Where to buy wire?

[idsane]

I have some ugly wiring I want to clean up on my cp but lowes and HD don't really have a great selection. Currently I use some security wire that has 4 cables in it at 20 gauge, w/ twisted strands. Anyone know where I could get some with 6 or more wires bundled in it?

[JohnEDollar]

Try using an old printer, or serial modem cable.  (Lot's of color choices there!)

Cat5e cable (stranded) will also work.

- John

[Vigo]

Try using an old printer, or serial modem cable.  (Lot's of color choices there!)

Cat5e cable (stranded) will also work.

- John

Yeah, I use old DB printer cable, the ends make for great quick disconnects.

[nick3092]

Try using an old printer, or serial modem cable.  (Lot's of color choices there!)

Cat5e cable (stranded) will also work.

- John

+1 to stranded cat5. Although if you are going to crimp a connector on it, strip off twice as much and fold it over when you put it in the terminal. Or else the crimp probably won't hold.

[bobotech]

For my modest panel, I just cut up a couple of IDE cables, the old flat ribbon style.

[idsane]

I like the ribbon cable idea. What is the gauge of that? Can I crimp connectors on?

[BobA]

Crimping on small gauge wire can be helped by doubling or tripling the wire on itself and twisting after stripping the end to give the crimp a better grip.

[Benevolance]

Anyone have good suggestions on how to strip the cat 5 cables easily? I found that the wires were a little too thin for my regular wire strippers to work easily.

[BobA]

They make wire strippers that specifically do smaller gauges. I have a Klein Tools 11047 stripper that I got a Home Depot. It does 22 to 30 gauge.

[bobotech]

I use a Zippo lighter.  I just light the lighter and heat the ends of the wire and grab it with my fingernails and pull off. 

[MonMotha]

I have a Klein 11057.  It looks to basically be a higher end version of an 11047.  One of the very few tools I've found that handles Teflon insulation and AWG30 reliably.

I can't say I'd recommend anything smaller than AWG24 for most crimp contacts, but doubling up the wire can work.  You certainly don't need wire much bigger than AWG30 or AWG28 on button signals and similar for any electrical reasons.  I just find them too flimsy mechanically to be of much use in an environment that sees the abuse an arcade cabinet sees.  I usually use AWG22 for signal wires.

Larger wire is required for power runs, though.  I usually use AWG18 for power runs from the power supply to the PCB.  Of course, for a PC based setup, you probably don't need to mess with any DC power wires.

I got most of my wire on ebay by hunting for good deals and buying back when copper was less expensive.  I've probably got 10000ft+ of AWG22 stranded laying around, though it's got odd colors and stripes.

[skuttduck]

Anyone have good suggestions on how to strip the cat 5 cables easily? I found that the wires were a little too thin for my regular wire strippers to work easily.

Cat 5 and phone wire were meant to be punched down, that is why you are having a hard time stripping it.  I did find a nice firm grip with my fingernails usually works fine for a few wires.  After a bit they will be sore.

I use a Zippo lighter.  I just light the lighter and heat the ends of the wire and grab it with my fingernails and pull off. 

This will work quite as well. 

[runawayabc123]

On the ebay idea for cheap wire, "alarm" wire (with 22awg/2 conductors stranded or 22awg/4 conductors stranded) will work just as well as hook up wire, right?  For either soldering or crimping. 

[emb]

Have you checked out radio shack?

[jimfath]

I am in the process of rewiring my CP as well and I found this on ebay.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=120750174674&ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT#ht_500wt_1180

As for strippers... wire strippers that is, I'm going to the dollar store for a wire stripper in this style. I've found really cheap versions of these and, since their just stripping it's not that big a deal.

[MonMotha]

If you want new "prime" wire with good selection, Newark often has some decent deals, but it'll still be more than ebay or an electronic surplus outlet.

Don't underestimate the value of a good wire stripper if you're going to do a lot of work.  It may save you a lot of frustration.

And yes, "alarm" wire should work fine.  It's often jacketed or twisted together, though, so make sure you know what you're buying and if you can/want to deal with it.  Alarm wire is also often solid, so watch out for that, too.

[runawayabc123]

I got a good pair of wire strippers for about $8 at my local big box home improvement store (I looked at a couple of stores first).  Don't waste your time with crappy ones.  Remember this is making the space for contact on EVERYTHING. 

As for wire, $20/150ft is REALLY expensive.  Radio shack is about $7.39/100ft (but you don't get colors like that or your get Red/Green/Black). 

I am looking for about 1600ft of wire.  I don't want to spend either of those amounts, so I was looking at security wire.  They come in groups of 2 or 4, so I may eat a few wires on odd number runs, but the price point ebay is yielding (.02/ft) makes it worth it even though I would end up with 2000ft of wire. 

[Ed_McCarron]

http://www.allelectronics.com/make-a-store/category/825450/Wire/Cable/Stranded-Hook-Up-Wire/1.html

100' of #22 for about $5.  Good if you like lots of colors.

[tommyinajar]

It is $7.08 when added to your cart, and shipping was a flat $7 on multiple spools for me. That is the cheapest I have ever seen it. I think I paid more than that for 25'.

[Xiaou2]

If you visit enough computer shops, you could probably get them to save up & give you their dead power supplies, rather than them just trashing them.

 Lots of good wiring in them.

 I filled up a huge box with wires in a short time from my collected dead PS's.
I saved the switches as well... just for the heck of it.  Some of the fairly new... but faulty power supplies, have decent salvageable fans too.

 A lot of the pre-built PCs have the crappiest cheaply made power supplies.  They usually die frequently, and often at the hands of a power spike during a storm (or merely the breaker trip).