How to pull cable?

[easylistening]

This may sound really stupid, but I've never tried this before.

I have 1" diameter flexible PVC conduit – with separate runs for each speaker. The conduit has a pull wire in it. My cable is 2x4mm copper.

I've searched and found advice about conduit diameter, etc. etc. but no one seems to need to have it explained to them just how you should attach the speaker cable to the pull wire – well I do!

Do you make a split between the fused insulation of the two cables to "stitch" the wire in then twist it around the insulation tightly or what?

The last thing I want is for it to come apart half way down the conduit!

Can anyone advise me or point me to a good guide? Thanks

[rssteve]

Originally Posted by easylistening

This may sound really stupid, but I've never tried this before.

I have 1" diameter flexible PVC conduit – with separate runs for each speaker. The conduit has a pull wire in it. My cable is 2x4mm copper.

I've searched and found advice about conduit diameter, etc. etc. but no one seems to need to have it explained to them just how you should attach the speaker cable to the pull wire – well I do!

Do you make a split between the fused insulation of the two cables to "stitch" the wire in then twist it around the insulation tightly or what?

The last thing I want is for it to come apart half way down the conduit!

Can anyone advise me or point me to a good guide? Thanks

just over lap it by 80mm or so and put electrical tape around it tightly. someone shoudl feed it in gently whilsts the other pulls it. If it does come off it does not matter as you can buy draw wires to pull in the conduit.

[Ben H1979]

Yeah electrical tape is adequate but for the ultimate security of it not coming loose, in the past in a car environment I have often soldered then taped up the draw wire to the cable needing to be pulled through. A bit extreme but when it's taken half hour to get the draw cable through what's an extra 60 seconds.

[easylistening]

Thanks for the tips.

Any other techniques that people use? Keen to hear what has worked as well as what has not!

[John7]

Depends on how many speaker cables you are pulling through, but if 3 or 4 (or more) I would stagger the joins to prevent the cable jamming in the conduit, i.e tape the first cable to the draw wire then tape the second cable to the first a few inches away from the join, the third one a few inches down line of the second and so on.

With that size conduit, you shouldnt have any problems pulling that size cable through.

[Ben H1979]

Oh & a squirt of lube helps if things get a bit tight

[Skars]

If it is tight enough that you need lube then it's too tight, however many lubes can rot the plastic a very good alternative is to use washing up liquid which won't affect the plastic casing.

[Gerard Fernand]

If you do need a lubricant, this stuff works well.

http://uk.rs-online.com/web/search/s...duct&R=1963390

[darrenjdoc]

You will have no problems m8 with 25mm conduit. As what wat said earlier stagger your cables and put insulation tape around them tightly. You should have no problems watsoever. If they do get tight use a wee bit of fairy liquid or even baby powder but they shouldnt anyways

[KrisLee]

As said above, washing up liquid if it's a bit tight.

I would also pull through another draw wire at the same time as the speaker cable. The alternative is using the speaker cable as a draw wire in the future.

[easylistening]

Thanks for all the further helpful tips.

As I said at the start, each 25mm conduit will only have the one supply (2x4mm) – but there are 90° turns around corners. Just wondering if a cable this thick will not jam at such a turn.

As the final wall covering (wooden panelling) is not yet in place, if it came to the worst I could still pull the (flexible) conduit out to flatten the right angles.

I've got some silicone lubricant left over from Ikea draw runners – wouldn't that be preferable to washing up liquid if it did start to stick anywhere?

[darrenjdoc]

Originally Posted by easylistening

Thanks for all the further helpful tips.

As I said at the start, each 25mm conduit will only have the one supply (2x4mm) – but there are 90° turns around corners. Just wondering if a cable this thick will not jam at such a turn.

As the final wall covering (wooden panelling) is not yet in place, if it came to the worst I could still pull the (flexible) conduit out to flatten the right angles.

I've got some silicone lubricant left over from Ikea draw runners – wouldn't that be preferable to washing up liquid if it did start to stick anywhere?

Baby powder makes less mess m8

Go to your local electrical wholesaler and ask them for a fishtape. That will solve your problems when pulling around 90's. An example is one of these

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/50ft-FISH-TAPE...QQcmdZViewItem

[easylistening]

Hmmm... Fish Tape. Had to look this up:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fish_tape

I can see that the curved shape would be useful if you had to push a tape down a conduit, but as my conduit already has a draw wire in it, do I really need this?

(Trying to psyche myself up to attempt the first run of cable )