DIY Cable Gallery!!
Oct 18, 2012 at 11:50 AM Post #10,351 of 16,305
You should thouroughly tin exposed copper/silver, leave no flux residue, and seal the connectors with epoxy or coat solder joints with plasti-dip.

I've only ever had copper turn black on me, and not my own DIY cables.
 
Oct 18, 2012 at 11:57 AM Post #10,352 of 16,305
Quote:
 with Lunashops 'Belkin' plugs, one rubbed down and sprayed satin black, the other with a 'brushed' finish, which cogsand gears gave me the idea for.
 
 
 

 
Nice work!  What kind of paint did you use?  Any preparation?  Do you think it will be durable?  I have some chrome RCA's that I just don't care for and would love to have them be satin black, but haven't experimented yet with a good way to that with a durable finish.  
 
Oct 18, 2012 at 12:07 PM Post #10,353 of 16,305
Thanks! It's Halford's own brand stuff, about the equivalent of $10 for a 500ml can. I just rubbed it down with wet 'n' dry (can't remember what grit sorry!), wiped it over with isopropanol to degrease and then sprayed. I think it should be durable, I gave it three coats, and the paint is designed for cars/bikes so I can't see it chipping just on audio plugs.
Quote:
 
Nice work!  What kind of paint did you use?  Any preparation?  Do you think it will be durable?  I have some chrome RCA's that I just don't care for and would love to have them be satin black, but haven't experimented yet with a good way to that with a durable finish.  

 
Oct 18, 2012 at 1:39 PM Post #10,354 of 16,305
Hello:
 
I hope you pro's don't get upset for me asking this here...but here I go:
 
I want to make my first diy project cable. This will be for my White Pearl M-80's and I also want to make a small interconnect for my E6.
 
The headphone cable will be 5 feet with one straight mini (going to the M-80's) and one angled mini at the other end. The interconnect will be 5 inches with both angled mini's.
 
Since I'm on a budget I will use silver plated copper cable but I'm not sure exactly which cable I need for the proper L/R/G connections. I found these two on ebay:
 
a) 20awg silver plated twisted pair

 
b) 20awg silver plated coax twisted pair

 
Aside from which is the correct one, I would like the headphone cable to be the most flexible possible and also the wire to be white as on the first pic and then cover it with a grey (techflex?) material to match with the M-80's theme.
 
I'm still a long way to finish reading this thread, but I am reading a few pages everyday and you guys do some awesome stuff. If you can also suggest me some nice stylish mini plugs and any other materials I need for my project I'd really appreciated. I have an old beat up soldering gun but I can buy another more suited for the job if its not too expensive.
 
Thanks!
 
Oct 18, 2012 at 3:32 PM Post #10,356 of 16,305
Quote:
Hello:
 
I hope you pro's don't get upset for me asking this here...but here I go:
 
I want to make my first diy project cable. This will be for my White Pearl M-80's and I also want to make a small interconnect for my E6.
 
The headphone cable will be 5 feet with one straight mini (going to the M-80's) and one angled mini at the other end. The interconnect will be 5 inches with both angled mini's.
 
Since I'm on a budget I will use silver plated copper cable but I'm not sure exactly which cable I need for the proper L/R/G connections. I found these two on ebay:
 
a) 20awg silver plated twisted pair
 
 
b) 20awg silver plated coax twisted pair
 
 
Aside from which is the correct one, I would like the headphone cable to be the most flexible possible and also the wire to be white as on the first pic and then cover it with a grey (techflex?) material to match with the M-80's theme.
 
I'm still a long way to finish reading this thread, but I am reading a few pages everyday and you guys do some awesome stuff. If you can also suggest me some nice stylish mini plugs and any other materials I need for my project I'd really appreciated. I have an old beat up soldering gun but I can buy another more suited for the job if its not too expensive.
 
Thanks!

 
I think you can find MUCH better cables for headphones than those.  For me, I want light, flexible, and with not too much memory to my wires so they don't kink as easily.  These are silverplated copper in teflon, then shielded, then another covering of teflon.  These are going to be very stiff.  The wires are also much thicker than you need.  A headphone cable makes more sense in the 28awg to 24awg range.  As many strands as you can get for flexibility.  Ideally very thin teflon (which most milspec isn't), or polyethylene.  Shielding is pretty unnecessary.  If you want a prefabricated cable, use something like Mogami or Canare mini starquad.  You would have to buy some white sleeving to match your headphones. (which is what I assume you are going for).  I would go with 4 wires braided together and then sleeved, or get a cable that has 4 conductors.  This way you get one wire each for L and R, and then two to G to balance it properly.
 
