heat shrink without heat gun?

bwolf

bwolf

Enthusiast
I want to make some speaker cables using some 12ga. Belden 5000UE and use some heat shrink to seal the terminations, but don't have access to a heat gun. Is there heat shrink tubing that can be shrunk with a hair dryer? I've heard of using a propane torch, but thought that might be a little hard on the locking bananas (GLS audio locking bananas) I'm planning on using. Also, what size heat shrink would I need so that it fit around the bananas and still shrunk tight to the 12ga. Any suggestions? Thanks.
 
BMXTRIX

BMXTRIX

Audioholic Warlord
Heat shrink lists as the ratio it shrinks to. 2:1, 3:1 or more. So, you buy a diameter that will fit around both at full size, then at the reduced size say 1/3rd original size (3:1) it may fit around both, but you need both diameters.

I use a lighter for heat shrink. Works fine.
 
bwolf

bwolf

Enthusiast
So are you saying that I need two different diameters of heat shrink used together? Maybe I'm just confused...I'm having a hard time understanding how tubing that fits around the large locking banana connector will shrink enough to fit tightly around the 12ga cable as well. Thanks for clarifying!?
 
majorloser

majorloser

Moderator
Heatshrink will shrink 2, 3 or more times it's original diameter depending on what you buy.

Example: If the wire is 4mm thick and the banana is 6mm thick you will need a piece of heatshrink that will cover both. A piece of 8mm heatshrink that is rated at 2:1 will shrink to a minimum of 4mm. It will cover both sizes when shrunk but still slide over both for assembly.

Did you look at the speaker pants?
 
bwolf

bwolf

Enthusiast
That makes sense. I did look at the speaker pants. Are the individual wye shoots flexible enough to fit over the banana plugs? They seam pretty small from the pictures. Again, I could be confused about how they work as well. This cable building thing is kind of new to me.
 
cbecker33

cbecker33

Audioholic
A lighter will work just fine....it's a little tedious though.

Chris
 
P

philh

Full Audioholic
I just use the base part of the soldering iron, keep it moving back and forth and rotating the wire. Shrinks up real nice.
 
j_garcia said:
Hair dryer if you happen to have one.
You must have an uber-turbo hair dryer! I tried that once and it took me a ton of time and never fully shrank it down. Lighter works really well, though.
 
Tom Andry

Tom Andry

Speaker of the House
Clint DeBoer said:
You must have an uber-turbo hair dryer! I tried that once and it took me a ton of time and never fully shrank it down. Lighter works really well, though.
Uber...now there is a word I don't use enough. Gonna have to work on that.
 
j_garcia

j_garcia

Audioholic Jedi
It'll work in a pinch. it's my daughter's hair dryer and it gets pretty darn hot. I have a heat gun :D
 
S

sploo

Full Audioholic
If you're using a soldering iron, you can 'float' the tip over the heat shrink. Not ideal, and you have to be careful, but it does work.
 
S

scj99

Enthusiast
Parts Express sells a 3:1 shrink tubing that works with a regular hair dryer. I have used it several times making speaker calbles and it works very well.
 
C

claudermilk

Full Audioholic
I tried the hair dryer method once, and gave up. I ended up using the stove; just keep the cable far enough away from the flame keep moving it. Worked out nicely--almost as well as a heat gun (did one set with one, but borrowing from work was a hassle).
 
Mudcat

Mudcat

Senior Audioholic
Heat guns are cheap, and have a plethora of uses other then shrinking plastic tubing. Go buy one.

Check out these sites. I make a lot of cables and get most of my none wire supplies from them.


For all sorts of crap - http://www.cableorganizer.com/

For expandable sleeves - http://www.techflex.com/revised_site/pages/prodpages/prod_PT.html

For printed heat shrink tubing - http://www.heatshrink.com/prod-printing-shmark.htm

For heat shrink tubing - http://www.merithian.com/

For cable boots - http://www.nelcoproducts.com/
 
M

maxse

Junior Audioholic
Hi guys. I am looking for heat shrink tubing and found that on parts express they have some that works with a hair dryer. Now here is the problem. I just odered the 1694A cable and am looking at part number 092-498 on parts express. Assuming that connector is all I need to make RCA cables, what diameter of heatshrink tubing do I need? Any1 know?
 
G

genesound

Enthusiast
philh said:
I just use the base part of the soldering iron, keep it moving back and forth and rotating the wire. Shrinks up real nice.
That's what I do in a pinch.
 

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