Broken Choker On Your Steel Cable? Here's How To Repair It Correctly
If the choker loop on your steel cable has broken and you want to repair it in the field quickly, then it is important you do so correctly. If you are tempted to simply bend over the cable and create a new choker by holding the ends together with clamps, then you should know this isn't the correct method, and a could lead to injury or death if it comes apart.
To create a safe new choker loop, follow this procedure suggested by professional steel fabricators:
Important Note: Working with a frayed cable can injure your hands and eyes. Before you attempt a repair, first put on some leather gloves and eye protection.
Step 1: Unwind and Fray the Cable
When your choker loop failed, it left behind a cable with smaller strands of steel that can now be individually separated.
To create a new choker loop, you need to fray the cable into individual steel strands. Unwind the cable back about two feet from the cable's end.
Step 2: Wind the Frayed Strands into Two Separate Cables
Once the cable has been frayed, then you need to make two smaller cables out of the individual strands. Wrap the strands together and form each cable. If there are an uneven number of strands, it's fine, make one cable with an extra.
Step 3: Make a New Choker Loop with the Two Cables
Using the two smaller cables, create a loop at the end of the original cable and join the two smaller cables at the base.
Step 4: Splice the Two Tails Together into One New Cable
Once the loop is formed, you have two excess cable tails. These tails need to be spliced back into one larger cable. Start the splicing at the bottom of the choker loop where it meets the larger cable and continue until you reach the end.
Step 5: Apply a Cable Clamp to Secure the Tail Cable
With the tail cable and the original cable gathered at the base of the new choker loop, apply at least one cable clamp to secure the cables together.
Step 6: Trim Off the Remaining Excess Cable to prevent Cuts and Snags
Finally, once the cables are clamped together, you now have a choker loop that's as strong as one coming out of a steel fabricator's shop. To prevent snags or cuts to users, trim off the excess cable a couple of inches below the cable clamp. For more information, check out a website like http://mmbco.com.
Share