shrinkage (3:1).

[non]

The secret is to find heat shrink that is just large enough to fit over the connector and have the highest shrinkage (3:1).

how do we get that kind of info?

[BlueAqua]

Well, i should be getting my pack in tomorrow, so we'll see how long it takes lol I'd put a decent estimate at... um.... lol, 4-5 hours?

And, for the MurderMod Sleeving, could I use a lighter flame to heat the shrink or is that too risky? (obviously without the flame touching the shrink...)

I would say it will take 4 hours or so your first time. I could probably do one in 2-3 hours now. Just try to develop a consistent method that works for you and you'll be fine.

A lighter will work, just try to keep the tip of the flame away from the heatshrink so it doesn't melt it. I used the low heat setting of my heat gun to slowly shrink it so it really doesn't need the highest heat. Try to keep the heat even over and around each piece of sleeving for the best and most even shrinkage.

how do we get that kind of info?

Most of the good kits or heat shrink should state it in their product information. If they don't, assume that it's 2:1. That's something I've noticed with various kits. The MurderMod packs have mostly 3:1.

That's another great aspect of the MurderMod sleeving kits. It has everything you need to do a great job. If you're going to spend a few hours doing something you're going to want to be happy with the results. If you start with the highest quality product then you have greatest chance to complete it with the highest standards.

[dualbrain]

@mattlef: You go with the lower part of the lighterflame "through" the heatshrink in a pending movement. 2 seconds in and out and then do a break of 3 seconds. This way the heatshrink gets not "blackened" because of grime (is that the right word?) that is created above a flame. Twist the cabel/heatshrink combo a litte and you get a perfect and quick result. Heatguns I just use on huge heatshrinks.

@non and all that want to know the heatshrink diameter for SATA: 1/2 inch is the way to go, because it just fits over the connector and then shrinks perfect to tightly grip the sleeving on the SATA cable. Of course 3:1 is needed, because 2:1 will not grip the sleeve good enough at all

There are so many details that then make a difference again, even if the right sizes are known, that I could talk for hours what makes the difference between perfection and "it fits". After a long time, lots of different products and finally customizations in production, I got what I needed.

Sorry if my english is funny, but I try my best

[non]

Blue--> Ok, thanx

dualbrain--> thanx 4 the lighter trick. Because sometimes my heatshrink get blackened

Anyway, I just finished molex cable and having hard time slipping the staple to plugg off pcie. Still working on that, maybe at weekend i'll give it a try again. Thanx for all the tips guys

[reasons]

I'm having trouble doing this. I've tried staples and tools but either way the pins don't want to come loose. How hard should I be pulling?

[MJR]

I'm having trouble doing this. I've tried staples and tools but either way the pins don't want to come loose. How hard should I be pulling?

not too hard. When you unlatch them properly, they come right out.

[BlueAqua]

I'm having trouble doing this. I've tried staples and tools but either way the pins don't want to come loose. How hard should I be pulling?

Using the staple I had to ensure that it was all the way in. It's something you're going to have to mess with to get just right. I had to put more force on it than I imagined. Just make sure the tool or staple is all the way in and straight. Give it a bit more force than you think. Try that.

[MJR]

I got a bunch of new pins and wires from performance-pcs for a PSU mod but this is just soooooooo much work I keep procrastinating. I've never had trouble getting pins out though.

[reasons]

Using the staple I had to ensure that it was all the way in. It's something you're going to have to mess with to get just right. I had to put more force on it than I imagined. Just make sure the tool or staple is all the way in and straight. Give it a bit more force than you think. Try that.

Well the tool broke so I'm down to staples. I don't think they can go anymore in, they are a bit further than the picture on the first page. I can jiggle the wire back and forth a few mm but nothing more. I've gone as far as to wrap the cable around my finger and pull to no avail.

[Dangals]

Well the tool broke so I'm down to staples. I don't think they can go anymore in, they are a bit further than the picture on the first page. I can jiggle the wire back and forth a few mm but nothing more. I've gone as far as to wrap the cable around my finger and pull to no avail.

Is it possible for you to take a picture of the cable with the staple inserted - will give us a better idea of what could be going wrong - also make sure that when inserting the staples that the prongs go on the outside of the pin in the connector.

[reasons]

Is it possible for you to take a picture of the cable with the staple inserted - will give us a better idea of what could be going wrong - also make sure that when inserting the staples that the prongs go on the outside of the pin in the connector.

It'll be a bad phone picture (yay dorms!), but I'll get one up in a few.

I just used the broken tool for the picture as I'm almost out of staples. That is as far as it went when it was not broken. Sorry again about the quality.

http://img73.imageshack.us/my.php?im...2082152sq2.jpg
http://img73.imageshack.us/my.php?im...2082153he9.jpg

[BlueAqua]

When using the staples I found a pair of pliers to be very handy. It allowed me to put more pressure on the staple to get it all the way in.

reasons, it looks like the tool is all the way in which is good. I had some troubles with the tool myself and went straight to the staple. I then used the same staple for the rest of the psu. I think the staple is slightly thicker than the tool pins which will put more pressure on each side the the pin tabs. Even when pulling the cable out I felt a little pop. Don't give up, the benefits will be worth it.

[reasons]

Just had more time today to try. It took a lot more force than I thought it would. Now just ~90 more to go.

How bad is it if you break one of the fins off? The cable still holds just fine.

[DragoonXX]

Depends...I've broken one off before accidently and thought it was secure until i went to plug it in and it just pushed out, and a few others that were fine..I'd say give it a test plug in wherever it goes, and if it pushes back out, you'd need to fix it, otherwise I'd say you're probably fine

[mattlef]

what do you think?
just doing the ATX cable took around 2 hours lol :S that and now my fingers are all sliced to hell too lol

[Bgriffs]

Looking good there mattlef, just wish I had the patience to do this kind of work. Keep it up!

[reasons]

Depends...I've broken one off before accidently and thought it was secure until i went to plug it in and it just pushed out, and a few others that were fine..I'd say give it a test plug in wherever it goes, and if it pushes back out, you'd need to fix it, otherwise I'd say you're probably fine

It works fine. If it didn't though how would I fix it?

[DragoonXX]

depends on what tools you have access to... some super glue on the inside might work enough to keep it from not pushing back out

[GrossmeisterB]

I will start sleeving my Enermax Liberty today!! I think I will also use the staples or maybe build some remover out of an old screwdriver or whatever...we'll see...I got some old ATX-PSUs to test... :d

[slim142]

Man, this was harder than I thought
First, I bought the Sunbeam PSU modding tool kit

For molex pins (|), is hard but I figured it worked better first with one hand holding the cable, then pushing the tool all the way in (spinning it a little, make sure you push the cable to the opposing direction of the tool so you make sure the pin wont open up) until you feel like a click, then just pull the cable.

For molex connectors (O), is the samething, its even easier as it comes out easier with less strength.

For PCI_Ex connectors, I used the 2-pin tool, that was a lot easier.

Now I recommend if its your first time doing this, use your cables that came with your videocard that you are probably not even using. I managed to brake a couple of pins but Im glad I didnt brake the ones on my PSU.

[BlueAqua]

Good job mattlef. It's a process, but definitely worth it.

slim142, I couldn't get my Sunbeam tool with the 2 pins on it to work at all for me. It was incredibly difficult, but once I got to using the staple it couldn't have gone any smoother.

[shoopdawoopa]

Anyone ever sleeved a silverstone strider? Im having hell getting these pins out, tried staples 3 different tools and push pins!