How to coil a cable

[Otto Seaman]

http://youtu.be/pEd7ru24Vx0

Bet you didn't know this. Unless you know everything;-)

[John Olsen]

He makes it a lot more complicated than necessary - but the point is well taken. Twisting stress in a 900v Speedotron cable is pretty scary - and expensive once you blow up your capacitor bank. However you do it, cables should not be twisted. Method #2 in the video is bad because of the tight turn in the cable when pulling back the "bow and arrow."

[Roger Thoms]

http://youtu.be/pEd7ru24Vx0

Bet you didn't know this. Unless you know everything;-)

Awesome, thanks for posting this, saw some do this years ago and could never figure it out.

Roger

[Tim Meisburger]

Interesting. I've never seen this method before, but some people who work with long extension cord, and rock climbers, know that if you add a half twist to a rope or cord for each loop you achieve the same effect.

[jp]

Also any cable with twisted components (twisted rope, wire with twisted conductors) will coil better one way than the other (cw or ccw) depending on which way the twist goes. I learned this working on a lobster boat where I often coiled thousands of feet of rope every day. Some of the fiber optic cable I work (in a different career) with have the internal twist change directions every several feet. This serves to build slack into cable to reduce internal stress when it's coiled or stretched or sags.

[vinny]

while those methods are fine for audio/video cables and such, neither are the proper method for coiling regular extension cords. Extension cords should not be twisted in that manner. They are not manufactured or stored on the reel that way before cutting into cord-lengths.

[Tim Meisburger]

The cord is not twisted. By failing to introduce a half rotation for every coil you twist the cord.

[drew.saunders]

I learned the over/under technique for cables many years ago while working for a TV station. I keep forgetting how few people know this technique.

[Kevin M Bourque]

"Extension cords should not be twisted in that manner"

Hi Vinny -

So what is the best method, and how is an extension cord different from a mic cord that they require different techniques? I deal with lots of wires and I'm always looking to be smarter.

[vinny]

Kevin, a/v cables and the people that work with/coil them always do the twist method and it can work with extension cords if they're coiled that way from day one but they do not lay out the same afterwards (it get's messy). In my line of work, all cable (from ext cords to 4/0 copper is coiled the same way, like climbing rope I guess. It coils/uncoils quickly without hang-ups. That's how the entire film industry does it. If there was a better way, we'd be doing it.

[Greg Miller]

Technique 2 is the method I have used for 30+ years. I also use this with extension cords and climbing rope. The half twist actually prevents twisting and knotting; so I can't see any harm in doing this. I have never had any problems...

[cjbroadbent]

Thanks for that! It's an improvement on folding cables. I have forced assistants and family to fold cables for 40+ years and they never believed it was any use. Even if they believe this technique, they will never learn to do it.

[AFSmithphoto]

Kevin, a/v cables and the people that work with/coil them always do the twist method and it can work with extension cords if they're coiled that way from day one but they do not lay out the same afterwards (it get's messy). In my line of work, all cable (from ext cords to 4/0 copper is coiled the same way, like climbing rope I guess. It coils/uncoils quickly without hang-ups. That's how the entire film industry does it. If there was a better way, we'd be doing it.

+1

I've worked in TV and Film for a decade, and the audio guys and video guys always over under, but we lighting folk typically over-over. Its easier to toss across a grid without a hitch, and if you're flying a truss you can hang it off the end and its a lot less likely to get caught up in itself or its neighbor as its pulled.

We're talking larger sized, robust cables here though and there's no chance of damage from an improper coil.