When is a wire run too short to lace? (OCD check)

[Steve Crewdog]

Sorry for what seems to be an idiotic post, but I'm just looking for an anal-retentive/OCD reality check, think of me as the slow runt of the litter.

I'm doing the final wiring attachments, got a bit of a conglomeration of wires here. I could leave them loose, but for neatness I was thinking about lacing them together. Temporarily zip tied them to test, and while the Aircraft EWIS Practices Job Aid says tying is not to be used as an alternative to clamping, tying them together does seem to add a bit of rigidity to even 2 wires, which can only be good. And just looking at the cleaner grouping makes me happy, but I'm worried I'm going too far.

So when would you consider a wire run too short to NOT lace/ziptie together?



(Yeah, I could shorten these runs 1/4-3/4", but all of these are long runs that would be a huge problem to fix if it turned out I cut them too short and needed a leetle bit more later. I ended up with just enough to be extra, but am reluctant to bend the excess into a service loop, don't think there's enough there and don't want to damage the wire.)


TIA

 

[wirejock]

Wire lacing

They look good to me. I try to shrink tube where ever possible. I also use waxed lacing with a wrap of self fusing silicone. I can get a nice vundle without pulling the lacing too tight.

 

[cvairwerks]

Steve: String tie as necessary. Our production standards require wiring to be clamped as necessary, with a maximum of one foot (if I remember correctly) between clamps or connectors, when at the end of a run. In your photo, there should be at least one more tie, gathering the bundle from the breakers.

 

[NTex]

Sorry for what seems to be an idiotic post, but I'm just looking for an anal-retentive/OCD reality check, think of me as the slow runt of the litter.

I'm doing the final wiring attachments, got a bit of a conglomeration of wires here. I could leave them loose, but for neatness I was thinking about lacing them together. Temporarily zip tied them to test, and while the Aircraft EWIS Practices Job Aid says tying is not to be used as an alternative to clamping, tying them together does seem to add a bit of rigidity to even 2 wires, which can only be good. And just looking at the cleaner grouping makes me happy, but I'm worried I'm going too far.

So when would you consider a wire run too short to NOT lace/ziptie together?



(Yeah, I could shorten these runs 1/4-3/4", but all of these are long runs that would be a huge problem to fix if it turned out I cut them too short and needed a leetle bit more later. I ended up with just enough to be extra, but am reluctant to bend the excess into a service loop, don't think there's enough there and don't want to damage the wire.)


TIA

Steve,

It looks like you have some 'sticky tape' zip tie bases on the rear face of your PFD that are supporting some wires.

It also appears those wires have some sort of faston/micromolex quick disconnect.

Might I suggest re-making a longer length of wire going to the end user of those wires, so that you don't have to put the zip tie bases on the PFD?

I would think removing the PFD would be difficult if those wires are supported there.. and it looks like you'd only need to replace a small section of wire to fix it.

 

[pa38112]

I lace about every 3" - 4"

 

[PilotjohnS]

Just me

I have found that the self adhesive tie bases all fail. I have resorted to removing the self adhesive and use Shoo Goo to glue the now-virgin tie bases to the structure.

 

[Steve Crewdog]

Re: Stickys on the back of the Dynon, discussed here: https://vansairforce.net/community/showthread.php?t=215727 Approved by Dynon, one of those cases where I boxed myself into a corner and had to suck it up. Still working on other solution, but that's for that thread.

Steve: String tie as necessary. Our production standards require wiring to be clamped as necessary, with a maximum of one foot (if I remember correctly) between clamps or connectors, when at the end of a run. In your photo, there should be at least one more tie, gathering the bundle from the breakers.

Thank you sir, and for your other posts checking my six and helping me out, I'll take it a bit further up when I lace. I'm at 10" from the end of the run to the panel so according to your requirements I'm good, but always looking for more input.