Sleeving Tool recommendations

ChipFanDave · Apr 30, 2020

Hi any one use a sleeving tool ? If so what one and would you buy it again if you lost it ?

I have this one 90110489 | Cable Sleeve Tool Plier Prong, For Use With Sleeves From 1.2 mm → 11.5 mm Diameter | RS Components - https://uk.rs-online.com/web/p/cable-sleeving-tools/0548259/

But find it a pain to use and just a bit carp. so if anyone regularly uses a different one I'd like your opinion on it's performance.

James · May 1, 2020

I have one just like yours.

For the time and effort required for that, I changed completely to heat shrink sleeve.
I have a bench top printer that means I can identify all cables using printed numbers.
You can get heat shrink cartridges for most hand held label printers too.
When you have put the wires in the terminals, turn the numbers round to face you and go along with a hot air gun. Nice neat job.

Jim_e_Jib · May 1, 2020

David Prosser said:
Hi any one use a sleeving tool ? If so what one and would you buy it again if you lost it ?

I have this one 90110489 | Cable Sleeve Tool Plier Prong, For Use With Sleeves From 1.2 mm → 11.5 mm Diameter | RS Components - https://uk.rs-online.com/web/p/cable-sleeving-tools/0548259/

But find it a pain to use and just a bit carp. so if anyone regularly uses a different one I'd like your opinion on it's performance.

Do you use the lubricant with it as that makes a huge difference (insert joke (or anything else lubricated...) here!).

As an aside, a former BBC engineer told me a story about an issue they had with a few of their telecine units in the mid 80s. After a huge amount of head scratching, it turned out one of the people assembling them used a barrier cream on their hands, which over time created a slightly conductive layer on the hellerman sleeving. This led to faults with the video signal and a whole heap of work replacing the affected sleeving.

pc1966 · May 1, 2020

I would always go with heatshrink (unless ambiant temp too high, in which case silicone or glass fibre tube) but usually I was using it for covering joints and/or bare wire rather than as an ID.

So far I have not printed any, though my Brother printer apparently can do it, as you can buy short sleeves pre-printed witth numbers, letters and a few symbols (e.g earth) so if you just needed single identifiers (1/2/3/L/N/E for example) then no point in printing as faster and probably cheaper if you just had a box of them.

Down side is needing a hot-air gun and usually i had one of the RS ones intended for heatshrink. I have seen that as part of a battery powered tool range but I have no idea how good they are, endurance on battery, etc.

On occasion I have used an electric paint stripper but that is OTT and likely to melt stuff unless used with enormous case so I would not recommend it at all!

ChipFanDave · May 1, 2020

Got air gun not always practical. Especially in some zoned areas.

pc1966 · May 1, 2020

I have also used these, they just push-on to cables within the range:

518-06025 HGPC2-5-PVC-Special | HellermannTyton Helagrip Slide On Cable Marker Kit, Black, Blue, Brown, Green, Grey, Orange, Red, Violet, White, | RS

uk.rs-online.com

Advantage is (as just said) no heating needed.

telectrix · May 1, 2020

i use one of those chef's blowlamps ( a small pocket sized version ) for heathrink.

for cable markers i find that the teflon coated needles are easier than the tool shown my OP.

CABLE MARKER FITTING TOOL

Tapered guide tools to expand PTV+, PA02 and PA1 chevron type cable markers, enabling them to slide easily onto cable, without the need for lubricating oil. Sometimes known as “thimble jigs”…

www.canford.co.uk

pc1966 · May 1, 2020

Another example:

RS PRO Slide On Cable Marker Kit, Black, Blue, Brown, Green, Grey, Orange, Red, Violet, White, Yellow, Pre-printed "-, | RS

uk.rs-online.com

telectrix · May 1, 2020

youcan also get wrap roundself- adhesive markers.

Self-Adhesive Cable Marker Dispenser & Refills

Self-adhesive cable marker dispenser & refills by Cablecraft Ltd. Mainland UK next day delivery.

www.cablecraft.co.uk

pc1966 · May 1, 2020

Nice they have them pre-printed for common use such as L1, L2, L3

L1 Easi-Tape Black On White Self-Adhesive Refill Markers

www.cablecraft.co.uk

Pennywise · May 9, 2020

We use the Hellemann ones on the company mainly for making off belden cables, makes for a very nice finish. Not going to lie they don't come out of the toolbox often lol also they are affectionally known as something far more crude.....

davesparks · May 9, 2020

telectrix said:
youcan also get wrap roundself- adhesive markers.

Self-Adhesive Cable Marker Dispenser & Refills

Self-adhesive cable marker dispenser & refills by Cablecraft Ltd. Mainland UK next day delivery.

www.cablecraft.co.uk

Those things are the work of the devil, great when you first put them on, but the next time you next open the DB theyve all fallen off and are laying in the bottom of the DB.

derek · May 10, 2020

I have the same sleeving tool from RS, I do find that the sleeves sometimes slide off which is a pita. There is another well known brand SES Sterling, which doesn't have the same angled tips which removes that problem, but they don't have the interchangeable bits for different size sleeves so you might need to carry a few different tools and they aren't cheap.

Lucien Nunes · May 10, 2020

There are situations where I prefer heatshrink and situations where I prefer expanding sleeves so I don't consider one a substitute for the other. I prefer original Hellermann tools from the 1970s, the ones with solid diecast handles, which are more rigid and precise in action than the ones shown in the OP, and the prongs have a more user-friendly profile. Being solid metal they are heavy so I would not want to carry a selection around (prongs are not interchangeable). On the road, I only ever need the small tool, so I keep one in the toolbox along with SES A0, A1 and A2 sleeves which cover most of my applications. I find the SES pre-lubricated sleeves effective, rarely have them slip off the tool or fail to slide into position.

I did lose one tool (or rather, someone dropped it and broke a prong off) but I got a replacement amongst some tools from a retired engineer.

ChipFanDave · May 10, 2020

Thanks I'm not interested in marking the cables it just putting the sleeve on the end. Mostly for instrument cables but on occasion for tidying up crimped lugs.

Yes I do use the lubricant otherwise it a proper b4st4rd getting the prongs out. I just find the actual tool a pain. The individual prongs keep unscrewing and none of which are 25mm+ long which is the standard length of the most Hellerman sleeves.

I think I will try to find some of the SES ones and try their sleeving as well. Not to bothered about the need for more than one size as I'm very rarely more than about ten meters from my van.