DIY cable carrier works great and cheap!

[ssutton]

I refused to pay high dollars for plastic wire track and thought there must be a DIY alternative so tonight I worked this out. 1 1/2" schedule 40 PVC coupled with 1" schedule 40 PVC. Each section is 3" long and is joined by #10-1/2" sheet metal screws that do not penetrate the inner PVC so that the wires are not damaged. I am amazed at how strong this is and yet is floppy because it is so flexible. It gives in the flexible plane but resist twist in the opposite plane, just what you want in a wire carrier. After getting all my jigs set up making it was a breeze, I cut all the parts for a 14' section of wire way and assembled this 42" section in about 2 hours. Most of that time was setting up the mill, chop saw and the drill press with jigs. Try it, you'll like it! I will have less than $15 in 14' of wire carrier that will be VERY durable.

[cornbinder23]

Very creative!!!
You might even get a tighter radius if you cope the 1.5" pipe
you could set it up by just using a 1.5 hole saw in a drillpress, might mean a little more waste material but you will get a tighter radius "IF" needed.

What is the radius of it coiled like i your first picture?


JTCUSTOMS

[ssutton]

Originally Posted by cornbinder23 Very creative!!! You might even get a tighter radius if you cope the 1.5" pipe you could set it up by just using a 1.5 hole saw in a drillpress, might mean a little more waste material but you will get a tighter radius "IF" needed. What is the radius of it coiled like i your first picture? JTCUSTOMS

The radisus is 6.5 inches, yes that is large compared to comercial wire track but for my application it works great, if fact it lines up better than way for me. Your idea of coping the 1.5" is a great idea for someone needing a tighter radius.

Also, I did not mention that by adding a third screw at every joint 90 degrees from the "hinge" makes the chain bend in one direction only, again like the commercial stuff.

[drhanger]

I like that idea, I'm wondering if you could do the same thing using PVC couplers instead of the pipe. I know it would cost a bit more, but usually you can buy the contractor packs at Lowe's and Home Depot, for a little more cost it would save some time in cutting. Don't know if the sizes would be compatible in the same way though.

[Jorgen]

This is very smart

[ben_jackson]

I knew I had seen something similar here before:

DIY Cable Carrier

(actually the thread starts on the previous page but most of the info on construction is on that page)