DIY Cable Gallery!!
May 13, 2013 at 11:33 AM Post #11,911 of 16,328
Quote:
Anyone have any tricks on sleeving something like Canare L-4E5C (the 4 cores, anyway) with type 1 paracord?  I was trying to sleeve some 5 foot lengths over the weekend and I could get it most of the way on before it started snagging.
 
Maybe I should use the 26AWG Mogami W2893 instead.  The smaller diameter might help.

Smaller diameter definitely helps.  Is it snagging on stray strands of copper?  I make sure that my cust was nice and smooth.  A tiny dab of hot glue on the end can round it off so you can smoothly get it on.  I sleeve like an inch worm smoothing out the whole wire each time.  
 
I haven't tried sleeving the L-4E5C specifically, but it shouldn't be too much bigger than other 24awg wire.
 
May 13, 2013 at 11:37 AM Post #11,912 of 16,328
Quote:
This is a very nice looking cable.
I just have one more question about the Y-splitter:
 
How can I get it fix on the cable buy using some nice 3.5 mm jack shell.
I have done my sleeve my headphone end and now I have join my 2 cables together. Is there any good instructions on how to do the Y split in a nice looking way?
 
Thanks

I typically start by using a dab of hot glue to secure sleeving to the wire itself then put a starter piece of heatshrink on top to keep it all together.  Adhesive lined heatshrink is another option if you have it.  From there, it depends on the barrel being used.  The one I used had set screws, so I put down enough layers of heatshrink for the screws to be able to dig into and keep the Y split in place.
 
If you don't have set screws available, then carefully filling the barrel with hot glue or other low drip glue is the other way.  Some people have put heatshrink on the outside, but that kind of defeats the purpose of the nice barrel.
 
May 13, 2013 at 2:04 PM Post #11,913 of 16,328
Quote:
Smaller diameter definitely helps.  Is it snagging on stray strands of copper?  I make sure that my cust was nice and smooth.  A tiny dab of hot glue on the end can round it off so you can smoothly get it on.  I sleeve like an inch worm smoothing out the whole wire each time.  
 
I haven't tried sleeving the L-4E5C specifically, but it shouldn't be too much bigger than other 24awg wire.

Yes, it is.  I tried to make my cuts as smooth as possible, but in the process of inching it through it seems to be pushing the coating back just enough for a tiny bit of the copper to push out, just enough to cause it to snag, unfortunately.
 
Maybe I need some better wire cutters.  The one I got in a cheap set from Harbor Freight may not be sharp enough.  The hot glue is an interesting idea, though.  I may have to give that a try.  For the first one I'm going to make, I'm going to use the clear coated strands from a length of Mogami 2534.  It should turn out nicely with my cocobolo plug for my Beyers.
 
I think, though I'll have to see how it goes, that I'm going to use the blue strands (twisted and sleeved together) for the interior and cup to cup wiring.  I did buy some canare specifically for that task, but I'm not sure of the AWG of the wires, and I'd like it to match up.
 
May 13, 2013 at 8:29 PM Post #11,915 of 16,328
What is the largest wire gauge you would use for a headphone cable and what braiding technique would you apply?


For a 4 wire headphone cable, 22AWG with PE or teflon is my normal standard. 24awg is quite light and flimsy.

24 or 26 awg 4 wire is usually my IEM cable depending on the flexibility of the wire.
 
May 13, 2013 at 8:55 PM Post #11,916 of 16,328
24 awg iem cable 4 wire round braid. 26awg 8 wire 4 wire round braid.

Headphone cable 24 at least I like the round braid again, flat braid is more compact but I think round looks better. I think 24 is ok if you sleeve it.
 
May 14, 2013 at 10:25 AM Post #11,917 of 16,328
What is the difference in braiding technique for flat vs round?  The only 4 wire braid I've ever done is this one:
 
Start with the four wires side by side.

a. Take the leftmost wire and cross it OVER its TWO neighbors.

b. Take the rightmost wire and cross it OVER its ONE neighbor.

c. Take the leftmost wire and cross it UNDER its TWO neighbors.

d. Take the rightmost wire and cross it UNDER its ONE neighbor.

Repeat steps a-d until done.

 
Which, according to google and the thread title, is a round braid.
 
May 14, 2013 at 11:13 AM Post #11,918 of 16,328
Seen a couple 8 strand braids, tired a round one that was pretty nice. Currently trying to find a decent set of instructions for a 8 strand flat braid that will actually work with cable.
 
May 15, 2013 at 2:54 AM Post #11,920 of 16,328
Quote:
What is the difference in braiding technique for flat vs round?  The only 4 wire braid I've ever done is this one:
 
 
Which, according to google and the thread title, is a round braid.

 
The "round" braid I do is leftmost over two wires, then back under one, then rightmost over two wires and back under one, repeat until done. I've not done flat braid in several years so I don't remember the process for it to compare.
 
May 15, 2013 at 10:55 AM Post #11,922 of 16,328
Quote:
 
The "round" braid I do is leftmost over two wires, then back under one, then rightmost over two wires and back under one, repeat until done. I've not done flat braid in several years so I don't remember the process for it to compare.

Well that's certainly different from the method I quoted.  Wonder which it "round" and which is "flat" (if either qualify for either designation).
 
Maybe someone else will weigh in too.
 
May 15, 2013 at 4:10 PM Post #11,923 of 16,328
Quote:
Well that's certainly different from the method I quoted.  Wonder which it "round" and which is "flat" (if either qualify for either designation).
 
Maybe someone else will weigh in too.

 
I want to say that yours is the flat litz braid, not round. It's also the only one I know, but I'm no expert and usually don't braid (and just use Mogami Mini Quad as is).
 
EDIT: Misread that, yours is round I think. Maybe both are round. Flat is where you keep going over, and never under.
 
May 15, 2013 at 7:28 PM Post #11,924 of 16,328
First posting in this thread, apologies for the smartphone cam. 
 
Here are fruits of today's labor:
 
(1) Mini to Mini interconnect for my y2 > O2 using standard Mogami and two Rean 3.5mm.

 
(2) IEM cable direct to a pair of TF10s. I sold these and the buyer wanted them directly wired and commissioned a cable as well, so I finished the cable, tested it electronically, and will later seal the wires to the earpieces with some wood putty (plus sanding, painting, etc.) You can't tell thanks to Mr. Shakyhands here, but I stripped the Mogami down to its four bare wires and have a flat litz braid beneath the techflex. Terminated with right angle Switchcraft.

 
(3) Headphone cable for my brother's T50RP mod. Terminated with 3.5mm Amphenol using mono Reans as connectors to the headphones. Expensive, but awesome looking, Viablue Y-Splitter. Also Mogami cable. That and Canare are just incredible bang for your buck.

 

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