Securing wiring?

ModelRailroadForums.com is a free Model Railroad Discussion Forum and photo gallery. We cover all scales and sizes of model railroads. Online since 2002, it's one of the oldest and largest model railroad forums on the web. Whether you're a master model railroader or just getting started, you'll find something of interest here.


F

firetacoma

Member
How do YOU secure the wires beneath your layout? I am kind of a neat freak and want my wiring to be tucked up nicely and look attractive. I am currently wiring up my feeders and have not started on the bus wiring yet. Let's see the pics!
 
I don't have pics right now but Radio Shack sells self-adhesive wire clips that will stick to about anything and snap closed. They will hold about 4 12 gauge wires or about 10 20 gauge wires. I used these to hold up my main bus wires and also longer runs of the smaller wires going to street lights, signs, and interior lighting.
 
I use plastic clamps & attach them w/a 1/2" screw under my tables. I have 4 buss wires under each table & use the 1/2" clamp & the smaller drops I run thru a 1/4" clamp. The reason I use clamps is that when you start hooking up other wires there's always xtra space in the clamps for more wires.
I'll take some pics today of my wiring system.

Larry
 


This wouldn't satisfy a "neat freak", but what I do is drive a screw into the benchwork or the underside of the roadbed, leaving about 1/4" of the shank exposed. Then I run a few turns of wire--24 gauge insulated wire, solid not stranded, which I get from old telephone cable--around the screw and form a loop with it, then a few more turns around the screw. I can make the loop any size that's needed for whatever wires need to be secured. It's crude, but it's fast and cheap! Lots of people just seem to leave wires tangled and hanging loose, which looks like an invitation for things to get damaged. And when that happens, it'll be a nighmare to fix.

I remember getting a tour of The Model Railroad Club Inc, in Union NJ. They had their wires neatly stapled to the underside of the layout and running at right angles. I thought it was a bit much, but they truly are neat freaks.
 
I use plasttic ties and secure with cable wire clamps . The kind the cable guys use to secure wire to your house There plastic and if needed can add more wire through them .Also good duct tape for a temporary hold !!
 
I drilled holes in the crossmembers then feed the wires through them. Just used tape and or cable ties to keep the wires bundled single or double wires I just used a staple gun. Works for me.
Cheers Willis
 
I drilled through the cross members as well, and on the middle sections used a cable stapler set at a high setting so the cables don't pinch down. The cable stapler gets used everywhere - best investment for a neat freak.

Mark
 
Thanks for all the suggestions! I am using a hollow-core door so I think staples are out... I picked up 3M lamp cord holders that have an adhesive back. I might try to use those. I still want to see pictures though!
 


mine are side by side through the same hanger. I've had no problem but I'm only running 2amps off of my DCC
 
None that I know of But it has been rumored that having the buss wires to close together causes some kind of cross talk or interference.
 
Think of something like Cat 5 ethernet wire. You can't have wires any closer than they are and there are no problems. Insulated 12 volt wires can be bundled together (and are, in many applications) touching one another and you'd never know the difference.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.




Affiliate Disclosure: We may receive a commision from some of the links and ads shown on this website (Learn More Here)

Back
Top