Sleeving cables with electrical tape?

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computersmakemeQQ

Limp Gawd
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Jan 30, 2012
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Too lazy to sleeve regularly/dont have modular psu to buy sleeved cables.

Would sleeving the ends of the cables with black electrical tape be a bad idea?
 
Electrical tape usually doesn't age very well. Just make sure you use 3M Electrical tape if you decide to do it, I think it's called "Super 33", it's good stuff.
 
biggest problem is if it gets too hot in your case, the glue lets go and the tape comes off leaving a sticky mess..

I personally would rather have no "sleeving" than electrical tape
 
Unless you are careful, electrical tape will eventually look like a large steamy pile of dog shit.

Buy sleeving and heatshrink, it's easy.:D Honestly will be easier than electrical tape and faster once you get the hang of it.
 
Where appearance doesn't matter much I prefer spiral wrap cable management.
 
High_Boost said:
biggest problem is if it gets too hot in your case, the glue lets go and the tape comes off leaving a sticky mess..

I personally would rather have no "sleeving" than electrical tape
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use the stuff that they use in automotive engine bays.
My engine bay gets a lot hotter than the inside of my case and the electrical tape is still decent looking after 24 years.
 
Just to confirm what you've already been told: do NOT use plain electrical tape for this. I've had to work with network cable bundles that were tied up with electrical tape by the original contractor, and after a few years the adhesive starts to give way. Where the tape slides or comes off, the cables feel like they've been dipped in honey. :mad:
 
Rowens said:
Just to confirm what you've already been told: do NOT use plain electrical tape for this. I've had to work with network cable bundles that were tied up with electrical tape by the original contractor, and after a few years the adhesive starts to give way. Where the tape slides or comes off, the cables feel like they've been dipped in honey. :mad:
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You sir have been using cheap tape, I did this to my old antec TPT 430 using 3M super 33 and after 5 years it still is as tight and nice as ever, And it bundles the cables extra tight and looks decent.

In fact now I want to sleeve over the tape, So even cheap sleeving has no bleed through.
 
mannyman said:
You sir have been using cheap tape, I did this to my old antec TPT 430 using 3M super 33 and after 5 years it still is as tight and nice as ever, And it bundles the cables extra tight and looks decent.

In fact now I want to sleeve over the tape, So even cheap sleeving has no bleed through.
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That's why I said "plain" electrical tape - it wouldn't surprise me that good quality tape will last much longer. My experience is with cables that were taped together by someone else; I have no idea who, other than the local phone company or a subcontractor. Fortunately we don't have to mess with said bundles too often. (I would *love* to know who did it, if I could make them come and clean up the mess!)
 
mannyman said:
Incorrect sir, It actually looks fairly good.
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Like I said before: "Unless you are careful, electrical tape will eventually look like a large steamy pile of dog shit."

Paracord will also look shitty if not done correctly.:eek:
 
magoo said:
Like I said before: "Unless you are careful, electrical tape will eventually look like a large steamy pile of dog shit."

Paracord will also look shitty if not done correctly.:eek:
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Yes if done right, You have to be bad to mess up paracord... I hope so anyways.

Paracord is quite nice.
 
So super 33 should hold up? I probably will sleeve over in like a year or two, then replace my computer in another year or two. I just wanna "sleeve" to get
A finished look, of sorts.
 
I have done this before on a power supply cable. It lasted awhile but eventually came unglued and left a sticky residue on my cables.

This wire wrap works pretty good, you don't have to cut anything. I have used it in the past. Just put a strip of tape on the end to keep it from moving. I have seen this stuff at Frys and stores like Autozone.
http://www.securecableties.com/Cabl...-Polyethylene-Spiral-Wrap-10-Foot-pID759.aspx
 
When I get home from work ill take a picture of my old antec for you if you would like.
 
computersmakemeQQ said:
Too lazy to sleeve regularly/dont have modular psu to buy sleeved cables.

