How do you organize your wires?

[GTBRMC]

What type of loom do you use when running wires on your boat (if any)?

Anyone have success with adhesive wire clips? Other methods to route, protect, and tidy wire runs?

I am looking for your great ideas here!

 

[tdonoughue]

Poorly.

I tried some adhesive elastic loop thingies on the first install attempt. Epic fail. Every one dropped off. Now i am slowly replacing with fixed screw cable clamps.

But most of my wires are still a mess.

 

[justason]

Zip ties to existing cables or panduit glue mounts. Shrink sleeve everything. Color codes. Schematics added to service manual notebook.

If i could start all over i'd be an electrician

 

[sysinu]

I use cheap plastic wire routing guides from home depot. I use to use wire socks (If I have 20+ wires, I'll still use a wire sock) with zip ties on both ends, but the cheap plastic wire routing guides work pretty good for me.

 

[Andy S]

The way I get the square zip tie mounts to work is to remove the foam tape or if you lucky find them without the tape and then adhere them with Loctite Power Grab, after 3 boating seasons nothing has fallen.

I put my wires in the same thing the factory uses, flexible wire loom covers.

 

[kthrash]

I used the same thing as @andy07sx230ho except I used Gorilla glue..

 

[GTBRMC]

The way I get the square zip tie mounts to work is to remove the foam tape or if you lucky find them without the tape and then adhere them with Loctite Power Grab, after 3 boating seasons nothing has fallen.

I put my wires in the same thing the factory uses, flexible wire loom covers.

Bingo! The square zip tie mount + the proper adhesive is what I was really after. Thanks!

Note: I will likely go with similar flexible loom slit-plastic wire covering for hidden runs.

Where I run all the RCA wires to/from future my under-dash mounted WS-420BT (will be visible from the cockpit for a few inches), I will likely use something like this:
http://www.cabletiesandmore.com/ExpandableSleeving.php

 

[txav8r]

I use the same mounts as @andy07sx230ho as well, but I use quickwood two part epoxy stick and just put a little of that putty on the back of the tie block and place it where I want. I only have to wait about 30 minutes for it to dry to strength. They don't fail, they become part of the boat! I also just use wire loom.

 

[GTBRMC]

I use the same mounts as @andy07sx230ho as well, but I use quickwood two part epoxy stick and just put a little of that putty on the back of the tie block and place it where I want. I only have to wait about 30 minutes for it to dry to strength. They don't fail, they become part of the boat! I also just use wire loom.

This? Easy to use?
http://www.jbweld.com/products/kwikwood-epoxy-putty-1oz

 

[kthrash]

this stuff is amazing..

 

[internationalmarinemike]

In some cases we use this product when doing some of our high end installations. It allows you to mount to fiberglass without drilling though. For example if you have a console and need to install a piece of electronics to the inside wall you can adhere 4 studs and then apply lock nuts.

http://www.weldmountsystem.com

 

[tdonoughue]

Now that sounds like a winner. Will it hold up on the exterior of the boat? Say, for mounting antennas, lights, transducers...?

 

[internationalmarinemike]

We use these to mount cable ties, brackets, hoses, electronics, and amps to the interior of center consoles. The idea is that there in no screw hols showing form the outside. We use the mount that looks like a threaded stud.

 

[Kevin M]

That's a great solution. I wold like to mount fishing rod holders inside the ski locker and this would probably work well. thanks.

 

[internationalmarinemike]

Yes that may work for you. When does correctly they look very clean. They even have white caps that cover the silver washers that are glued onto the glass surface.

 

[Earmark Marine]

GTBRMC just let me know what you need and I'll send it to you no charge since you bought your system from Earmark. I have the flexible "snakeskin" loom in various sizes, and it looks great in areas where the wiring might be visible.

 

[ArmyChief]

We use the mount that looks like a threaded stud.

Where do you get those mounts?

 

[Andy S]

Where do you get those mounts?

Here is a list of sellers, http://www.weldmountsystem.com/where-to-buy.php

 

[internationalmarinemike]

We use a lot of these:

http://www.weldmountsystem.com/products-fasteners-stainless-studs.php

And to give them a nice finished look scroll down and see the covers for the disks. It takes about 20 minutes for the studs to dry and 24 hours to get them 100 percent. It is just a nice tool to have in the toolbox. We buy them in the larger kits such as this: http://www.weldmountsystem.com/products-kits.php

Mike

 

[GTBRMC]

The way I get the square zip tie mounts to work is to remove the foam tape or if you lucky find them without the tape and then adhere them with Loctite Power Grab, after 3 boating seasons nothing has fallen.

I put my wires in the same thing the factory uses, flexible wire loom covers.

GTBRMC just let me know what you need and I'll send it to you no charge since you bought your system from Earmark. I have the flexible "snakeskin" loom in various sizes, and it looks great in areas where the wiring might be visible.

@Earmark Marine - if you have any of these square zip tie mounts (or similar) without adhesive backing I would really appreciate you sending a few along.
I believe that is the last item I need in my kit to get started on the install...when I will almost certainly discover I missed a few other things, LOL.

Oh, also, if you could throw in a couple feet of snakeskin loom, approx. 1.5" ID, that would be great. Not sure what colors you have...black, dark grey, white all would work.

Thank you for the offer, your after-sale support is much appreciated.