On 10 Apr 2021 at 14:12:43 BST, "Chris Green" wrote:

Roger Hayter wrote:
On 10 Apr 2021 at 12:44:54 BST, "Tricky Dicky" wrote:

On Saturday, 10 April 2021 at 12:03:05 UTC+1, Chris Green wrote:


I can imagine some sort of tool that you could insert a tie into which
would have a curved channel that you put round whatever it is you want
the tie round. Push a lever (or something) and the tie is fed round
the track and back to you. For the tool to do part 2 as well is more
difficult but even doing part 1 would make using cable ties a whole
lot easier.

--
Chris Green
·
Well there is an idea for someone to come up with, I am sure it would sell
having spent many hours doing and cursing cable ties. In the meantime a U
shaped rigid tube should enable you to get a tie round a bunch of wires
with
both ends on the same side, you just have to be careful to hold the tie as
you slide the guide tube off.

Richard

If instead of a tube one uses a channel with an open side on the inside of
the
'U' one could quickly and easily lift it off when the tie is captured. You
still potentially need three hands, but it might be possible to catch the
end
of the tie with the hand holding the channel without dropping the latter. I
am
inspired to try it next time I do this job, having done 15m of netting the
other day!

Yes, when there's a lot to do it does feel worth putting a little
effort into coming up with something to help. I can picture exactly
what's needed - a sort of tiny shepherd's crook made of channel into
which the cable tie slides nicely.

However, will it actually work, i.e. won't the cable tie want to
remain straight and thus not follow the bend of the channel? A small
piece of tube would work to guide the cable tie but how do you remove
it after getting the tie round the bend?

If the opening of the channel is on the inside of the bend I don't see why it
shouldn't work. The tie would have to bend even more to get out, and couldn't
go sideways.
--
Roger Hayter