Furniture Grade Cable Chain / Cable Carrier
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- Vectric Wizard
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Furniture Grade Cable Chain / Cable Carrier
Another wacky idea, originally intended for a special furniture project (that I did not finish...). But I think it will find a use sometimes.
This is a cable chain and normally I would use the proven IGUS cable carriers that are available for little money on eBay. But I wanted to make it prettier and living room compatible.
The elements of this chain are cut from 3/4" marbled walnut (120-deg v-bit for the chamfer, 1/2" ballnose for the bead seats, 1/8" end mill for the holes and cutout and pair-wise glued together. Then sanded and laquered. Then strung up onto two 1/16" steel ropes with 1/2" wood beads as swiveling joints. The steel rope is held taut by two springs.
Machining the 50 elements:
Glued together to make 25 links and 2 end pieces. Also 50 wood beads, all laquered and/or waxed
Starting the string-up:
Chain finished:
Short video clip: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2fNcG4J ... e=youtu.be
This is a cable chain and normally I would use the proven IGUS cable carriers that are available for little money on eBay. But I wanted to make it prettier and living room compatible.
The elements of this chain are cut from 3/4" marbled walnut (120-deg v-bit for the chamfer, 1/2" ballnose for the bead seats, 1/8" end mill for the holes and cutout and pair-wise glued together. Then sanded and laquered. Then strung up onto two 1/16" steel ropes with 1/2" wood beads as swiveling joints. The steel rope is held taut by two springs.
Machining the 50 elements:
Glued together to make 25 links and 2 end pieces. Also 50 wood beads, all laquered and/or waxed
Starting the string-up:
Chain finished:
Short video clip: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2fNcG4J ... e=youtu.be
- highpockets
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Re: Furniture Grade Cable Chain / Cable Carrier
Amazing job!!!
Thanks for sharing.
Thanks for sharing.
John
Maker of Chips
Maker of Chips
- scottp55
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Re: Furniture Grade Cable Chain / Cable Carrier
VERY NICE G. !
And pretty:)
The 2 small holes next to the beads....alignment for the glue up?
Nice job!
scott
And pretty:)
The 2 small holes next to the beads....alignment for the glue up?
Nice job!
scott
I've learned my lesson well. You can't please everyone,so you have to please yourself
R.N.
R.N.
- mfirlott
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Re: Furniture Grade Cable Chain / Cable Carrier
Wow...impressive. Very, very nice piece of work.
(Mitch)
CAMaster Stinger I
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Epilog 45watt Helix Laser
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Re: Furniture Grade Cable Chain / Cable Carrier
Great Idea, great finish and great photos. They say a "picture says a thousand words", you've written a book here.
Not a wacky idea at all.
great job
regards
Brian
Not a wacky idea at all.
great job
regards
Brian
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- Vectric Wizard
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Re: Furniture Grade Cable Chain / Cable Carrier
Thanks guys!
Yes, it was the intent to use small 1/8" dowels for gluing alignment. But it turned out they are not necessary. I used a pair of brass rods through the wire rope holes for alignment and pulled the rods after clamping for the next glue up. Worked just fine.scottp55 wrote:....The 2 small holes next to the beads....alignment for the glue up? ...
- mtylerfl
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Re: Furniture Grade Cable Chain / Cable Carrier
I love your "wacky idea"! It's not that wacky since it's useful! Great work!
Michael Tyler
facebook.com/carvebuddy
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- scottp55
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Re: Furniture Grade Cable Chain / Cable Carrier
Ah....Makes sense G.
Great looking finish, on beautiful wood...has some depth to it as well....Your Carnauba wax on the beads for lubrication?
Crossed my mind that I would have fired up my double boiler/canning jar method for buttons and heat soaked the suckers with microcrystalline wax...if taken out when hot(150F) and paper towel rubbed...wax runs off, and surplus gets absorbed back into fibers as it cools.
Curious about furniture that would need that...Been trying to figure out where I could use such a critter for myself.
scott
Great looking finish, on beautiful wood...has some depth to it as well....Your Carnauba wax on the beads for lubrication?
Crossed my mind that I would have fired up my double boiler/canning jar method for buttons and heat soaked the suckers with microcrystalline wax...if taken out when hot(150F) and paper towel rubbed...wax runs off, and surplus gets absorbed back into fibers as it cools.
