Cable tie anchors

[szicree]

Anybody have an opinion regarding the stick-on cable tie anchors for securing wiring runs? Are these secure enough for our purpose or do I need to use something attached with hardware? Thanks.

Steve Zicree
RV4 Finishing

[redbeardmark]

Steve,
I used ProSeal(actually, it is the "Flamemaster" stuff that comes in a tube) to glue cable tie anchors and it has held up very well. If you're going to stick them to paint, sand a small spot until there is aluminum showing and then glue. If you use too much glue, it will squish up through the cable anchor and cause problems like plugging the holes that the cable ties go.

[Steve]

Steve,

I believe this is the product to which you are referring: http://www.nmcgroup.com/

The local distributor did a presentation at a recent EAA Chapter meeting on this. It was developed for use on Piper Aerostars and is now used by all the a/c manufacturers. The adhesive will work on metal, composite, and wood structures.

Steve

[f1rocket]

Yep, Clickbond fasteners. You can Google for them. I bought them from a company in Salt Lake. They make many different types. These are the once for cable ties.

[sf3543]

Several of the builders near me have used cable anchors, but take off the adhesive and use either Pro Seal, JB Weld or epoxy to bond them.
I have used both JB Weld and 5 minute epoxy and they stayed on for years while those that I used straight from the package came unglued the first summer hot spell.
Note: after taking off the adhesive, rough the bottom of the anchor with sand paper for a better bond. Same with the area you are attaching it to.

[Bob Axsom]

I didn't use them and wouldn't. I'm from the school that says tyraps are good for GSE not for flight applications. I used waxed nylon cable lacing tape to form custom wire bundles and MS21919DG clamps mounted with mechanical fasteners (screws, washers and platenuts mostly).

Bob Axsom

[szicree]

Bob,

Give up my stick-on's AND my zip-ties?! I know some guys swear by the lacing, but wasn't that the accepted technique long before the plastic ties even existed? Now that we have them, what makes them inferior to lacing tape? I'm not trying to argue, I just want to know what's so bad about my beloved and super convenient zippy's. As for attaching things with nuts and bolts, I'm particular interested in fastening my coax cables to the floor skin and I have no intention of having nylocks on the exterior belly of my bird.

Steve Zicree

[Bob Axsom]

Yes Nylon Lacing Tape preceeded Plastic tyraps. I hope you understand I have had intense and long exposure to aerospace processes but I have never been a process engineer who worked to measure every performance parameter with any process and establish myself as a trusted expert for consultation. I have consulted with many such experts and been a party to many successes and failures and I have some unyielding positions on a vast array of these processes - right or wrong. In the business you have to take a position and make sure everything is done consistently to the highest standards of quality and reliability. I carry that into my airplane. Regardless of the pseudo scientific rationale supporting glued on tyrap anchors and tyraps (whatever brand name used) themselves they will never be found in my airplane unless the processes that I have admitted into my process tool kit won't work. Please don't take this as argumentative it is just my way and you asked for an opinion. As for coax cable runs along smooth inner skin surfaces, I found none that required support on such a surface. I made angle brackets in many cases with a plate nut and riveted them to bulkheads. The MS21919DG clamps containing the coax is mounted on the bracket with the standard screw, washer, clamp, bracket and platenut stackup. The coaxes in my plane are supported at bulkeads etc. Again it my not be process utopia but I don't care - in my plane I made all the installation decisions and I did not compromise my standards at any step in the eight years it took me to get it to where it is today. You should do the same but you asked about this glue on tyrap anchor process so I figure you must have a mild nagging discomfort with it. Everyone up to the point that I provided my response seems to feel that this is a great way to go - I don't and I thought you should know that not everyone feels that way. OK let me throw a few things at you then I have to go eat. Glue processes are demanding of process control and there is no objective evidence that a glue joint is perfectly reliable even with age controls, mix control, cure controls, surface preparation controls, cleanliness controls, process control lab testing/documentation and inspections (think foam on the external tank). Wife just called - got to go.

Bob Axsom