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Joe Pelonio
03-01-2008, 8:31 PM
I spent most of the day making this banner, 5'x25' 2 sided. It's to go across the main road here and the city requires that it be hung with 1/4" coated airline cable (pre-stretched wire rope coated with clear plastic).

I had the pockets top and bottom made a full 2" for what I thought would be easy insertion of the cables. Not so. In fact, unless someone thinks of a clever trick, tomorrow I'm greasing it up.

The cable was coiled and does try to curve into the hem, but even when I keep it centered it stops after about 6-8'. I think the clear coating and the inside of the banner fabric are acting like velcro!

Anyone have a suggestion?

Ken Fitzgerald
03-01-2008, 8:55 PM
Joe,

If you are going to do a lot of those, you might want to go to an electrical supply place and pickup a fiberglass wire "Snake" or fish tape. Run it through the sign, tape the wire rope to it using electrical tape and pull the wire rope through.

Howard Garner
03-01-2008, 9:14 PM
Fiberglass poles that are about 5 ft and screw together are also available in the electrical departments. May need to go to a wire and cable specialist.

Howard Garner
Versa Laser VL300, X3

Joe Pelonio
03-01-2008, 9:52 PM
Both good suggestions, and yes, I'll probably have to do more of them. I have to have it done by 9am Monday so it will have to be what I can find at the borg.

My wife called and I asked her opinion, she suggested Pam cooking spray but that would be messy.

Thanks.

jack Halley
03-01-2008, 11:12 PM
Joe-
What about a piece of PVC pipe
put it through the banner then put the cable through the pipe?
I don't know the sizes so I'm really guessing
just thinkin--

Jack Halley

----------------------------------------------------------
Pinnacle 30w

Joe Pelonio
03-01-2008, 11:18 PM
Yes, I think 1/2" would fit but I don't think I can get it that long and a sleeve might make it too tight. Maybe conduit. I'll see what I find tomorrow.

Darren Null
03-01-2008, 11:49 PM
Do you know a plumber? He may well have the screw-together fiberglass poles for cleaning drains with...that'd do it. Chimneysweep?

...Or...if you have kids, a small toy car taped to the wire every foot or so ought to increase the 'runability' of the cable on a hard flat surface.

If you have a remote control car that'd fit in the sleeve, you could run a light bit of string through, attach & pull through.

Bamboo sticks from the garden taped together? Or anything stick like. Even if you haven't got one long enough, you may be able to 'wrinkle' the sleeve back far enough for the ends to show through. Then attach cable & pull through. Curtain poles?

Extendible fishing pole/rod?

Something roundish you could work through the sleeve. A yo-yo with extra string attached would be ideal.

I notice in the photo that the cable is curling to the right. Sticking in the seam? Maybe the other way up would be easier?.

Or poke a hole in a ping-pong ball and shove the end of the cable in to give you a runner for the end.

AL Ursich
03-02-2008, 3:22 AM
I am in favor of the 1/2 inch PVC.... through the fold over and the cable through the PVC..... Then remove the PVC.

Just my 2 cents....

AL

Mike Null
03-02-2008, 6:14 AM
Joe

I would use the electricians fish tape as earlier suggested. It's cheap, compact and can be used for a number of nasty little jobs.

Peter Meacham
03-02-2008, 11:00 AM
Joe

I would just drop a "fish line" with a weight on it - a heavy nut or bolt - down through the channel and then tie the cable to the fish line and pull it through.

Pete

Joe Pelonio
03-02-2008, 5:15 PM
Peter, that would work well but remember it's 25 feet long, even from the roof I won't have enough drop.

It's all done. I'm going to hit the electrical supply for a snake before I do this again. Before we left this morning to go look at pipe and conduit my wife really wanted me to try the Pam spray. On the first run it went to about 18' then stuck again. I stuck an 8' piece of wood screen door molding I had in the other end to open up the channel and it popped through the rest of the way.

On the other one, I barely made it 15' and it stuck, even the wood was not going to help so I cheated (Shhhhhh!) and cut a slit, pulled it out until my loop at the first end hit, then placed it back into the same slit and shoved it easily through the rest of the way. Patched up the slit so no one would notice.

Bart Walchuk
03-13-2008, 4:36 AM
Two things we do, (1) make a small ball out of tape, tie on small line and vacuum through. (2) Use washer, nut, nail, key ring or whatever, attach fish line and drag a strong earth magnet over canvas. I use this method most often.

I know I'm late but it may help you later.

Cheers, Bart