Cable clamps with a twist?

[nohoflyer]

I’ve google the heck out of this and can’t find any. I need cable clamps that have a 90 degree twist in them, specifically for lightening holes so the cable can go straight through them. Any ideas?

FYI I tried making my own out of strips of aluminum but the strips kept cracking due to the twisting motion I applied.

 

[Sam Buchanan]

You can cut a short piece of aluminum angle to mount the adel clamp. One side of the angle attaches to the rib, the other catches the clamp.

 

[jmiller007]

You mean something like this?

 

[jmiller007]

Aircraft Flip Loc® Clamps - TA Aerospace

TA Aerospace Flip Loc® clamps features increased ease of installation by allowing the clamp to be hand fastened and secured prior to mounting the clamp to the structure.

www.taaerospace.com

 

[Hangar 1271]

Maybe I'm misunderstanding the OP but why doesn't a 90 degree bend solve the problem>

 

[briand]

Soft aluminum tube with an end flattened and drilled in your direction of choice.

 

[nohoflyer]

All great responses, thanks. I knew there had to be a solution to this.

 

[wirejock]

Yep. I made the 90s from .090 aluminum angle. A few FWF are steel purchased from the ACE Aviation Supply.

 

[planenutz]

There are SO many ways to skin this cat. Instead of reinventing the wheel, one of the easier ways is to use something like this...



Rather than using a screw (which is heavy), I would use a solid or a pop-rivet to attach it to the rib.

You can buy these from multiple sources online. Funny enough this one popped up when I entered "lightening hole cable tie mount" into the search engine. Ha! Who wouldda thought?!

There is a simpler version which is just a straight "T", with a flat blade that attaches to the rib and hole for the tyrap in the top.

 

[Carl Froehlich]

Another option:

Highcraft PXBUTT001-10 PEX 1 in. Suspension Clamp Butterfly Style, Hard Plastic (10 Pack), 1 in, Gray - Amazon.com

Highcraft PXBUTT001-10 PEX 1 in. Suspension Clamp Butterfly Style, Hard Plastic (10 Pack), 1 in, Gray - Amazon.com

www.amazon.com

 

[idubrov]

There are SO many ways to skin this cat. Instead of reinventing the wheel, one of the easier ways is to use something like this...

Everybody keeps mentioning these clips, but I don't understand how are they supposed to fit our lightening holes. It looks like they are for a very specific style with flanges at 90°. The lightening holes of wing ribs have much more gradual and wide flanges. They probably would work for the fuselage aft bulkheads.

 

[skelrad]

For those of you who have a 3D printer, Digikey does have CAD files for many of their products. I downloaded one of these cable tie mounts shown above and printed a handful. Probably about 10 cents a piece to print vs the $2-4 each to purchase, plus you can modify them to suit your specific needs (assuming your CAD program can modify STP files - I use the free Fusion360).

 

[planenutz]

Everybody keeps mentioning these clips, but I don't understand how are they supposed to fit our lightening holes. It looks like they are for a very specific style with flanges at 90°. The lightening holes of wing ribs have much more gradual and wide flanges. They probably would work for the fuselage aft bulkheads.

I agree that these particular clamps are not suitable for the wings however there is a simpler version with a straight (flat) tail to them and you can get these in different sizes, with different tail lengths. I just couldn't find a picture of the ones I was thinking of but I have a bunch of them in my hangar. I do like the 3D printing idea though - that's a great solution.

Just as a different thought - like many others I used a conduit for my wiring. This is required a series of 3/4" holes to be drilled in the ribs and the conduit to be inserted through those holes. I didn't clamp the wiring to the ribs in the way you're proposing. Would that be a viable alternative for you, Ivan?

 

[rockyfatcat]

I’ve google the heck out of this and can’t find any. I need cable clamps that have a 90 degree twist in them, specifically for lightening holes so the cable can go straight through them. Any ideas?

FYI I tried making my own out of strips of aluminum but the strips kept cracking due to the twisting motion I applied.

Adel clamps or zip ties?

 

[NavyS3BNFO]

I've seen these used. There are parallel and perpendicular clips.

Heyco® Edge Clips (8″ Cable Tie)

www.heyco.com

 

[NTex]

I've seen these used. There are parallel and perpendicular clips.

Heyco® Edge Clips (8″ Cable Tie)

www.heyco.com

I'd be careful with those steel clamps on aluminum, I've seen it cause pretty bad corrosion. A good primer between the surfaces may be a good compromise.

 

[idubrov]

Everybody keeps mentioning these clips, but I don't understand how are they supposed to fit our lightening holes. It looks like they are for a very specific style with flanges at 90°. The lightening holes of wing ribs have much more gradual and wide flanges. They probably would work for the fuselage aft bulkheads.

Okay, I figured out something. eBay seems to be one possible source for this type of hardware -- I found some BACN10TS3-10 and BACN10MK3-45 parts. Something that wasn't (and still isn't) obvious to me is how to find these part numbers (for those who don't work on Boeing's or have friends who do).

 

[KMMUflyer]

Here are part numbers for something similar in function to the Boeing parts. No one seems to stock them and the prices are quite high.


AN256F8 RIGHT ANGLE PLATENUT
NAS1033A08 NUTPLATE

PLATENUTS
AN256 RIGHT ANGLE PLATENUT (NYLON INSERT) 250 Deg F

Available in #6,8,10

Page 128

https://www.skybolt.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Skybolt-Fasteners-Catalog-2025-Catalog.pdf

One site said they were used in Cessna Citations and were $$$.