Thanks, all good info
This is what I did also. I labeled each end of the wire using white shrink tube and wrote the name and polarity on it with a fine point permanent felt tip marker and then I would heat shrink the tubing. The label is very nice looking, won't tear off and can be very easily read when needing to do trouble shooting.
The irony is that the more careful you are to label everything, you will likely do
such a good job wiring, that you will never have the need to troubleshoot
anything ...
Jeff
"you will never have the need to troubleshoot
anything ..."
Jeff - I think we can live with that!
Dave S
There's a good article on panel wiring in Kitplanes this month - very thorough too.
Greg
I frequently hear builders preaching the superiority of lacing wire bundles with waxed cord vs wire ties. I used wire ties exclusively on both of my homebuilt airplane projects, & they do have some obvious advantages over lacing... for instance, if you ever want to add wires to a bundle, lacing can be a PITA. They are also much faster to do, and the "sharp edge" issue when cutting off the tails is a non-issue if the proper tool is used. Anyway, I had an opportunity to take a tour through the new Pilatus Aircraft completion facility at my home field (KBJC) today. They also do a lot of military work, but right now there wasn't any classified stuff going on so we got a good tour. They had several models being completed - avionics, interiors, etc. in various stages of completion. One of their PC24 jets had some panels open and wiring was visible. I found it interesting that they don't use any waxed lacing cord on wire bundles - just my favorite T&B brand wire ties. This is an $11.4 million airplane.
IMG_1411.jpgIMG_1413.jpgIMG_1414.jpg
John Evens
Arvada, CO
Kitfox SS7 N27JE
EAA Lifetime
Chap. 43 honorary Lifetime
I use Wax lacing a lot, but simply because I was trained to use it in the Navy, and I can tie it really fast.
I also agree it is a PITA to cut off, BUT I don't have to do that often ... So I don't care. but I use Nylon
ties also when they're easy to install (like in one handed situations). FWIW if you get a nice pair of for
example Lindstrom flush cutters, they work really well for cutting wax lacing (the right tool for the job)
and working with it. Just don't look at the price tag when you buy them ... Also don't cut safety wire
with them ...
Not to be a critic, but ...
In the pics in the Album I do notice a few problems, and they are not neatness issues. More I see wires that
are floating off the end of crimp connectors. This is a recipe for breakage. You should tie all your wires, so
the crimped part is not supporting the wire. If you do that neatness to a degree does not matter. A really
good example what I mean is the splice which is tied to the airframe, BUT the wire off both ends is floating.
there is a really good chance the wire will break off this splice.
Also another rule is to make sure you always have a slight amount of "extra" length where a connector is.
Not much, but enough so there is never tension at the connector. If possible all your wires should be tied
within 2-3" of a connection. Never floating.
Jeff
Great points, Jeff! I think I can see the places you’re talking about. There are a lot of crimped connectors/terminals where the wires are secured to neat little arms that come out from the base of the connection points. That may not be very clear in the pictures.
Also, I sure didn’t mean to be as negative about lacing as it seems (even to me) from my comments. I think it’s still the “gold standard”. I was just a little surprised to see how Pilatus did it... even using the very same brand of ties that I like to use. Guess it seemed like a little bit of vindication for my laziness. 😉
John Evens
Arvada, CO
Kitfox SS7 N27JE
EAA Lifetime
Chap. 43 honorary Lifetime
No worries, I got out of the Navy a million years ago. I was an Aviation Electrician's Mate
and worked on Grumman E-2C's, I was the shop QA inspector, so I'm still nitpicky about
wiring.
This is the kind of stuff to avoid. Wires are floating off the crimp, and the wire will vibrate at
the crimp, work harden, and break. I would tie the wires each side of the crimp, and let the crimp
float if anything.
Capture.PNG
Awe, perfect timing. Fixing to start putting the plane back together. I need to address some issues. Thanks for the post John. It has drawn out some wisdom that I can use. Thanks Jeff.
Eddie Forward
Flying
SS7, 912iS, Garmin G3X