Flex Cables – Margin Services Help Centre https://help.marginservices.co.uk Mon, 05 Aug 2024 13:52:16 +0000 en-GB hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.7.1 Using Our Cable Stripping Tool https://help.marginservices.co.uk/knowledge-base/using-our-cable-stripping-tool/ Fri, 05 Jul 2024 11:12:49 +0000 https://help.marginservices.co.uk/?post_type=epkb_post_type_1&p=1535

Using Our Fabric Cable Stripper

This guide is to help you use our fabric cable stripper.

We recommend in practising on an offcut piece of cable if possible to ensure it’s not going to damage the cable.

 

Step 1

Put some sellotape or electrical insulation tape around the area you want to strip on the cable.

 

Step 2

Slide the cable into the stripping tool and go to the 2nd indent on the tool.

 

Step 3

Whilst holding the cable rotate the tool around the cable a couple of times, Note do not press down too hard, Then remove the tool from the cable. And pull the stripped braid away.

 

Step 4

Once you have pulled the stripped section of braid away, the cable should look like this. Visually check to ensure you have not cut into the inner cable (brown, blue or green/yellow)

 

]]> Picking the right cable for your lamp https://help.marginservices.co.uk/knowledge-base/picking-the-right-cable-for-your-lamp/ Fri, 05 Jul 2024 11:09:25 +0000 https://help.marginservices.co.uk/?post_type=epkb_post_type_1&p=1527

When it comes to picking the right flex mains lead, there are a few things to make sure of first, so here we go with a few tips.

As a rule, if the flex is greater than 2m long, then you should be using 0.75mm diameter flex rather than 0.5mm. All of our cord sets (premade mains leads) are 0.75mm.

Now, just check the path of the wiring of the mains lead to the lamp holder. Most 0.75mm flex is in the region of 6-7mm diameter which will pass through the 10mm all thread rods, but just check there are no other routing issues.

Make sure there are no areas where the flex will get rubbed or cut etc. Or damaged in any way. Make sure if the flex goes up into an all thread rod that the ends of the rod have grommets to protect the flex. Always make sure you have some form of cord grip as well,

Now you will need to decide if you want the switch on the flex or on the lamp holder. Adding a switch to the flex can be straight forward on PVC flex but can be much harder on braided flex, so pick a larger switch as this will give you more room.

The premade cord sets will come in 2 or 3 core, with or without a switch, and in most cases will have ferrules on the bare ends. These are needed if you have a lamp holder that the wires just push in, but for normal lamp holders these can be cut off to make a better connection.

 

 

]]> How to terminate our rope cable https://help.marginservices.co.uk/knowledge-base/how-to-terminate-our-rope-cable/ Fri, 05 Jul 2024 11:02:38 +0000 https://help.marginservices.co.uk/?post_type=epkb_post_type_1&p=1515

This guide is to help you terminate the fabric rope cable.

If you are trying to install this cable into a 10mm cord grip onto a lampholder, then this hopefully will help you.

First off, you will need to get yourself some sellotape.

Whenever you cut the cable or want to strip it, you will need to put a piece of sellotape around the cable and cut on the sellotape.

This stops the fabric from fraying.

Once you have put the sellotape on the piece you want to strip use a knife or cutters to cut the fabric braid only, not the PVC inner cores.(Please be careful)

 

It’s hard to see, but there is a small piece of sellotape around the end of the fabric to stop it from fraying.

Make sure the sellotape does not go too far up the cable as once you have installed cord grip you don’t want to see the tape.

Now you can strip the PVC cable as normal again with cutters or a knife.

 

Once this has been done, you can now start to put the cord grip pieces on.

Depending on what style of cord grip you go for, this step will change.

I have gone for the metal cord grip as I think this looks the best with this cable.

 

These come in 3 sections, the outer cover, the black inner grip and the thread to screw into lampholder.

Slide the outer cover onto cable NOTE: be careful as the thread on the inside will pull the fibres on the fabric cable, just go slow.

 

After you slide the outer cover on, notice that I have to cut a leg from the black cord grip itself this is because the cable if too fat to neatly slide that piece on.

Now take the threaded part of the cord grip and thread it onto the lampholder, if you look on the inside of the lampholder there is a small grub screw, once the cord grip is screwed in you must do this small screw up, that stops the cord grip from twisting away from lampholder.

 

If you need a guide on how to wire this lampholder, then please see the following link.

Learn More

Now all you need to do is slide the cord grip cover and twist on.

 

]]> Do I need a 2 core or 3 core flex cable https://help.marginservices.co.uk/knowledge-base/do-i-need-a-2-core-or-3-core-flex-cable/ Fri, 05 Jul 2024 10:57:48 +0000 https://help.marginservices.co.uk/?post_type=epkb_post_type_1&p=1510

It’s not straight forward, but basically if you use a plastic lampholder it’s a 2 core flex and if you use a metal lampholder it’s a 3 core flex.

It’s all to do with the need for any earthing on the lamp.

So if you want to use a plastic lampholder, but there is the need to earth any part of the lamp, then you will need a 3 core and ensure the earth is connected to cover any requirements. Some plastic lampholders can be purchased with an earth terminal in the base.

Also, there are lamp designs that are metal but have a plastic lampholder fitted. If there is a safe route for the flex with no potential for damage, then a 2 core flex can be used to supply the plastic fitted lampholder. However, in this case an isolator must be used in the base of the lampholder to ensure there is plenty of isolation to the metal parts of the lamp base.

Don’t forget, the earth is there for safety reasons, so if needed then please ensure it’s connected.

 

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