In my recent quest for 4 conductor right angle connector cables, I received
some small diameter, very flexible cable assemblies.

The first cable I cut for a custom application had many very fine, round
stranded (not flat foil) spiral wound around a synthetic thread with each
individual strand coated (not jacketed) with a thin colored coating.
No other insulation or shielding was found.

This highly flexible wire is what I've been finding lately in cheap headsets
and earbuds. The separate conductors are bundled together in a
molded/extruded plastic jacket with different colored coatings on each
conductor.

I'd read that paint stripper would remove the colored coating/insulator, so
that was tried.. after 15-20 minutes some of the coating could be removed by
wiping the ends with a cotton swab.
Additional stripper was applied and set aside for over a half-hour.. the
stripper had become colored by the dissolved coating, and wiped of very
cleanly.

I wound some 30ga wirewrap around the ends to form an improvised strain
relief for the fine bundles, then placed this cable aside to try a different
method.

On another section of the same cable, I placed the bundled ends on a scrap
of clean wood and just wiped the dry tip of my soldering iron several times
along the bundles, moving toward the ends. The heat was effective at
removing the colored coatings from the bundles.. turning the cable over to
get the ends thoroughly cleaned to the bare copper.

The bundles were then individually covered with the smallest heatshrink
tubing (maybe 1/64" dia) with the bare ends left exposed. The 4 sections of
small shrinktubing were joined together and to the plastic cable jacket with
a larger diameter section of shrinktubing (over a very small amount of hot
glue applied to the junction area).

The wirewrap treated ends would've been problematic for this particular
application since the 4 cable leads needed to be soldered to tiny terminals
that fit in a nylon connector.
The shrink tubing needed to be gripped/secured by the terminal tabs intended
to be crimped to/imbedded in a plastic insulation for added strength.

With the approx 1/32" bare ends soldered to the terminals and the tabs
securing the shrinktubing, the connection was fairly secure.
For additional strength a small amount of hot glue was applied to the short
lengths of heatshrink tubing entering the connector body, followed by
another section of larger heatshring tubing to cover all, effectively making
an improvised molded cable end connection/strain relief.

I like a better quality cable for these assemblies, but I wasn't able to
find right angle TRRS plugs in 2.5 and 3.5mm sizes.
The cable which as been working well for me is Mogami type 2929.. an
ultraflexible miniature 28ga (fine stranded copper) 4-conductor (plus a
spiral-wound copper shield) with an outer diameter of ~0.110".

--
Cheers,
WB
..............

Wild_Bill wrote in message
...
In my recent quest for 4 conductor right angle connector cables, I
received
some small diameter, very flexible cable assemblies.

The first cable I cut for a custom application had many very fine, round
stranded (not flat foil) spiral wound around a synthetic thread with each
individual strand coated (not jacketed) with a thin colored coating.
No other insulation or shielding was found.

This highly flexible wire is what I've been finding lately in cheap
headsets
and earbuds. The separate conductors are bundled together in a
molded/extruded plastic jacket with different colored coatings on each
conductor.

I'd read that paint stripper would remove the colored coating/insulator,
so
that was tried.. after 15-20 minutes some of the coating could be removed
by
wiping the ends with a cotton swab.
Additional stripper was applied and set aside for over a half-hour.. the
stripper had become colored by the dissolved coating, and wiped of very
cleanly.

I wound some 30ga wirewrap around the ends to form an improvised strain
relief for the fine bundles, then placed this cable aside to try a
different
method.

On another section of the same cable, I placed the bundled ends on a scrap
of clean wood and just wiped the dry tip of my soldering iron several
times
along the bundles, moving toward the ends. The heat was effective at
removing the colored coatings from the bundles.. turning the cable over to
get the ends thoroughly cleaned to the bare copper.

