OK I've built my own loom =, How or what do I wrap it in ?

Standard insulating tape?

if not what do I use and where do I get it.

Convoluted tube, split along the side, taped occasionally to keep it closed. Available from most kit car electrics suppliers (Premier Wiring, etc.).

Cheap, effective and easy to install (and maintain).

David

[Edited on 16/5/05 by David Jenkins]

Ive seen threads on this and concensus is that insulating tape is not good. You can get proper loom tape. SVA dont like insulating tape as a rule. I used premier loom. Consists of loose wire banded together. Ive routed mine in convoluted tube and used spiwrap where the wiring exists to components.

Dont use self adheive cable tie bases to secure to chassis. Use something more permanent (screw in bases, p clips, clip in cable ties etc). SVA dont like the idea of the adhesive getting old, losing grip and allowing the loom to become insecure. All connections to be insulated.


Even IKEA sells convoluted tube (only one size in fixed lengthbags but available in silver if you need a colour)

[Edited on 16/5/05 by DarrenW]

Convoluted tube is available really cheaply form people like RS (cheaper than from the kit car suppliers). Alternatively spiral wrap is a good solution as its easy to deal with branches on the loom, but more of a problem when adding wires as you have to unwrap it all!

The sticky backed cable tie bases usually have a hole through them for riveting or screwing them to something, in this case there should be no problem with SVA (AFAIK). Though P-clips are the proper way to do things, if a little more expensive.

David

[Edited on 16/5/05 by flak monkey]

If going the convoluted tube route, how do you finish the ends where the wires/connectors come out to the component, loom tape,heatshrink, self amalgamating tape?
Soz for the hijack, but here myself

self amalgamating tape, then a bit of adhesive insulating tape to hold the end down.

heat shrink sounds good, but too much forethought required. i struggle to remember the heatshrink when i'm soldering a splice

hth
tom

Personally (and I am very fussy on this one, unnecessarily so having been brought up with agricultural engineering where everything gets dirty and wet!) I hate spirap and all the other non 100% coverings.

The "proper" looms that I have made in the past have been 100% covered in heatshrink (the flexible polyolefin type, not the PVC crap) with silicone sealer injected into it where it joins plugs before shrinking so that it self seals all the ends. Done right, you know water cannot get in and cause any damage this way.

This is how I will do the loom on my 7.