Can you solder wire rope?

Thread Starter

wayneh

Joined Sep 9, 2010
17,496
Wayneh, that's a fantastic idea for climbing plants. I used pieces of galvanized fencing but your proposed idea is much better and neater.
I agree it's nice, but it wasn't my idea. There are a number of "green wall" vendors. I happened to see an installation in a nearby town and was really impressed. I had been thinking of building a trellis and that clinched it. Most installations are anchored to the building, but my design will be freestanding. I've got some 4x4s looking for a purpose.
 

Thread Starter

wayneh

Joined Sep 9, 2010
17,496
You can buy directly from the manufacturer, on Alibaba.com. Minimum of 100pcs though.
Yes, I'm having a conversation with the folks at that link. I'm OK with 100 pieces since I'll need over 70 of them anyway and might be able to sell my extras.

I'm puzzled that they're asking ME for a drawing and dimensions. WTF? When I send them links to sites that provide dimensions and such, they tell me they can't open the links. I know the Chinese censor the internet but is it so bad they can't see out?
 

Thread Starter

wayneh

Joined Sep 9, 2010
17,496
How much does "prettiness" really even matter....?
I don't know! It will stand there year-round, though, and I'm not planning on having a perennial vine on it so it will be nude and visible during the winter. And by "winter" I mean Oct-May.

After it stands there a few years, I suppose I'll have ideas about redesigning it.

I'm looking hard at UV-resistant cable ties. They're not so attractive but darn cheap and pretty easy to apply.
 

WBahn

Joined Mar 31, 2012
29,979
I don't know! It will stand there year-round, though, and I'm not planning on having a perennial vine on it so it will be nude and visible during the winter. And by "winter" I mean Oct-May.
Ah, that makes sense. I can definitely see wanting the naked trellis to be reasonable attractive under those conditions.

After it stands there a few years, I suppose I'll have ideas about redesigning it.

I'm looking hard at UV-resistant cable ties. They're not so attractive but darn cheap and pretty easy to apply.
And, as you said, redesigning it in a few years if you don't like it is always an option.

If you can find those ties in clear and orient the buckles so that they are at the back, it might not look bad at all.
 

Thread Starter

wayneh

Joined Sep 9, 2010
17,496
What little I've learned about cable ties is that virtually all UV-resitant ones are (carbon) black. If not, they're much more expensive although still relatively cheap compared to stainless hardware. I was surprise to learn that there are stainless steel cable ties.
 

RichardO

Joined May 4, 2013
2,270
I'm looking hard at UV-resistant cable ties. They're not so attractive but darn cheap and pretty easy to apply.
Don't forget that UV is not the only source of degradation. The heat of the sun, and the freeze/thaw cycle are also going to damage the cable ties. If you do use cable ties I would suggest that you use the ones with a piece of metal for the "hook" instead of an all plastic tie. It seems to me that the all plastic ones have a tendency to not hook properly.

Edit: Also, I would invest in a cheap cable tie gun. For example, Uline has one for $16 dollars...
 
Last edited:

atferrari

Joined Jan 6, 2004
4,764
I'm looking hard at UV-resistant cable ties. They're not so attractive but darn cheap and pretty easy to apply.
I feared to suggest precisely that.

IIRC, the other simple way could be fishing line. The sole trick you need to learn is to execute a proper self adjusting knot.

In spite of my experience aboard, nothing comes that I could suggest.
 

shortbus

Joined Sep 30, 2009
10,045
And this gets us back to the 'safety wire'. Or if this is a permanent installation, you could put the horizontal wires up first and then you would only need to tie into the top horizontal. Then weave the verticals through the other horizontal wires. And then tie to the lowest horizontal.

I couldn't believe the prices of these greenwall kits. Think I'd just get some woven hog wire and be done. :)
 

Thread Starter

wayneh

Joined Sep 9, 2010
17,496
Just so we're on the same page, here's the current design for my poor man's green wall. (It does kind of look like an antenna!) The main support is an 8', treated 4x4, the blue net is 1/8" stainless wire rope.

Screen Shot 2016-04-05 at 6.43.59 PM.png
 

shortbus

Joined Sep 30, 2009
10,045
That would be a real good one for the safety wire joining. I thought you were going for something more horizontal instead of vertical.

When I was Googleing there was at least one company that had the connectors made of aluminum and stainless. The aluminum one should be less money, but they didn't show prices for either one on the page. Can look and see if I can find the page if you want.

Think when Alibaba asked for size/dimensions they were talking about wire size. These connectors are made for a few different diameter s of wire.
 

Thread Starter

wayneh

Joined Sep 9, 2010
17,496
Nuts. The supplier listed on Alibaba just refused to honor the 100-piece minimum and rejected my inquiry. This after making me supply them drawings copy-and-pasted from other websites. Could be my first and last experience with Alibaba. What a waste of time.

My cable arrives tomorrow so I'll start experimenting with cable ties, and move on to something else if that doesn't look workable.
 

shortbus

Joined Sep 30, 2009
10,045
I thought of another way to make a clamp from the appropriate sized aluminum tubing. A table saw with a fine tooth carbide blade would be needed to cut the slots though. Can make a sketch if you want me to. Instead of a set screw these would be squeezed with pliers to tighten them on the wire.
 

Lestraveled

Joined May 19, 2014
1,946
Actually I think we are over thinking this. The plant that is going to grow into the trellis will keep everything stationary. Keep it simple.
 

BobaMosfet

Joined Jul 1, 2009
2,110
Seriously... imagine two sticks in the same 't' configuration. How would you tie them together? You'd wrap line diagonally one way around the intersection and then do it again the other way.

Same principle applies here-- just use copper wire. twist together with pliers so it bites into the wire-- it will work and allows the joint to be flexible without slipping. solder isn't flexible, it will crack, break, and flake off.
 

boatsman

Joined Jan 17, 2008
187
If you are going to use copper wire then I think it would be preferable to use insulated 1.5mm wire which would prevent any possible corrosion effect.
 

Thread Starter

wayneh

Joined Sep 9, 2010
17,496
I'l be testing cable ties and wire winding today after my cable arrives.

I did find some short, 1/2" width nylon bolts that I considered for cutting the grooves into. I have a table saw, so I could make a jig holding 10 bolts or so at a time in a strip of wood, and pass them all over the blade in one pass. Them rotate them all 90°, lower the blade 1/8", and cut the cross grooves. I could then just put a standard nut on the end and pretty much have the same kind of cross clip. The nylon bolts and matching nuts add up to only about 50¢ per clip.

But I've pretty much ruled out making my own clamps. For the trouble, it seems to make more sense to just buy the commercial product. This was before my Alibaba debacle. (Does anyone have a good experience with them? It seems like a big fraud to me.)
 
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