Would sleeving the ends of the cables with black electrical tape be a bad idea?
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Yep, it starts peeling off and leaving that horrible glue everywhere, you can get a pin removal tool, and some heat shrink (a heat gun or a cigarette lighter would help if you don't have one already), you don't have to go OCD, and sleeve every single wire (I don't like that look personally).
 
mannyman said:
Incorrect sir, It actually looks fairly good.
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eh, not really, I did it on my old rig and it looked awful, I sleeved my new PSU and it looks great. Problem is once you've stuck electric tape over everything when you peel it off it leaves some of the glue behind. It takes a while (took me a whole day) to sleeve a PSU, but the results between that and electric tape aren't comparable. A better quick and easy solution would be cablewrap.

This is my rig with the sleeved cables,
dsc00052ss.jpg

I wish I had a photo of my old one with electric tape but I don't... Here is a picture of the interwebz of someone who looks like they spent time doing it

psu2.jpg
 
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Put a piece of electrical tape in a tin can, expose that tin can to temperatures ranges from 65F to 110F for a couple of years, with just the slightest tension on the tape......come back and tell me how it looks, if it's still stuck there.:eek: Oh yeah, blow some dust and cat hair in the can every once in a while.
 
mannyman said:
You know everyone keeps saying that, Im sure most have never tried.

Im here and can tell you to the contrary.
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i've been using electrical tape all my life.....over time the adhesive migrates and makes one hell of a mess.....

or myself and all those other people are just making up the same lie

you tell me which is true
 
$2 bottle of RIT Dye would be a far cleaner option than electrical tape. It is nice if you are on a budget and can't afford nice sleeving. Cheap sleeving is horrible. I've been there, and I'd take dyed cables every time.

img2232.jpg


img2248i.jpg
 
nobody_here said:
i've been using electrical tape all my life.....over time the adhesive migrates and makes one hell of a mess.....

or myself and all those other people are just making up the same lie

you tell me which is true
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Well I have been using electrical tape for a while myself, You tell me if the electrical tape put inside of engine bays is peeling.

I have a 86 silverado that caught fire in the engine bay in 92 and burned the wiring harness a bit, Spliced in new cables and wrapped it up in electrical tape. Guess what? The electrical tape is still there and the engine bay is in far excess of 110F, Most assuredly with in a few feet of the exhaust manifold.

Also the dye idea is good.
 
Nightrainsrt4 said:
$2 bottle of RIT Dye would be a far cleaner option than electrical tape. It is nice if you are on a budget and can't afford nice sleeving. Cheap sleeving is horrible. I've been there, and I'd take dyed cables every time.

img2232.jpg


img2248i.jpg
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Dude that looks great. If you don't have a modular PSU or nice sleeves that's a good cheap route. I'll try to remember that.
 
matteos said:
It is done the right way, forgive me for not buying into the endless MDPC "real stuff" and his little stickmen drawings... :rolleyes:
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I think you took my post the wrong way.....I was not commenting on your cabeling picture, which is just fine...........I was refering to the electrical tape vomit below it in the second picture......
Sorry if you thought I was knocking your work, couldn't be farther from the truth.:p

I could give a shit about the stickmen.:eek:

Have you ever compared the quality of the stuff that comes out of MDPC-X versus any other shop?:rolleyes:

MDPC-X sleeve, pins, connectors, you name it is miles ahead of anything you can buy from ANY shop in the US; and I have tried to find as good here, it doesn't exist.
It's easier to work with and you can tell the difference. The cost is very much the same as anything in the US, the shipping is what makes it tough.

I have a couple friends who like the stuff as well and we buy in volume and split the shipping costs.
 
mannyman said:
Well I have been using electrical tape for a while myself, You tell me if the electrical tape put inside of engine bays is peeling.

I have a 86 silverado that caught fire in the engine bay in 92 and burned the wiring harness a bit, Spliced in new cables and wrapped it up in electrical tape. Guess what? The electrical tape is still there and the engine bay is in far excess of 110F, Most assuredly with in a few feet of the exhaust manifold.

Also the dye idea is good.
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we aren't working on an automobile

all the people telling you it makes a mess aren't making that shit up....go ahead bro.....
 
nobody_here said:
we aren't working on an automobile

all the people telling you it makes a mess aren't making that shit up....go ahead bro.....
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Hey tone the language down, Out side of that the inside of a automobile is a much more unforgiving territory than inside of a computer case, If it can survive there it can survive in a computer case, I have had mine tapped for 5 years or so, I have done they have not.

It works I assure you.
 
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