Why are cable clips so useless?
I buy the Tower brand from TLC, not el cheapo ones; but the pins just bend if hammered into anything harder than a marshmallow.
Installed an awning last week, pins bent on the mortar, let alone brick.
Is there a better brand? Is there a technique I don't know about?
Currently using cable tie plugs, but they are slow to install.
Use pin plugs ...
I notice B&Q have stopped selling Tower clips, and now have some own-brand which are awful, the 2.5T&E ones don't fit 2.5T&E.
I use normal cable clips with 1" x 4 screws and the small yellow plugs. A bit tedious on a long run though
Not seen those before, still have to drill a hole though.
That would certainly work, but as you say, tedious...
The Tower ones are not especially worse than any others IME.
You could switch the nail for a picture hook nail - similar size, should work.
What happened to the loop and tie metal bands?
Buckle clips? I have some vague idea they're banned for mains cabling now.
You *can* substitute the stupid mild steel nails with proper "picture hook" pins (which can be bought separately).
I read this as pigeon cable clips first time and was really baffled!
Tower are unusable in the opinion of most aerial installers. They tend to use Unifix
which are different again to Tower.
Somewhere in this (or amother?) newsgroup I wrote a great screen about how to use cable clips.
Bill
They always have been.
Mortar can be harder than brick.
Drill and fit the pin plugs designed for this sort of clip. Only way on anything other than soft masonry.
Sadly most alternatives will be slower.
ITYM masonry nails, but you need eye protection as they can shatter.
Odd, reasonably sure that all the clips I have have hardened pins, BCBW. I don't use clips outside, they just don't last. I use:
Needs a hole drilling and note 9 mm dia. 9 mm SDS drills do a fair impression of hens teeth, they are about but not common.
I guess it depends on the make, some of them bend readily (OK they may not actually be mild steel)
I like that TS mount, though, I will order some. What width of cable tie do they need?
Oops, up to 9 mm wide. Engage eyes before fingers.
You can normally grind down a 10mm bit with a diamond wheel to get you out of trouble, I also find 7mm bits non existent.
They are advertised as such.
9MM is the max width of the cable tie they will take. You drill a 6mm hole.
Three different makes in three different lengths
1st part correct, 2nd part incorrect.
The spine on the ones I have, which IIRC are the Toolstation ones, is
5 mm dia the fins about 0.75 mm thick, 5 + (2 * 0.75) = 6.5 mm without taking into account the bend and excess plastic. No way is that going into a 6 mm hole. The fins are 10 mm dia and even in a 9 mm hole driving in can split the top if you aren't careful. A sliver of wood to pack the slot when driving in is Good Idea.Have something to add? Share your thoughts — no account required.
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