[AudioNoob]

I am rebuilding some sweet sextetts, hopefully will receive all parts by next weekend. I was wondering if anybody knew a source for cotton sleeves for individual 26 awg teflon coated cables, thats less than a mm OD each.
 
Thanks.

 

[Steve Eddy]

 
I don't know where you'd find such thin cotton sleeving even outside the US.
 
I have some 2mm if you'd like.
 
Edit: Actually it's more like just under 1.5mm if you pull it taut.
 
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[momomo6789]

shoe lace

 

[kitncar]

Hi Steve,
I saw your post saying you have some 2mm cotton sleeving. Is it unbleached? I need some, please give me the details on how to buy it.
 
Thank you,
Carl

 

[qusp]

why, does bleach whiten the sound?

parts connection has it in canada, VT4C has it in china. but one thing OP, sounds like you are planning on using it over the top of teflon? why would you do that? sounds like they are signal carrying wires at 26AWG, so forget about the teflon and just use the cotton, that way you actually get the benefit of the better dielectric constant of the cotton. otherwise there is only damping......

 

[Steve Eddy]

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that way you actually get the benefit of the better dielectric constant of the cotton.

I don't think the dielectric constant that's typically given for cotton really applies to cotton in textile form. Also, cotton's rather hygroscopic so the real world dielectric constant will vary depending on how much moisture there is in the air.
 
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[qusp]

yeah i'm not sure about that either, though it is often touted that way along with silk, but isnt more moisture actually better anyway? certainly would help with combatting static charge. where I have read about it with regard to signal wire drawing moisture in is promoted as a plus. not sure why it would make much difference whether the cotton is woven or not, the main reason its good is because its closer to air, given that the result is pretty much a pocket of air around the conductor.

 

[nattonrice]

Take a page from the Germans and lather your silk with oil.

 

[qusp]

yeah but not olive oil, needs to be something that wont go rancid. duelund of course use mineral oil

 

[Steve Eddy]

Quote:

yeah i'm not sure about that either, though it is often touted that way along with silk,

Yes, because the dielectric constant table the number is taken from lists it as 1.3-1.4. But I'm pretty certain that's only for cotton in its raw form where there's much more air between the fibers. In textile form, there's not nearly as much air between the fibers in which case the dielectric constant would be higher.
 
 
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...but isnt more moisture actually better anyway?

 
Not from a dielectric constant point of view. Water has a very high dielectric constant (80.4 at 68 degrees F) so the more moisture in the cotton, the higher the aggregate dielectric constant.
 
 
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certainly would help with combatting static charge. where I have read about it with regard to signal wire drawing moisture in is promoted as a plus.

 
Well, moisture in the air, i.e. humidity is a plus as far as static charge is concerned. That's why static is at its worst on cold, dry days. But on the triboelectric series, cotton is one of the most neutral materials there is (i.e. it doesn't tend to strip charges or give up charges) so static isn't much of a concern.
 
 
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not sure why it would make much difference whether the cotton is woven or not

 
See above.
 
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the main reason its good is because its closer to air, given that the result is pretty much a pocket of air around the conductor.

 
A pocket if air around the conductor is somewhat irrelevant. The dielectric affects the electric fields, which extend beyond the conductor. So a pocket of air isn't much of a saving grace. Some folks seem to be under the mistaken impression that if it's not actually touching the wire, the dielectric has no effect. This simply isn't the case.
 
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[qusp]

hmm, not gonna get into a back and forth here, I know how that ends (or rather doesnt) with you Steve

i'll just leave it in one of the pile that is doesnt do any harm and in some circumstances some good (great for making cables a more useful thickness for sleeving and easier to slide braid or copper braid over) its hydroscopic tendencies I have always seen promoted as a plus and my own subjective assessments of it have been positive (though I would never use it for power supply) I would only be digging up google references to go any further here and you have already started hehe, so lets just leave it out hey??

 

[Steve Eddy]

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[qusp]

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me too, what was confusing about that cocoller? steve and I had a history of arguing over things that really dont mean a great deal to either of us, simply because both of us like a good argument, but I dont feel like that today and steve and I made our peace offerings over on the other DIY forum; I would prefer to keep it that way

 

[burgunder]

For the record Duelund was danish not german
 
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Take a page from the Germans and lather your silk with oil.

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yeah but not olive oil, needs to be something that wont go rancid. duelund of course use mineral oil

 

 

[qusp]

yeah sure, but why am I quoted?