Cutting nylon braided sleeve

[temperance]

What should I use to cut this nylon braided sleeve?

What I tried so far:

1. Weller hot knife. (A fancy name for flat chisel soldering iron)

If you put the sleeve flat on a workbench and cut it with this hot knife, then as expected the end is not open because braids of antipodal sides melted together. You must sort of keep the braid open and make sure you don't melt antipodal braids together which is next to impossible when holding the braid in one hand and the soldering iron in the other hand.

2. Insert a rod into the sleeve and use the hot knife to sort of cut around the rod. It sort of works but it is not very practical for sleeves about 1.2 m long and the end has now the diameter of the rod.

Do I use the hot knife in the wrong way? Because it's being sold for this purpose.

3. A piece of wood with two screws and a piece of resistance wire connected to power supply. This works because now I have both hands free to expand the braiding while cutting.

I have to cut 300 pieces, diameter 3 mm.

[mendip_discovery]

I used some insulting tape, then cut half on the width of the tape. I used scissors. Then heat shrunk the ends once done with my looms.

[soldar]

I used some insulting tape, ...

But that is humiliating!

[mikeselectricstuff]

scissors, then a quick brush with a flame, or press aganst a hot surface to seal

[temperance]

scissors, then a quick brush with a flame, or press against a hot surface to seal

You have to be extremely fast because this stuff opens like spring.

[themadhippy]

I used some insulting tape, then cut half on the width of the tape. I used scissors. Then heat shrunk the ends once done with my looms.

wot he said.

[Alex Eisenhut]

A wooden dowel of the correct diameter

[David Hess]

scissors, then a quick brush with a flame, or press aganst a hot surface to seal

That is what I do.

[nctnico]

Cut it longer and cut to length using side cutters after inserting the cable /wires. Then use heatshrink lined with glue to seal the deal.

[Ian.M]

Masking tape either side of the line to cut (easier to remove with less residue than insulating tape), leaving enough between the tapes for two heat-sealed ends, cut with scissors then heat-seal the end. Inserting a smooth round object of an appropriate diameter before taping, then pushing it out of the way to cut, helps keep the heat-sealed ends open enough to get it over the loom you are building.

[temperance]

That's all a lot of work to cut 300 pieces. I think I'll stick with something like this:



That's similar to the hot wire I tried.

Meanwhile I made some improvements on how to cut with the hot wire. The trick seems to bend it while cutting such that the cut parts move away from the hot wire. The result looks good enough. No or not much fraying and the ends are open and expandable.

Now some smoke evacuation apparatus because even with all windows open (front and back) and with today's draft it stinks.


Thank you for the ideas.

[CatalinaWOW]

A popsicle stick or tongue depressor will let you cut one side and then the other with your hot knife.  Should be lots easier than a dowel.

[mendip_discovery]

I used some insulting tape, ...

But that is humiliating!

If you ever spot tape on a loom you know its becuase of some bodge and you dread taking it off for the fear of what you will need to fix. Very rearly is it ever use to insulate the loom, it's there to insult the loom.

[soldar]

If you ever spot tape on a loom you know its becuase of some bodge and you dread taking it off for the fear of what you will need to fix. Very rearly is it ever use to insulate the loom, it's there to insult the loom.

One on't cross beams gone owt askew on treadle?

[T3sl4co1l]

scissors, then a quick brush with a flame, or press against a hot surface to seal

You have to be extremely fast because this stuff opens like spring.

So slip the heat shrink over it beforehand. 

Tim

[temperance]

So slip the heat shrink over it beforehand.

Of course, but adding extra heat shrink tubing is not what I want. Too much work for something simple.

After some experiments it works reasonably well with a hot knife. The ends are clean and still flexible.

The next problem is nylon sticking to the hot knife after a while... Smoke all over the place.