Wire twisting tool for small wires - ideas ?

[Dannyx]

Good day folks. Recently, I started doing more and more alarm system installs which involve dealing with a ton of small wires which are part of 4 to 12 core alarm cable. To make my installs as clean and neat as possible, I twist together the individual wires whenever possible to make braids like in the picture. It takes a lot of time and wears on my fingers really quickly, to the point where I actually developed a blister on my index finger from all the twisting. This got me thinking if there's a tool designed to braid small wires like this. I know there is something for twisting together solid core wire, but those are pretty big and aimed towards electricians. These strands are 0.22mm if I'm not mistaken, so they're very thin and very flexible. I tried coming up with my own tool but didn't get the expected results - the wires would either get tangled up or would not braid neatly. I glued a button (yes, a button from a shirt or something ) to a thin piece of pipe, the idea behind it being that I'd clamp the pipe in my drill, insert the wires to be twisted through two opposing holes in the button so the "tails" of the wires slip down into the tube. As the drill rotates the button, the wires would get twisted....which they do, but because I can't maintain tension on them - the way I can with my fingers - the braiding is a disaster and not tight/equal at all....

Any ideas of such a tool, or am I stuck with doing it by hand and having sore wrists and fingers the rest of my life ?

[SMDFlea]

Re: Wire twisting tool for small wires - ideas ?

Have you looked at wire twisting pliers. See the pic attached for another suggestion,its a croc clip soldered to a rod .

[Dannyx]

Re: Wire twisting tool for small wires - ideas ?

Have you looked at wire twisting pliers.

Yes, I did come across those, but they seem more useful when you've got a stiff piece of wire and something to hold it firmly at one end. Not sure it'd work too great when you're perched up on a ladder and the wires are flexible and pretty loose as they come out of the panel/junction box whatever...might have worked if I had 3 hands The problem I see is that while I might be able to hold the wires close to the box with my hand and pull OUT on the piston thing to give them a twist, when it's time to push the piston back IN for another stroke, the wire would bend and bunch up as I attempt to push "into" it to get the piston back into the tool for another go.....UNLESS the piston is spring-loaded and returns back in when I let go, THEN it might actually work to a degree...

EDIT: turns out, yes, the piston on these IS spring-loaded so I might actually try one...not the cheapest thing out there, though :|

See the pic attached for another suggestion,its a croc clip soldered to a rod .

This might be the same as clamping the wires straight into the drill's chuck. The problem I see is that the ends are stuck and not free to turn, so the braid would twist up as the drill turns...

[megaraider]

Re: Wire twisting tool for small wires - ideas ?

To make my installs as clean and neat as possible, I twist together the individual wires whenever possible to make braids like in the picture.
As the drill rotates the button, the wires would get twisted....which they do, but because I can't maintain tension on them - the way I can with my fingers - the braiding is a disaster and not tight/equal at all....
Any ideas of such a tool, or am I stuck with doing it by hand and having sore wrists and fingers the rest of my life ?

You've got it almost right...
But to be able maintain tension the wires must be inserted thru the holes but then remain outside the tube.
Depending on the tool, not hole edge stripping, you may use it to twist both the isolated wires and the exposed copper at the end
by either holding and maintaining tension along the tube
or holding the cables at the tube entry.
See pics for the 2nd option, ... easy to imagine the 1st.