# braided cable



## fishmasterseven (Oct 6, 2007)

can any of you guys tell me or post some pics of how to braid steel cable. i have some 1/4" cable that i am trying to put some eye loops in and i cant figure out how to braid it.


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## fishmasterseven (Oct 6, 2007)

well.....i guess nevermind.......i have finally figured it out......:doh:doh:doh:doh:doh


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## Xanadu (Oct 1, 2007)

Why would you want to braid 1/4" steel cable. Use an appropriate swage system or other mechanical fasteners.


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## captken (Feb 24, 2008)

Slide a large single tube sleeve up the cable and the un-lay it for a foot or so into strands of 4 and 3. Re-lay it around your thimble. (get it tight so the thimble stays in place.) Next, capture the ends in the cable sleeve and crimp it very lightly. (just enough to keep the sleeve in place over the tiny strands in the end of thecable. If you do it right, you have 100% of the breaking strength of the cable without the possiblilty of a slipping sleeve or damaging the cable when crimping.

I do all of my Wahoo rigs this way using 49-strand cable.

After you do it a few times, it is not at all difficult. If anybody is interested, I can do one and photo the steps as I go the post it here.


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## captken (Feb 24, 2008)

I received an e-mail today from Matt Wells re: cable splicing. _I'll splice one and photo the process in the morning. I learned this technique while working on a tug boat when _I was a kid.

I splice 49-strand and large 7-strand on all of my Wahoo lures. I have a stong distrust of cable sleeves. The two biggest Blue Marlin I've ever hooked got an early release because of slippery sleeves.

If I can find a piece of 3/8" or 1/2" cable, _I'll splice it too._


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## captken (Feb 24, 2008)

Here is how I do it. The cable in the photos is 1/16" Aircraft cable, 625# test. The hook is a Mustad 39969ST 20/0 Circle hook. This is the hook I use for Jewfish. I never use cable for Jewfish. My Jewfish leader is 550 cord. (550# test parachute cord.)

Take a look at the cable un-layed for splicing. Look carefully at the strands. 7-Strand cable is 7 strands of 7 strands sometimes called 7X7 cable or 49 strand cable. FYI: Downrigger cable is usually 7X3 or 3 strands of 7 strand. 










When you re-twist the cable notice that it will only work one way. If you start and it looks anything other than a perfect twist, you are going backwards. You should recognize this on the first twist. It is very noticable when you get it wrong.

Note that one end of the un-layed cable goes through the hook eye in one direction and the other end goes through the opposite side.










Twist one of the strands completely then the other.










This splice is compled except for sliding a single hole sleeve down over the ragged end of thecable and lightly crimping. The sleeve protects your hands from the tiny wire burrs. I didn't have the correct size sleeve to complete the process.










Another way to do this is to un-lay an extra couple of inches of cable and finish it with a 2-hole sleeve as shown in the next photo. You can crimp it as per normal or just lightly crimp it.










NOTE: The sleeve has not been crimped. It slid down too far before I shot the photo and I didn't notice it. It would normally cover the end of the cable.

Either of these connections is far stronger than traditional crimping. This is similar to the way it is done on tugboats where cables are under immense strain.

This is one of the tips out of e-Book # 2 from fishcatching 101.


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## captken (Feb 24, 2008)

Hey Matt Wells:

If this didn't adequately answer your question, let me know and I'll get it right.

BTW, it works exactly the same way with 7-Strand cable.


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## John B. (Oct 2, 2007)

Captain Ken, that is how i learned to splice cable... i've been doing it that way for 5 years or so... one night up at the tackle shop i worked at, i got into a discussion with a guy and he swore to me that he could use crimps and meke it stronger than splicing... i told him we'd make 3 rigs each, out of 800lb 49-strand... we tied them atequal lengths and put them on the trailer hith of 2 trucks...put 'em in gear and his crimps broke all 3 times... since he lost, he had to pay for the 50 dollars with of cable we used... hahaaa


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## captken (Feb 24, 2008)

I would have been surprised if it went the other way. I test knots the same way. (I posted a tip here a while back showing how I did it.)

Once you get the hang of it, this is a quick way to do it and, if you don't have the sleeves you need, put a piece of heat shrink on it or tape it to cover the burrs. The sleeves add nothing to the strength.

I use the single barrel sleeve technique when I add a thimble. I can lock a thimble in tighter than any other way.

I can't imagine buyinga high dollar crimpers when this method is stronger and absolutely fool proof. Any way you cut it, crimping is operator error prone.


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## John B. (Oct 2, 2007)

we always use heat shrink, or eletrical tape if we need one made up ASAP.


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## captken (Feb 24, 2008)

You'd be surprised how few people use this method or even have seen it.

I posted this tip on my old web site and found my photos and description on a New Zealand web site.


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## John B. (Oct 2, 2007)

i've only met a few people who use it also... it's definatly the way to go.


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## barefootin (Jul 28, 2008)

Thanks captken,

Very well done. I will give it a try.


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