Cable guide thing?

[Stormin Norm]

So my cable management is a bit tricky because this is a really cheap ebay engraver I bought. 

Does anyone know what the guide 'chain" for the wires is called?  The wire goes through the middle of it, and it rolls and unrolls up and down the table while the engraver is moving.  Looks like a plastic motorcycle drive chain, haha.  I can't seem to find what it is supposed to be called.

Figured I'd try to buy one off ebay to pimp my ride.

[Stormin Norm]

Grrrrrr, I looked for 30 minutes and of course, as soon as I posted the question, I found it a couple min later.

It's a drag chain.

[ggallant571]

I use a piece of 14 gauge copper wire. One end is bolted to the frame. The other loosely holds the suspended wire. Looks ugly and needs a manual yank every 6 months or so. If you are successful with the drag chain please post a picture.

[Zax]

Cable chains or drag chain, I use them on my CNC but not for the laser. I use plastic cable wrap on the laser and it seems to do the job.

[Stormin Norm]

The problem I have is that the cables are JUST long enough to reach when the machine is in the 0,0 position, farthest away from the control board.

So I probably have to get longer cables (Or, make longer, I do have 4 wire security cable) Then have it run through the drag chain, or whatever.  I've already made a hanger out of 1/8" metal rod, but the wires will reach the far end, then get in the way of the x axis slider when it goes to the far back of the work area.  I just need to get the side wires out of the way.

[Zax]

Did you put the cables in the extrusion slots and cover with the plastic strip? That does a great job for Y-axis.

[Stormin Norm]

Do you have a picture as an example?

[Zax]

Not the best picture but I think you'll get the idea, it's a U-shaped plastic strip that's usually provided to hold the wires in the extrusion.

[Stormin Norm]

I don't think that would work for my setup... I have a couple drag chains on the way that I'll be incorporating into my setup though.

[ThothLoki]

I use drag chain and it works out well for me

[ggallant571]

Is the blower to remove the char? How does it preform?

[Stormin Norm]

Nice drag chain setup, and I like the cable bundle on top... I'll have to incorporate that also.

Thanks for the pic!  Can you take another pic of the side of the drag chain? I want to see how you connected it up...

Norm

[ThothLoki]

Is the blower to remove the char? How does it preform?

That one does not remove char. Just blows smoke away from the lens. I have an air compressor air assist I attached when cutting.

Nice drag chain setup, and I like the cable bundle on top... I'll have to incorporate that also.

Thanks for the pic!  Can you take another pic of the side of the drag chain? I want to see how you connected it up...

Norm

I will get a pic later tonight. I made my own mount for it a while ago when all I knew was tinkercad.

[ThothLoki]

Here you go

[Stormin Norm]

Here you go

Awesome, thanks! My drag chains I've ordered don't have the nice mounting pieces on the ends, so I'm going to have to be a bit more custom, but that gives me ideas.