The bundles were then individually covered with the smallest heatshrink
tubing (maybe 1/64" dia) with the bare ends left exposed. The 4 sections
of
small shrinktubing were joined together and to the plastic cable jacket
with
a larger diameter section of shrinktubing (over a very small amount of hot
glue applied to the junction area).

The wirewrap treated ends would've been problematic for this particular
application since the 4 cable leads needed to be soldered to tiny
terminals
that fit in a nylon connector.
The shrink tubing needed to be gripped/secured by the terminal tabs
intended
to be crimped to/imbedded in a plastic insulation for added strength.

With the approx 1/32" bare ends soldered to the terminals and the tabs
securing the shrinktubing, the connection was fairly secure.
For additional strength a small amount of hot glue was applied to the
short
lengths of heatshrink tubing entering the connector body, followed by
another section of larger heatshring tubing to cover all, effectively
making
an improvised molded cable end connection/strain relief.

I like a better quality cable for these assemblies, but I wasn't able to
find right angle TRRS plugs in 2.5 and 3.5mm sizes.
The cable which as been working well for me is Mogami type 2929.. an
ultraflexible miniature 28ga (fine stranded copper) 4-conductor (plus a
spiral-wound copper shield) with an outer diameter of ~0.110".

--
Cheers,
WB
.............



It is quite easy to make a hot-moulding jig for hot-melt glue. If
split-mould not made of PTFE then coat whatever suitable material with thick
PTFE plumber's tape. Fix the 2 halves either side of a hinge and force the 2
halves together over the hot-melt swathed joint. Fettle the sprew lines
(look that up in your Funk & Wagnells). Coloured hotmelt available from
craft stores.

There are specialty heatshrink tubing products which have a heat sensitive
adhesive on the inner surface. One type is used for direct-burial electrical
splices.

I use a thin coating of hot glue under shrink tubing since it makes the
closure more secure.. improved tensile strength and mechanical
stability/support.
The junction can be flattened between 2 flat surfaces (not your fingers)
while it's still hot to form a neater looking junction (or ironed/rolled
flat with the cooler/upper section of a soldering iron barrel.

As I mentioned in an earlier post, 2 or 3 flat pieces of plastic can be
hollowed out to create a cavity for the splices, then filled with hot glue
or epoxy to close.

Black hot glue would be handy for a lot of fixes (might melt/reflow in a hot
car, though), but sticks of hard setting thermoplastic would be better, IMO.
Problem is, fumes from hot plastics can be really nasty.

--
Cheers,
WB
..............


"N_Cook" wrote in message
...

It is quite easy to make a hot-moulding jig for hot-melt glue. If
split-mould not made of PTFE then coat whatever suitable material with
thick
PTFE plumber's tape. Fix the 2 halves either side of a hinge and force the
2
halves together over the hot-melt swathed joint. Fettle the sprew lines
(look that up in your Funk & Wagnells). Coloured hotmelt available from
craft stores.

On Wed, 20 Mar 2013 18:56:03 -0400, "Wild_Bill"
wrote:

There are specialty heatshrink tubing products which have a heat sensitive
adhesive on the inner surface. One type is used for direct-burial electrical
splices.

I use a thin coating of hot glue under shrink tubing since it makes the
closure more secure.. improved tensile strength and mechanical
stability/support.
The junction can be flattened between 2 flat surfaces (not your fingers)
while it's still hot to form a neater looking junction (or ironed/rolled
flat with the cooler/upper section of a soldering iron barrel.

As I mentioned in an earlier post, 2 or 3 flat pieces of plastic can be
hollowed out to create a cavity for the splices, then filled with hot glue
or epoxy to close.

Black hot glue would be handy for a lot of fixes (might melt/reflow in a hot
car, though), but sticks of hard setting thermoplastic would be better, IMO.
Problem is, fumes from hot plastics can be really nasty.

I suppose you can try ski repair "candle" plastic. Presuming it is still
available and a decent electrical insulator.

?-)

Wild_Bill wrote in message
...
There are specialty heatshrink tubing products which have a heat sensitive
adhesive on the inner surface. One type is used for direct-burial
electrical
splices.

