Huge wrote:
On 2007-06-01, Palindrome wrote:


I would suggest that soldered joints covered with normal heat shrink and
insulating tape, "lack tensile strength, abrasion resistance, general
robustness, spillproofness (they can make a small spill live), good
insulation, petproofness & small childproofness."


Methinks you worry overmuch. I've been doing this for years, although
it's solder, adhesive heatshrink (don't forget to put it on *before*
soldering the joint), more adhesive heatshrink over the whole thing
then insulating tape. OK, it isn't that bendy or pretty, but it'll
go on a drum and I've never, ever, had a joint fail, and there's one in
the lead for my big mains drill.



I did write "normal" - which you too seem to think is inadequate, as you
use adhesive heatshrink.

Whether it will go on the drum neatly depends on the size of the cable
and the drum.

I've used similar techniques to the one you mention where cable
replacement was impractical, eg re-joining the command and power cable
of a tethered submersible. That has been good enough to survive a few
weeks of fairly deep salt water immersion, etc. But the repair only ever
lasted a few weeks, no matter how carefully it was done. The cable alarm
would inevitably sound and the fault was inevitably at the join.. So no
way was it as good as the original cable, unjoined.

--
Sue