Straightening cables - 1st attempt

[mightywiz]

so here is my first attempt at straightening the controller cable.

took me about 20 minutes and it's pretty easy to do with the right equipment.

 

now going to order knobs and cleaning chemicals to fix them up right and they will be like new.

 

I think I have like 10 controllers laying around.

[ValkerieSilk]

Good Job man, looks great...

so here is my first attempt at straightening the controller cable.

took me about 20 minutes and it's pretty easy to do with the right equipment.

 

now going to order knobs and cleaning chemicals to fix them up right and they will be like new.

 

I think I have like 10 controllers laying around.

[+grips03]

so here is my first attempt at straightening the controller cable.

took me about 20 minutes and it's pretty easy to do with the right equipment.

 

now going to order knobs and cleaning chemicals to fix them up right and they will be like new.

 

I think I have like 10 controllers laying around.

 

awesome, did you use:

 

boiling water

weight tied to one end and the other suspended high in the air

hot iron or press

something else?

[NIAD]

Maybe he used the old "tried and true method" of talking dirty to the cord.

[Rey]

[Hyperboy]

Maybe he took them to Controller Prison and scared them straight

[+evg2000]

so here is my first attempt at straightening the controller cable.

took me about 20 minutes and it's pretty easy to do with the right equipment.

 

now going to order knobs and cleaning chemicals to fix them up right and they will be like new.

 

I think I have like 10 controllers laying around.

Willing to share how you accomplished this?

[mightywiz]

 

awesome, did you use:

 

boiling water

weight tied to one end and the other suspended high in the air

hot iron or press

something else?

 

I have a heat gun with controllable temp setting.

I set the heat gun at 220 degrees with air flow at max.

I hung the controller at about 9 feet in the air.

then while heating the coils I pulled the cable down while unwinding the coil

and keep the tension on the cable while moving up the cable as it stretched.

 

I watched a video on you tube on "How it's made retractable cables."

then reversed the process to straighten them.

 

the key is the temp and keeping tension on the cable till the cable cools. a hair

dryer is not going to get the same effect as it doesn't get hot enough. and

those heat guns set at 500/1000 degrees will overheat the cable and cause the

insulation to melt through to the wire. so don't use it.

[phattyboombatty]

All I did was throw mine in the oven at 350° in a Pyrex dish. Kept a careful watch on it for melting, and pulled it out after about 10 minutes or so. Grabbed some oven mits (or cheap leather gloves from Home Depot). My wife grabbed one end, and I, the other. Pulled tight while letting it cool for a few… comes out perfect!

[Pixelboy]

All I did was throw mine in the oven at 350° in a Pyrex dish. Kept a careful watch on it for melting, and pulled it out after about 10 minutes or so. Grabbed some oven mits (or cheap leather gloves from Home Depot). My wife grabbed one end, and I, the other. Pulled tight while letting it cool for a few… comes out perfect!

Look 'ma! Cooked wires! Yum!

[phattyboombatty]

They come out smelling like fresh-baked chocolate chip cookies!!

[+grips03]

 

I have a heat gun with controllable temp setting.

I set the heat gun at 220 degrees with air flow at max.

I hung the controller at about 9 feet in the air.

then while heating the coils I pulled the cable down while unwinding the coil

and keep the tension on the cable while moving up the cable as it stretched.

 

I watched a video on you tube on "How it's made retractable cables."

then reversed the process to straighten them.

 

the key is the temp and keeping tension on the cable till the cable cools. a hair

dryer is not going to get the same effect as it doesn't get hot enough. and

those heat guns set at 500/1000 degrees will overheat the cable and cause the

insulation to melt through to the wire. so don't use it.

220 C or F?

[mightywiz]

220 C or F?

 

sorry 220 F

[ValkerieSilk]

Now let's see you curl them back up again

[+grips03]

wrap around a wood dowel and re-heat

[mightywiz]

All I did was throw mine in the oven at 350° in a Pyrex dish. Kept a careful watch on it for melting, and pulled it out after about 10 minutes or so. Grabbed some oven mits (or cheap leather gloves from Home Depot). My wife grabbed one end, and I, the other. Pulled tight while letting it cool for a few… comes out perfect!

I'm not buying it! cause the cable is twisted several times you can't just pull it straight.

you risk damaging the wires and insulation at that temp!

[mightywiz]

wrap around a wood dowel and re-heat

watch this video it will show you how to recoil them, the key is the last part where they invert the coil winding to tighten the curls up.

http://youtu.be/eRzF87c38m0

[phattyboombatty]

I'm not buying it! cause the cable is twisted several times you can't just pull it straight.

you risk damaging the wires and insulation at that temp!

No. Ya don't.

 

You don't necessarily heat the cable to that temp. 350° is simply the lowest most ovens will go. As I said, you have to keep a careful watch to ensure your cable doesn't reach the melting point. And yes, you may have to rinse and repeat after your first stretching. Much faster than a heat gun, but have it your way.

 

Whatever you're not buying, pay attention. It's cheap.

[+grips03]

I tried the heat gun method today and it takes about 20 minutes per cable. I used a 3lb weight at bottom. I started at top and worked my way down turning the cable in between my fingers so the entire cable got heated up. I had to set the heat gun to 700F and low speed to get results. I dragged the cable across the heat gun's nozzle. If I went to 750F, then it burned the cable if held in same spot for too long, 700F did not do this.

Heat gun used = DEWALT D26960

 

Cable was so so straight, but then I turned the cable the other way to make more straight. Its certainly a process, but it does work.

[mightywiz]

so I was going over my posts and had a brain fart.....

 

220 C = 428 F

 

sorry again.

[ValkerieSilk]

How long is an uncoiled cable?

[mightywiz]

it's right at 6ft.

[ZarK]

All I did was throw mine in the oven at 350° in a Pyrex dish. Kept a careful watch on it for melting, and pulled it out after about 10 minutes or so. Grabbed some oven mits (or cheap leather gloves from Home Depot). My wife grabbed one end, and I, the other. Pulled tight while letting it cool for a few… comes out perfect!

 

I tried to fix a mainboard to reflow solder the chipset with the oven.

 

I had the temp too high, and left it in too long, and pulled it out of the oven just as my Mom got home. Needless to say she was not impressed when I rushed by with a smoking, hissing, exploding caps, and fire alarm mainboard.

 

Now-a-days, I used a paint stripper heatgun to do my reflow hotaire soldering. Someday I'll get a pro unit, but this redneck one works for now My repair rate with it is around 40% success! lol

[Rik]

They come out smelling like fresh-baked chocolate chip cookies!!

I'm sure the smell is just as bad for your health as chocolate chip cookies are

Edited April 28, 2014 by Rik