I use a thin coating of hot glue under shrink tubing since it makes the
closure more secure.. improved tensile strength and mechanical
stability/support.
The junction can be flattened between 2 flat surfaces (not your fingers)
while it's still hot to form a neater looking junction (or ironed/rolled
flat with the cooler/upper section of a soldering iron barrel.

As I mentioned in an earlier post, 2 or 3 flat pieces of plastic can be
hollowed out to create a cavity for the splices, then filled with hot glue
or epoxy to close.

Black hot glue would be handy for a lot of fixes (might melt/reflow in a
hot
car, though), but sticks of hard setting thermoplastic would be better,
IMO.
Problem is, fumes from hot plastics can be really nasty.

--
Cheers,
WB
.............


"N_Cook" wrote in message
...

It is quite easy to make a hot-moulding jig for hot-melt glue. If
split-mould not made of PTFE then coat whatever suitable material with
thick
PTFE plumber's tape. Fix the 2 halves either side of a hinge and force
the
2
halves together over the hot-melt swathed joint. Fettle the sprew lines
(look that up in your Funk & Wagnells). Coloured hotmelt available from
craft stores.





I've never found black or grey hotmelt, have to make my own mixing with
copier toner and perhaps 2 passes through the hotmelt gun to get good
mixing. Squirt out into string and gather up and fold and twist to pass
through again.

Yep, I've seen other types of products where the end of stick of material is
heated over a flame, then applied as a repair to fill scatches, nicks etc..
but the convenience of the hot glue gun would be a simple method.

Although hot glue sticks have their limitations.. if something were left on
a car dashboard on a sunny day, it may turn into a puddle (for example).

There are some home shop-type plastic injection molding machines for forcing
the melted plastic into mold cavities, but a fairly expensive method for
occassional use.
Benchtop injection molder: http://www.injectionmolder.net/index.htm

Shapelock low temp formable plastic: http://shapelock.com/page4.html

Various epoxies are routinely used in molds made of silicone rubber, and the
silicone can duplicate some fine details of the original part.

Mentioned previously, epoxy putty is fast and durable for objects like
enclosing junctions.

There are other products which would also work more-or-less for making small
molded or shaped pieces.. machineable wax and other prototyping materials,
and some are reuseable.

I used to see a powder plastic repair product at electronics suppliers, but
never tried it.. mix solvent with powder, let dry, color to suit.
This is it: http://www.rawnamerica.com/whats_new/plastipair_pr.php
Demonstration: http://www.thisolddoll.com/tools/plaspair.htm

Looking for it, I discovered something that may be similar (but likely costs
more) called Nail Acrylic Powder (for making/repairing weemins' fingernails.

Another solvent/powder product is Plast-aid Repair Kit.

--
Cheers,
WB
..............


"josephkk" wrote in message
...
On Wed, 20 Mar 2013 18:56:03 -0400, "Wild_Bill"
wrote:

There are specialty heatshrink tubing products which have a heat sensitive
adhesive on the inner surface. One type is used for direct-burial
electrical
splices.

I use a thin coating of hot glue under shrink tubing since it makes the
closure more secure.. improved tensile strength and mechanical
stability/support.
The junction can be flattened between 2 flat surfaces (not your fingers)
while it's still hot to form a neater looking junction (or ironed/rolled
flat with the cooler/upper section of a soldering iron barrel.

As I mentioned in an earlier post, 2 or 3 flat pieces of plastic can be
hollowed out to create a cavity for the splices, then filled with hot glue
or epoxy to close.

Black hot glue would be handy for a lot of fixes (might melt/reflow in a
hot
car, though), but sticks of hard setting thermoplastic would be better,
IMO.
Problem is, fumes from hot plastics can be really nasty.

I suppose you can try ski repair "candle" plastic. Presuming it is still
available and a decent electrical insulator.

?-)