# Braiding steel cable



## Instigatr (Mar 3, 2010)

hi guys
fairly new here, but not new to the woodcutting scene. what i am looking for, and not having much luck finding, is how to braid (unsure this is the correct term) loops in the ends of some steel cable i bought for pulling logs out. does anyone know of the way to do this, or a website that shows it? i assume it is real similar to rope, but i get worried when i assume things:monkey:
thanks in advance
aaron


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## loadthestove (Mar 3, 2010)

Steel cable will braid just like rope.Just unwind enough to make a loop and wrap it back in itself.

Found this on you tube,it should help..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x0xhvKlLppQ


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## Instigatr (Mar 3, 2010)

thanks for the quick reply. it is always nice to be the new guy on a forum and still get helpful answers to my questions. 
thanks to all who are making this site so good.
aaron


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## Turkeyslayer (Mar 3, 2010)

I personally would just buy some thimbles and cable clamps they are cheap and work good.http://www.farmtek.com/farm/supplie...e_cable-ft1_cable_accessories_1;892d8d8a.html


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## ericjeeper (Mar 3, 2010)

when you are winding it back to make the loop.. One way it will lay nice.. The wrong way it will fight you..


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## redprospector (Mar 3, 2010)

Turkeyslayer said:


> I personally would just buy some thimbles and cable clamps they are cheap and work good.http://www.farmtek.com/farm/supplie...e_cable-ft1_cable_accessories_1;892d8d8a.html



Cable clamps have their place, and are very usefull hardware. But an eye that is spliced in the cable is much stronger. There are a lot of places that cable clamps just wont work, and a splice is the only way.
Cable clamps are a cheap way to do a "fast & nasty" connection of cable. I use them in a lot of situations. But I generally splice my eye's.

Andy


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## Shmudda (Mar 4, 2010)

The cable will get all knotted up over time. 

Get yourself a length of 1/4" or 5/16" chain and loop the ends back to the main length to make loops on each end. Then put a bolt thru the end to attach the loop to the main body of the chain. There you have a choaker loop on one end and loop to attach to a towing ball on the other.

I've tried the cable route and they really dont last all that long skidding logs.

Craig


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## wvlogger (Mar 4, 2010)

I swage my cables 

http://ep.yimg.com/ca/I/stageriggingonline_2091_4927562

much faster than splicing and better looking than ties


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## Instigatr (Mar 6, 2010)

redprospector said:


> Cable clamps have their place, and are very usefull hardware. But an eye that is spliced in the cable is much stronger. There are a lot of places that cable clamps just wont work, and a splice is the only way.
> Cable clamps are a cheap way to do a "fast & nasty" connection of cable. I use them in a lot of situations. But I generally splice my eye's.
> 
> Andy



i agree. this is why i am trying to learn the right way to do it (safety first ). it does look like i was trying my search terms wrong. the correct term is "wire rope" it seems. thanks again for the help!
Aaron


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## Instigatr (Mar 6, 2010)

wvlogger said:


> I swage my cables
> 
> http://ep.yimg.com/ca/I/stageriggingonline_2091_4927562
> 
> much faster than splicing and better looking than ties



there is only one place here in town that will do it (several that sell the cable, splices, etc.), and they are currently charging $10 per "clamp" to do it :jawdrop:
little to steep for my blood.
Aaron


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## Instigatr (Mar 6, 2010)

Shmudda said:


> The cable will get all knotted up over time.
> 
> Get yourself a length of 1/4" or 5/16" chain and loop the ends back to the main length to make loops on each end. Then put a bolt thru the end to attach the loop to the main body of the chain. There you have a choaker loop on one end and loop to attach to a towing ball on the other.
> 
> ...



my buddy has some old log truck cables that were used to chain the load up while going down the highway. has short length of chain at each end. this is the idea i had for stretching out my chains.
you are correct, cable does not last all that long skidding logs. luckily the area i have found does not have all that many rocks 
thanks again
Aaron


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## wvlogger (Mar 6, 2010)

Instigatr said:


> there is only one place here in town that will do it (several that sell the cable, splices, etc.), and they are currently charging $10 per "clamp" to do it :jawdrop:
> little to steep for my blood.
> Aaron



thats why i bought my own tool


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## Gologit (Mar 6, 2010)

redprospector said:


> Cable clamps have their place, and are very usefull hardware. But an eye that is spliced in the cable is much stronger. There are a lot of places that cable clamps just wont work, and a splice is the only way.
> Cable clamps are a cheap way to do a "fast & nasty" connection of cable. I use them in a lot of situations. But I generally splice my eye's.
> 
> Andy



Exactly. Clamps and swaging are all right for light weight work but if you learn to splice, and take the time to do it right, you'll have something safe and strong.

I've seen clamp and swaging pull out or fail...it gets real ugly real fast.

Learn to splice...it ain't rocket science.


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## Suz (Mar 6, 2010)

*What do you think about wrapping?*

What do you think about bending the wire rope around a cable thimble, laying the end along side the standing end of the cable. Then take and wrap some 16 or 18 gauge steel wire around the ends. When you have made about 30 to 50 wraps, you heat the end up with a torch and solder the wrap to the wire rope.
I've done it this way and it's a hard thing to describe in words, and I don't have any pictures.

But, the end turns out nice and smooth without any sharp/blunt ends to catch the weeds/twigs/grass/etc.

This type of loop is used a lot on airplane control cables.

BTW, whenever I try to fly rockets they seem to crash and burn!!! <GRIN>


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## savageactor7 (Mar 7, 2010)

Are you talking about 'splicing' cable as in making an 'eye' or repairing a break to make a longer cable? 

They have hardware that you bolt on and lock the cables together ...much easier than splicing with a marlin spike.


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## Rookie1 (Mar 7, 2010)

That youtube video was cool. Thats got to be a dying art there. A kid I went to school with could do rope like that. My head would spin trying to keep up. I think putting loops in the end of a cable like that would be a good idea.


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## Buckethead (Mar 8, 2010)

I'm not 100% sure on this but, I believe that wire rope and regular laid rope are spliced in opposite directions. Laid rope is spliced opposite of the lay and wire rope is spliced with the lay. 

If you do splice your wire rope (kudos to you if you do!) just make sure the splice goes the proper way.


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