Tec-Alert Newsletter
Basics of Cable Lacing

Cable lacing has been a mystery to people not in the telecom business. Traditionally, cable lacing was taught through on-the-job training and few manuals exist since the trade was simply handed down from generation to generation of craftsmen.
Flat Lacing Stitch
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Let's begin to answer that question by exploring what cable lacing has been used for in the past.
Clove Hitch
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As mentioned above, the technological boom of the late 60's precipitated the decline in the use of cable lacing. Too much time was spent on the install leaving no time for the aesthetic pleasure of creating these shapely yet time intensive organized bundles. Cable ties became the easy way to bundle and caught on as the most time practical approach during installation.
However, as craftsmanship of the late century is starting to make a comeback in today's society, so is cable lacing. The renewed appeal of cable lacing is as a differentiator for companies in a highly competitive market. Larger companies are even starting to take a sudden interest in how laced cables can reduce the incidence of diver cables and choked cables common when using cable ties. This, combined with careful attention to cabling bend radiuses, can improve the performance of the cable, resulting in fewer faults and more satisfied customers.
How do you perform cable lacing?
Since this is a craft, you must practice and experiment with different types and styles of knots and twines until you produce the desired end result. The more skilled you become, the faster and easier this procedure becomes.
9-Ply Waxed Polysester Twine
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Curved Lacing Needle
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Fingerless
Lacing Gloves |
Insulated Lacing Needle
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The actual art of cable lacing comes with the lacing of the bundles and the permanent knots chosen to tie the bundles together. You might want to refer to a nautical book to learn about the different knots that will work best for you. Some of the common knots used in cable lacing include the half hitch, clove hitch and the running lockstitch.
Running Lockstitch
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As for the lacing technique itself, there are a few primary running lacing methods worth learning — the Running Lockstitch, Marlin-Hitching and Half-Hitching. You will also need to become familiar with various methods of securely starting and tying off each end of a lacing run.
Marlin-Hitching
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Half-Hitching
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Originally, the philosophy was "the tighter the better". But in today's high performance fiber optic, telecom and Cat 5 cabling, care must be taken to place the stress of tightening on the support and not on the cable jacket.
Why use cable lacing?
By using waxed twine lacing to bundle your cables, you are creating a neat structure that leads to increased trackability and traceability of each individual cable. Also, you avoid choking the cables, which can easily happen with zip ties. Thus, you ensure the highest performance possible from your cables, confident that there are no potential bottlenecks being created.
Having your company put this finishing touch on all your installations will also show your clients just how dedicated you are to performance, quality connections, and superior workmanship!
Click here to check out all our fine cable lacing tools and equipment online.
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