Question Wires inside a sleeve inside a cable chain?

[Pigeon]

Printer Model

2.4 R2

Extruder Type

Clockwork 1

Cooling Type

Afterburner

Hello, just after some advice on my loom.

It is a PTFE-coated loom with the exception of the 4 wires for the X-Y endstop, and my first instinct was to put cables in the chain without the included sleeving, just feels a little like asking for trouble having a mesh nylon sleeve packed in the chain like a tiny little cheesegrater.

Is it problematic?

 

[120decibell]

So long as the wires are properly secured in the chain, the sleeving isn’t necessary.

 

[Pigeon]

So long as the wires are properly secured in the chain, the sleeving isn’t necessary.

I guess that brings me to a second point, my chain doesn't actually have any anchors for zip ties (always been under the impression you really want them fixed at each end of the chain) and putting cable ties inside the cable chain itself seems like a snag waiting to happen.

So...given the chains in question and the sleeving in question (luckily its the stuff split down the middle so easy to apply), what is my best approach given what I have to work with short of buying better chains and an X-Y endstop cable that is black and matches the rest of the wires so my OCB is not triggered every time I see a glint of the ketchup colours through the cable chain.

 

[120decibell]

I've always thought it was recommended to have the wires secured at one end, or near each end, to allow the wire to move just a little. I don't think it would cause problems to use the sleeving in the chain, it just might not fit well and overcrowding will do more damage than moving around under the sleeving. Sleeving in between cable chain sections works too.

EDIT: Is that colored wire the wire silicone or PTFE wire? If not and it is in the chain it will likely have to be replaced soon if you like it or not.

 

[Pigeon]

EDIT: Is that colored wire the wire silicone or PTFE wire? If not and it is in the chain it will likely have to be replaced soon if you like it or not.

No, totally just a cheap generic 60c rated PE or PVC it's very much going to get replaced when I rebuild with SB and TAP.

Got sent the kit to make an unboxing video in English and they want a finished build video too, so I kind of need to stick with stock parts that it came with and only deviate with some printed parts, like knocking up a cable chain strain relief tab is fine, but want to stick with what comes in the box as much as possible so I can actually give some feedback or advice to people thinking of buying the kit.

In fairness, it's not terrible but I have a list of parts that very much are going to be swapped out and that cable is at the top of the list (so far)!

I've always thought it was recommended to have the wires secured at one end, or near each end, to allow the wire to move just a little.

I 100% could be wrong about attaching at each end, the sage advice I was given years ago from a CNC guy was to support at both ends and have it fixed so the wires are sitting in the middle of the chain bend radius to avoid the wires pinching or wearing prematurely. But, totally willing to be wrong on every part of that!

 

[Dave]

I 100% could be wrong about attaching at each end, the sage advice I was given years ago from a CNC guy was to support at both ends and have it fixed so the wires are sitting in the middle of the chain bend radius to avoid the wires pinching or wearing prematurely. But, totally willing to be wrong on every part of that!

This is good advice. As long as there is slack in the chain, that’s good. What we have seen too often is wires pulled tight that wear prematurely. Old machinists know what’s up.