Cable tie tool

[GeoffSmith]

Single handed tighten and cut...

[Specky]

The most useless tool invented

A bit like communism, good in theory, but terrible in practice.

What did you think of em Geoffers?

TTFN

[GeoffSmith]

Mine's an old RS one and it works a treat if the tension is set correctly. Shouldn't have bought yours from Poundland Dave.

[inkitin]

I think what we really need is a "Tool Fetishers" thread!

[nicowalker1]

These are designed for use with steel tie wraps which are nearly impossible to get tight by hand without slicing fingers!

[RichardK]

I use mine on plastic tie wraps, I think it's about 20 years old, came with my electronic's test case I got given when I started my first job. Definately out of an RS catalogue, it's all in setting the tension.

[abmunro]

We have sparkies to do this!

See Below

Sparky v Instrument Tech

[Jeemy]

Bit jaded to find most of whats on the internet funny, but that had me in stitches mate.

[cliff]

The most useless tool invented

Brilliant piece of kit. Try doing wiring installs on large aircraft without it, after 30 minutes you would be in the stores begging for one.

We have sparkies to do this!

See Below

Sparky v Instrument Tech

Superb, I trained as electrical/instruments before going to the dark side of engine & airframe, reminds me of more than a few people.

So does this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jyCoq_IQFGw

[rip]

The most useless tool invented

Brilliant piece of kit. Try doing wiring installs on large aircraft without it, after 30 minutes you would be in the stores begging for one.

I think Specky may have tried that. He is an RAF helicopter engineer.

[Specky]

Rip... You picked up on my sarcasm

My take on things is somewhat different and these are my observations after nearly 30 years in the aviation game.

The tools themselves are huge in comparison to the areas which you normally have to gain access. On the vast majority of aircraft types I'd give most people 30 seconds of thinking there's just no way to get that contraption into a specific area, use it correctly, within a given timescale and without inducing more damage...but I could gain access by hand and complete the task satisfactorily and meet all the a for mention critiria.

Saying that if someone was manufacturing wiring looms "off aircraft" they may serve a useful purpose, but I think any old school pinkies or greenies would love Ty-wraps as opposed to Dacron string. I've just completed four years on wide body aircraft and the exact same tools which Geoff posted are the very tools which sit in the tool issue centre gathering dust. I've seen the Ty-wrap guns all over the place in the first and second line environment, but no matter whether it was a fast jet, passenger, wide body or rotary aircraft they are rarely used. I could tow the "EWIS line" and say this is how we do it every time, but that would be a blatant lie, in my opinion most people don't know what the tool is, most engineers don't know what the tool is, most electricians/avionics tradesman wouldn't even know where to find the correct settings for the gun depending on the composition of the wiring looms.

... Just my take on things

TTFN