Curious about furniture that would need that...Been trying to figure out where I could use such a critter for myself.
scott
I've learned my lesson well. You can't please everyone,so you have to please yourself
R.N.
R.N.
Re: Furniture Grade Cable Chain / Cable Carrier
Very well done. With a few modifications it could be used as a back massager.
Phil
Phil
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Re: Furniture Grade Cable Chain / Cable Carrier
The wood was one of the chance finds in the Rockler project wood bin. I have never seen similar marbled walnut in the hardwood store. Unfortunately this was the last piece.scottp55 wrote:Ah....Makes sense G. Great looking finish, on beautiful wood...has some depth to it as well....Your Carnauba wax on the beads for lubrication?.......scott
I did not use the pasty carnauba this time. Just some off the shelf semi-liquid beeswax/orange oil concoction. It was easier to apply to 50 beads and bead cradles. I think it will do the lube job just fine.
The original idea was a sliding book shelf/stereo equipment rack to hide a murphy bed. The chain was intended for the power and speaker cables. But eventually I bought ready made IKEA book shelves and put them on swivel hinges and casters to hide the bed. But at that point I had already done the CAM for the cable chain and thought I could just as well try it out.scottp55 wrote:...Curious about furniture that would need that...Been trying to figure out where I could use such a critter for myself. scott
Good backup plan. Might even be a sellable itemPhil wrote:.........With a few modifications it could be used as a back massager. Phil
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Re: Furniture Grade Cable Chain / Cable Carrier
If somebody wants to try, here are the CAM files for the links and end pieces: https://www.dropbox.com/s/lndxu4l0ltslo ... n.zip?dl=0
The beads are from Amazon. Pretty precise in diameter: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00I18ZJ2W
Wire rope, ferrules and springs from the hardware store. I used a cross-drilled threaded brass insert as an adjustable stopper to tension the springs.
The beads are from Amazon. Pretty precise in diameter: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00I18ZJ2W
Wire rope, ferrules and springs from the hardware store. I used a cross-drilled threaded brass insert as an adjustable stopper to tension the springs.
- scottp55
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Re: Furniture Grade Cable Chain / Cable Carrier
Thanks for the files G. !!
Yeah, I gotta build another book/display case on the side of my fridge for hard covers/coffee table books like the one in the pic with through tenons. Been meaning to do it ever since I left the space on the end 20 years ago ....It needs to swivel into the hallway, and have up/downlighting for mineral specimen shelves.
Also my computer shelf on machine swings 180*, and never been totally happy with wires just hanging in the breeze
May just have to make 2 of them sometime this decade
Yep, always seems to be like that with wood.
Find a piece you love the figure of, and then not enough to make a big project of, or warp/twist/knots/splits mean you have to wait for an AHA! moment to use it in a one of.
Hope I do as good a job as you when I get a roundtuit.
Thanks for the brain stimulation!
scott
Yeah, I gotta build another book/display case on the side of my fridge for hard covers/coffee table books like the one in the pic with through tenons. Been meaning to do it ever since I left the space on the end 20 years ago ....It needs to swivel into the hallway, and have up/downlighting for mineral specimen shelves.
Also my computer shelf on machine swings 180*, and never been totally happy with wires just hanging in the breeze
May just have to make 2 of them sometime this decade
Yep, always seems to be like that with wood.
Find a piece you love the figure of, and then not enough to make a big project of, or warp/twist/knots/splits mean you have to wait for an AHA! moment to use it in a one of.
Hope I do as good a job as you when I get a roundtuit.
Thanks for the brain stimulation!
scott
I've learned my lesson well. You can't please everyone,so you have to please yourself
R.N.
R.N.
- dwilli9013
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Re: Furniture Grade Cable Chain / Cable Carrier
Nice as always Scott. Love the live edge for your puter.
D-Dub
Dwayne
Dwilli
Dwayne
Dwilli
- scottp55
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Re: Furniture Grade Cable Chain / Cable Carrier
Yep, Ya gotta love beautiful wood Dwayne:)
(Still have 3 slabs left of that Oregon Big Leaf Maple )
(Still have 3 slabs left of that Oregon Big Leaf Maple )
I've learned my lesson well. You can't please everyone,so you have to please yourself
R.N.
R.N.