There are tons of stylish plugs.  For the Vmoda, Oyaide plugs (or their much cheaper knockoffs from Lunashops.com) would be nice together aesthetically.
 
Oct 18, 2012 at 3:35 PM Post #10,357 of 16,305
Quote:

 
confused_face_2.gif

 
Oct 18, 2012 at 4:04 PM Post #10,358 of 16,305
Quote:
 
I think you can find MUCH better cables for headphones than those.  For me, I want light, flexible, and with not too much memory to my wires so they don't kink as easily.  These are silverplated copper in teflon, then shielded, then another covering of teflon.  These are going to be very stiff.  The wires are also much thicker than you need.  A headphone cable makes more sense in the 28awg to 24awg range.  As many strands as you can get for flexibility.  Ideally very thin teflon (which most milspec isn't), or polyethylene.  Shielding is pretty unnecessary.  If you want a prefabricated cable, use something like Mogami or Canare mini starquad.  You would have to buy some white sleeving to match your headphones. (which is what I assume you are going for).  I would go with 4 wires braided together and then sleeved, or get a cable that has 4 conductors.  This way you get one wire each for L and R, and then two to G to balance it properly.
 
There are tons of stylish plugs.  For the Vmoda, Oyaide plugs (or their much cheaper knockoffs from Lunashops.com) would be nice together aesthetically.

Thanks man. In fact I was thinking before to just get 5 feet of this pre-made Mogami cable with mini's, but the cable only comes in black AND it doesn't have the angled mini or colored sleeve option. 
 
http://www.nyproaudiocables.com/servlet/the-1989/MOGAMI-2552-BALANCED-1-fdsh-8%22/Detail
 
Where's the cheapest place I can get the Mogami or Canare cable? 
 
Oct 18, 2012 at 6:51 PM Post #10,360 of 16,305
Quote:
Thanks man. In fact I was thinking before to just get 5 feet of this pre-made Mogami cable with mini's, but the cable only comes in black AND it doesn't have the angled mini or colored sleeve option. 
 
http://www.nyproaudiocables.com/servlet/the-1989/MOGAMI-2552-BALANCED-1-fdsh-8%22/Detail
 
Where's the cheapest place I can get the Mogami or Canare cable? 

 
Markertek usually carries the various mogami cables for roughly a dollar a foot, depending on cable (2893 is usually less, 2534 maybe a touch more). Lots of other sellers out there too, but they've been my go to for a long while. 
 
They also carry the Canare wire, typically about 2/3 the price of mogami, but I find it harder to work with.
 
Oct 18, 2012 at 7:06 PM Post #10,361 of 16,305
Quote:
 
Markertek usually carries the various mogami cables for roughly a dollar a foot, depending on cable (2893 is usually less, 2534 maybe a touch more). Lots of other sellers out there too, but they've been my go to for a long while. 
 
They also carry the Canare wire, typically about 2/3 the price of mogami, but I find it harder to work with.

Thanks!
 
Is this 1/8" nylon sleeving an ok fit for the Mogami 2893? or is it has to be 3/16"?
 
http://www.frozencpu.com/products/10502/slv-75/FLEXO_PET_18_Nylon_Cable_Sleeve_-_Grey_White.html#blank
 
Oct 18, 2012 at 7:07 PM Post #10,362 of 16,305
I think 1/8 is too small to expand enough for 2893. 
 
Oct 18, 2012 at 10:14 PM Post #10,364 of 16,305
Quote:
 
Just that your list seemed to be for someone making cables that would be doing duty during jungle warfare or something.
 
se

 
Overbuild?  That's just my style.
 

 
Edit: and well, it works.  I've taken some old cables from a few years ago apart just to see how much oxidation they've accumulated.  Nothing at all.
How do you do them, then?
 
Oct 18, 2012 at 11:42 PM Post #10,365 of 16,305
My last night project UE TF 10 Solid Core Cable.
I call it Black Crown of Thorns IEM Cables.
 
This silver wire are home made, its handcrafted by an old man hwo dedicate himself to craft silver.
All the silver are made from finest silver mined in Borneo Island, Indonesia.
Handcrafted from raw silver material in form like stone, then crafted, then become thin wire. All works is do in traditional way.
Just spend IDR 300,000 (about 30 USD) for 7 metre cable.
When quality meet cheap price...
 
It sounds wonderful, give my UE TF10 extra speed, extra high, - midbass, good depth...
 
 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
 
Still need some finishing, don't have much time last night, must go for work in the morning...
biggrin.gif
biggrin.gif
biggrin.gif
biggrin.gif
biggrin.gif
biggrin.gif
biggrin.gif
biggrin.gif

 

Users who are viewing this thread

Back
Top