> A simple suggestion that makes serving much easier. Use wire ends 3 to
6 inches longer than required. when the required turns are wound flat,
just cut that wire as short as possible and force the tip flat with a
pair of Channel Locks
No it doesn't make serving easy, but relatively speaking, it make it far
easier.
> 73
> Roger (K8RI)
I found that serving tool sold by Rohn to be totally useless. I ended up doing
it mostly by hand, wearing leather gloves, with the occasional aid of a pair of
vice grips to pull the end and keep the wire tight as I wrapped it. One problem
with EHS cable is that even when maintaining tension, the wrapped end tends to
spring back and loosen the wrapping, once the strand is completed.
I agree that Big Grips are far easier and quicker to use, and far cheaper if
workers are paid by the hour, but I'll still go along with what the PHP
engineer recommended, and not use them with hardware that isn't compatible with
the U-shaped bend in the grips.
WARNING: when serving EHS cable, WEAR SAFETY GLASSES. Occasionally one of the
brittle spring-like cable strands will snap in two while being wrapped. I had
a piece break off and hit me in the eye hard enough to temporarily leave a
dimple on the eyeball. It hurt like hell, but no permanent damage. Upon
inspection of the broken strand, I saw that it had slivered off at such a steep
angle as to leave the broken end sharp like a hypodermic needle. Fortunately
for me, the piece spun around hit me in the eye sideways instead of end first.
That's near the top of my list of close calls in my lifetime.
They used to sell a type of cable called HS. It didn't have quite the breaking
strength of EHS, but it was far less stiff and springy and very easy to work
with. I think that's the type of cable the original serving instructions were
intended for. I don't know if they discontinued manufacturing it, but I haven't
seen any for sale anywhere for decades. If still available, I would seriously
consider using 1/4" HS guy wire wherever 3/16" EHS is called for.
BTW, HS cable is usually referred to as "High Strength" and EHS as "Extra High
Strength". But I saw the terms somewhere years ago in a metallurgical text
referred to as "Hardened Steel" and "Extruded Hardened Steel".
Don k4kyv
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