Any rope or rope, although it is made of solid and strong steel, can unravel or even break at any moment. Despite the apparent complexity of the repair, anyone can do it, even without special skills. The most unpleasant thing in the current situation is the possibility of a collision with her anywhere and exactly when such an accident is absolutely not expected.
Therefore, it will be useful to know how to braid a steel cable correctly. Moreover, this does not require any special tools or special skills. In the future, both the hook and the earring can be woven into the cable. At the same time, the strength of the structure will be at a high level, and it will serve you for more than one year. Before starting work, it is advisable to wear protective gloves, as the sharp ends of the strands of the steel cable can seriously injure your hands.
General information about cables
In the field of agricultural and transport engineering, in the construction, oil and coal industries, in the fields of river and sea transportropes and cables are used from stainless or ordinary, but at the same time reliable and durable steel. Usually they are used as the basis of various transport, lifting and road mechanisms. If we carefully consider a steel rope, we can see that it is a flexible metal product consisting of strands of steel wire twisted together. The number of strands in each individual cable can be different, as well as the number of wires from which each of them is twisted. A zinc or aluminum coating is often applied over the strands to the cable to improve its anti-corrosion properties. A galvanized pipe (or a stainless steel equivalent) coated with such a special compound will last much longer than without it. If you do not know how to braid a steel cable, the diagram below will definitely help you.
Inside the steel rope there is usually a core, the main task of which is to prevent the development of transverse deformation in the product and the twisted strands of wire to fail to the center. This is a mandatory attribute of any rope or cable made from organic, metal, natural or synthetic materials. In other words, the core is the inner frame for its strands. Knowledge of the structure of steel ropes or cables will help you understand how to properly braid the cable yourself.
Steel cable construction types
Steel cables are divided into three types according to lay:
- single;
- double;
- three-strand.
In single cables, the wire of a single strand with one section is twisted in a spiral in several layers. Usually the number of layers is from one to four. In double cables, several strands are twisted around the core. In the manufacture of three-strand cables or ropes, several cables with different or identical sections are used.
Varieties of cables according to the degree of flexibility
Distinguish steel cables:
1. With increased flexibility. In them, 24 wires are twisted around each core. There are 144 such thin wires in total.
2. With standard flexibility. Twelve wires are located around the core. In total, there are 72 wires in such cables.
3. Low-flex cables. Only 42 wires are used in their production.
Varieties of ropes in lay direction
1. Cross - strands are twisted into a cable in the direction opposite to the direction of the twist of the wire.
2. Unilateral - same direction.
3. Triple - type 1 lay is used, but the wires and strands are twisted in different directions.4. Combined - in such products, left and right lay directions are simultaneously used.
In addition, the cables are divided into spinning and low-spinning. The material from which the core is made also divides them into organic, single strand or steel wire.
Now you can see in detail howbraid the rope yourself. Tools needed for the job:
- screwdriver;
- pliers;
- cutters;
- metal scissors;
- wire;
- gloves.
How to braid a rope?
The scheme and algorithm of the process are not as complicated as it might seem to an inexperienced person.
1. We cut off the ends of the cable as evenly as possible, and if the ends of its cores are bent or uneven, then we unwind each strand a little and cut off the defective sections with scissors or wire cutters. It is convenient to cut off the ends by placing them on a metal rail or on a sledgehammer and striking at the same place with the sharp edge of a hammer. As a rule, after 10-15 such blows, the ends of the cable are cut off.
2. At least half a meter from the edge, unwind the cable into strands.
3. We determine the diameter of the future loop we need and, having measured this distance from the edge of the unraveled cable, we take 2 strands. 3-5 cm must be added to the diameter of the future loop, since it will certainly decrease in size when weaving. We make a loop of the selected strands by wrapping them.
4. Either end of the thread is untwisted and wound into intertwined strands. The other needs to be wrapped in the opposite direction. If the length allows, then from the resulting three strands you can weave a pigtail, alternately weaving the threads.
5. The third strand is twisted around the pigtail, then a loop is woven into it, and a turn is made around the braid again. The wires in the weaving process are passed in such a way that the previous one always goes towards the next one.
6. Then all the ends of the wires are hidden inside the pigtail, and the resulting two strands are hidden inside with a screwdriver or pliers.7. It is advisable to tighten the resulting braid with clamps in two or three places. You can use ordinary wire, which is tightly wrapped around the cable and then tightly pulled together with pliers. The protruding ends of such a collar are also hidden inside the pigtails so that they do not interfere.
At the end of the work, it is desirable to isolate the place of the operation, for example, with insulating tape. It will help to fasten the ends of the steel wires together and prevent future injuries to the hands of the one who will use this cable.
Speaking about how to braid a cable, you should remember: in order to get a strong and reliable connection, during the laying, it is necessary to lay the strands symmetrically and evenly press on them. Periodic crimping of twisted strands will be an additional guarantee that the entire structure will receive sufficient strength.
Make a loop on the steel cable
Often, in addition to solving the problem of "how to braid a cable", there is a need to form a loop at its end. For example, when repairing a stretch on a towing cable or on an antenna, it becomes necessary to lower something to a depth, such as a submersible pump. Since the steel cable or rope is quite rigid, it will not work just to tie it in a knot at the end. In this case, there is nothing left but to braid the cable into a loop. And inthis is also not difficult. As well as braiding the cable with steel wire.
Process of doing work
1. We cut the ends of the usual seven-strand cable evenly with a grinder or chop off with a hammer (its sharp part).
2. We unwind the cable by 50-70 cm and use a screwdriver to divide it into two parts. One has three strands and the other has four.
3. We twist the strands of both parts together.
4. We make a loop with a diameter of at least 10 cm.
5. We bend the first four-strand part towards the other, which we place in the bends of the main cable.
6. The ends of the woven threads are alternately wrapped around an improvised handle.
7. Then we twist each free strand alternately around the handle, weaving it into a loop, and repeat the process.8. After that, laying the next one on the previous one, we cover the ends of all strands. As a result of such manipulations, we get two threads that must be placed with a screwdriver between the loops. In this place, it is better to seal the tubes with pieces, flattening them, or use insulating tape. This will help avoid injury in the future.
Fire on a rope or rope
Speaking about how to braid a cable - steel or from another material, it should be mentioned that fire can be made. It's a little more difficult. At some distance from the end of the cable, a strong temporary mark is made, and the ends of its strands are fixed with the same marks. After that, the end of the rope should be unraveled.
In the form of a loop, the cable is laid on the surface (preferablysolid), all its strands break through. There are several punches, but special attention is paid to the first, since it is the most important of them. The reliability and strength of the fire is ensured mainly by the first punching. This is also an acceptable way to braid a cable. The scheme will not cause difficulties.
How to tie a loop on a rope?
If for some reason you decide to try to tie a loop, and not unwind the cable and twist the strands, as discussed above, then you can use the old marine knot, the simplest - oak. The algorithm for this method of how to braid a steel cable is presented below:
- Fold the end of the cable in half and wrap it around to form a ring.
- Thread the loop that formed at the end into the ring and tighten it tightly. You will get a strong and very reliable knot. Its main drawback is that when pulled, it is very tight and then it is quite difficult to untie it.
Now you can fix the steel cable yourself, because you know how to braid the cable into a loop, and henceforth such a breakdown will not cause you much trouble.
