Who makes the best flex cable?

[ray schrauwen]

H&M Cable. Their .125 cable can handle 5S with ease. It's far more rigid than any Chinese or American cable I've seen yet but, that doesn't mean their might be something similar here.

Ive ripped two and stripped two. the stripping could be due to the octura collet i was running. One instance was in a seperate boat. Just wants the strongest, truest running cable I can get. Tired of breaking them (3/16 flex btw)

[kfxguy]

H&M Cable. Their .125 cable can handle 5S with ease. It's far more rigid than any Chinese or American cable I've seen yet but, that doesn't mean their might be something similar here.

Ray, I don't have anything that .125 is going to hold up to. I use .187 only. I'm looking for something that will hold up in my rivercat. 7s, 1521 neu.

[dasboata]

The BEST is....Hughey cables, no argument.




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Yup what Jay said I might have a few in stock !!!

[ray schrauwen]

Jay may never have tried a H&M cable but, if you're happy, you're happy, all is good.

I'd like to get some of H&M 3/16 bulk cable and have ED H. make up the cables, that would be cherry.

7S on .125... not good. They don't sell .150 cable unfortunately, otherwise I'd build my own cables and glue on the stubs.

I think H&M cable is a totally different steel all together.

[longballlumber]

It's far more rigid than any Chinese or American cable I've seen yet but, that doesn't mean their might be something similar here.

Ray,

I am not sure I understand, why you would be looking to buy a "flex" cable, but prefer to buy something more "rigid". It seems that you correlating strength of the cable biased on it's lack of flexibility/increase of rigidity.

In reality the amount of flex (or droop) could be different between 2 cables, but the strength of the cables could be the same.

interesting topic...

Later,
Mike

[ray schrauwen]

Yes Mike an interesting topic.

I might start another thread but, I've done a bit (need to do more) of research and it seems with H&M cable, there is no need for a gap for flex wind up, very much like wire drive over here. It's not the strength I'm looking for so much but, a cable that acts like a wire drive.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MaBfZVzaXE8

Every video and picture I've seen so far of people using H&M cable's & struts etc... no gap is used at the strut. Still researching...

[kfxguy]

Yes Mike an interesting topic.

I might start another thread but, I've done a bit (need to do more) of research and it seems with H&M cable, there is no need for a gap for flex wind up, very much like wire drive over here. It's not the strength I'm looking for so much but, a cable that acts like a wire drive.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MaBfZVzaXE8

Every video and picture I've seen so far of people using H&M cable's & struts etc... no gap is used at the strut. Still researching...

I'm not saying it does, but alot of those drives like that have two piece shafts....if so, they don't run a traditional gap.

[olwarbirds]

Yes Mike an interesting topic.

I might start another thread but, I've done a bit (need to do more) of research and it seems with H&M cable, there is no need for a gap for flex wind up, very much like wire drive over here. It's not the strength I'm looking for so much but, a cable that acts like a wire drive.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MaBfZVzaXE8

Every video and picture I've seen so far of people using H&M cable's & struts etc... no gap is used at the strut. Still researching...

Thats interesting, I've always thought about how that eventually weakens our flex cable. If we could keep it snug to strut less chance of water entering strut into stuffing tube too. Ray, definately keep us posted on what you find out....tks..

Travis, I am working with a dealer on getting us some bulk .187 building supplies. I will let ya know what he comes up with... DJ

[msundsd5]

I have been running the the 3/16 Welded Flex Cables .187 (3/16) flex cable with 3/16 ground shaft with 10-32 thread that is sold on Kintec/OSE with the 3 pc Aeromarine Collets on all my boats and I have not had one break or unwind yet (and I don't solder the tip at the collet ). Maybe i'm lucky or maybe they are just really good products at a reasonable price but I have not had any problems to report. I upgraded to the Collet after numerous failures with with 150 Collets and since then, Flawless performance!

[kfxguy]

Thats interesting, I've always thought about how that eventually weakens our flex cable. If we could keep it snug to strut less chance of water entering strut into stuffing tube too. Ray, definately keep us posted on what you find out....tks..

Travis, I am working with a dealer on getting us some bulk .187 building supplies. I will let ya know what he comes up with... DJ

Let me know. I'm gonna have to figure out how to make them and make them perfect straight. Anything less is not acceptable to me.

[ray schrauwen]

Hydromarine only sells one square drive flex shaft for an O.B. unit. All the rest they sell are glued stubs onto their cable. In the video I posted in the comments section he indicates all H&M hardware. If you watch the video it's first shown out of the water setup to go with no gap. Later in the vid, underwater frames confirm this also.

I could start another thread but I don't plan on buying H&M .125 flex to convert over everything I have 3/16" and smaller. It's just too expensive for me and time consuming to tear out stuffing tubes etc. If Rocket City or other vendors carried H&M cable long ago that's all I'd run from my two experiences. One with a Maritimo with all H&M gear and a DF26 I sold long ago. I still have a few pieces about 4"-5" long but, not too useful. We'll see, maybe I'll get Brian to order me a piece of .125 anyway since he is putting in an order.

I'm not saying it does, but alot of those drives like that have two piece shafts....if so, they don't run a traditional gap.

[ray schrauwen]

Ed Hughey was going to tell me in 2006 how he built his cables but, for some stupid reason, I said no, that's o.k.... I guess I was hoping he would live forever...

I'm pretty sure that 3/16" flex cable that has a 3/16" stub is machined or ground on a lathe after it is soldered but, I'm not 100% sure. Definitely can't use loctite to do those.

Let me know. I'm gonna have to figure out how to make them and make them perfect straight. Anything less is not acceptable to me.

3/16" flex is actually 0.185" diameter as is the stub or 4.7mm exactly so, to drill out a piece of 3/16" stub will leave you next to nothing for loctite, not possible.

Ed or whoever does the work, uses a vertical jig and a Jewelers torch. I'm just not sure if the stubs starts as oversize and is machined or ground afterwards. It's easier just to buy the pre-made ones in that size and 1/4" imo.

[Peter A]

Let me know. I'm gonna have to figure out how to make them and make them perfect straight. Anything less is not acceptable to me.

It shouldn't be too hard from an engineering perspective. I have an idea stored in my head but until I get enough time to muck around with it and need to make more shafts it'll just have to wait. Basically though it involves making a jig to hold the shaft and cable straight while they are soldered together. I'm sure you can nut this one out Trav.

[kfxguy]

I could build a jig....I have some simple ideas as it is. One is to chuck a thick piece of round aluminum stock in my lathe. Bore it half way for the stub. Bore the other side for the cable. Mill a window where they meet for soldering them together. Good idea? Bad idea?

[ray schrauwen]

The only problem I see with ALuminum is the torch needed to braze the cable might melt the jig but, now you know that, maybe you can work around it.

I'm getting a piece of bulk H&M .125" (3.2mm) to see if I can make it fail.