Cable Tidying Guide

Cable Braiding

This is a more recently popular solution, and something PSU manufacturers have been using for a few years to keep their cables tidy and the PSU unit better looking. In the last year or so there have been “braiding kits” introduced so people can do their own PSU, or whatever else. Availability is about the same as spiral wrap – wherever there are shops with modding sections there will usually be cable braiding, and you can get it in the whole rainbow of colours. Unlike the other cable management solutions this is a single use, permanent fixture so make sure you want it done before shelling out for it.

What is it?
It’s an expandable, flexible, cylindrical braiding where your cables are poked in from one end and out the other. The internal diameter can range greatly depending on whether the braiding is pushed together and compressed making a large inside diameter or pulled and extended making a small inside diameter. The ends require tying off with cable ties, heatshrink or melted together otherwise the braiding can come undone.

How easy is it to use/reuse?
A complete pain, to be honest! Compared to virtually every other cable management solution it takes no time at all to get it on, but then you need to seal the ends and make sure it’s the right length because once you cut there isn’t any undoing it. Not only that, but it can require some trial and error to get right because sometimes the ends will either fray and come out from their heatsink/cable tie seals which means you have to do the whole thing again.

How does it look?
In short, when done right it looks damn good; arguably the best looking cable management solution. People don’t go to the trouble of using it for nothing, right? Being available in a huge range of colours and weave patterns allows manufacturers to match the style of the product with the braid they want.

Cost?
Cable braiding doesn’t cost that much per meter, in the same range as spiral wrap but specialist colours or weave patterns can cost more. You have to also take into account the fact you need some manner of sealing the ends like heatshrinking and zip ties which is an extra cost.

What should I use it for?
Single use applications you plan on never changing – like PSU or fan wires, or if you plan to round your own SCSI or IDE cables. It can successfully be used for large applications that need to be aesthetically pleasing as the cables just requires pushing through from one end to the other, unlike spiral wrap which requires effort and time to wrap around every-single-rotation.

Heatshrink

Never really considered as a serious cable management solution on its own but it is often used to seal exposed wire ends and cable braiding ends to prevent fraying.

What is it?
A rubber material that when strongly heated shrinks around the wire and seals over it making an electrically resistant seal.

How easy is it to use?
Pretty easy, but its single use means it’s not as versatile as other solutions. Heatshrink is graded depending on its start diameter and its final (shrunk) diameter so you can work out exactly how small you want it to go and how big you need it to start with. Everyone has their own way of shrinking it - personally I prefer using a simple lighter, but better is to use a hotter blue flame like a gas hob or blow torch, turning it quickly to get an even shrink and reduce the chance of it melting. A hair dryer can also be used: it takes longer to shrink, but there is no risk of melting.

How does it look?
Pretty bad in most cases, and it’s rarely/never used in large scale as it’s hard to get an even shrink. You can get some variety of colours like red and blue but nearly all the time only black is available.

Cost?
One of the cheaper solutions, heatshrink generally doesn’t cost much at all, generally a little cheaper than spiral wrap and can be bought in a wide range of sizes. Buying from large electrical suppliers in bulk can definitely be cheaper, and it’s always useful for electrical projects.

What should I use it for?
Sealing ends and making them electrically insulated. It’s not used for a complete cable management solution because it just doesn’t look the part and it is single use only.