How do you store test leads in your workshop?

[yestertech]

Not vintage agreed, but not sure which section to post this in !

I'm looking for a neat solution to hang a number of test/patch leads adjacent to to my bench.
I have a reasonable vertical drop for the likes of longish IEC , XLR and speaker cables but these are quite thick so need sturdy 'hooks' to hang from.
I also need something less meaty to hang shorter hook up cables for example croc leads and wander/banana plug leads.
I've not been very taken so far with what's available commercially.

Any ideas , including DIY gratefully received.


Andy

[GrimJosef]

I've got a horizontal slat - roughly 1.5m length of something like 18mm x 69mm screwed horizontally to the wall. There are two rows of woodscrews screwed part way into it with the screws in the upper row centred over the gaps between the screws in the lower row. I just loop the leads over the upper screws and the dangling lengths are kept apart from one another by the screws in the lower row.

I was slightly concerned that the threads on the protruding sections of the screws might be sharp enough to nick the cable sheaths. But two coats of thick white gloss over the screws and wood dealt with that.

The screw spacing sets the bend radius of the leads. It needs to be larger for IEEE488 leads than for, say, extraflex meter leads obviously.

Cheers,

GJ

[fetteler]

I store mine in the traditional BBC 80s/90s style, on an old 2 inch VT spool.

I love it.

Steve.

PS, Thinking about it our colleagues over in Radio might not have done this so much...

[Andrewausfa]

One of those Pomona finger rack things. I need another.

Andrew

[duncanlowe]

I have a mixture. For 4mm leads and other thinner stuff I have a test lead rack. Adjustable gap between the fingers. For IEC and thicker AV leads I have aluminium coat hooks. For USB leads I have a long bar towel hanger that I had left over from the kitchen, on the back of the door.

[duncanlowe]

Edit: this is the test lead rack, certainly not cheap any more (mine is donkeys old), but available from a number of places.
https://uk.rs-online.com/web/p/test-lead-racks/6684597

[chriswood1900]

I use one of these https://www.rapidonline.com/Voltcraf...-51-5249:dev-c and the less used ones go in a storage box.

[G4_Pete]

GrimJosef

I was slightly concerned that the threads on the protruding sections of the screws might be sharp enough to nick the cable sheaths.

Another method instead of paint was to put tough sleaving on the protruding part of the screws. I used co-ax cable outer cover.

Pete

[Herald1360]

Don't old style(?), traditional at any rate, woodscrew have a length of plain shank at the head end? Like a bolt rather than a setscrew.

[Herald1360]

I found these:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/403247909370

to be handy for lighter weight test leads and seriously cheap compared with "proper" cable racks!

[kalee20]

I use a pair of coathook strips.

[joebog1]

Some good ideas here. I use a piece of aluminium angle with slots cut in. For thin leads ( clip leads etc)
Two hack saw blades wide cut ( Just stick two blades side by side in your saw frame and cut ).
Thicker leads, CRO, heavy current multimeter, power supply leads, FOUR hacksaw blades in the saw frame.
The slots can be any width apart as you require for different widths/thicknesses of leads.
Hang it at "eye level" so you can easily identify what lead you actually have.
Nice thing is the lead hangs straight down towards the floor, so it's dead straight and not all bitter and twisted when you need it/them.
Cost?? nothing if you have a bit of angle laying about. Yes, needs a little filing to get rid of burrs, but after 50 years of using them it's perfect.

Mains leads and coat racks works fine, but the OP has asked for "test lead " fixtures.

Joe

[FrankB]

I have a Pomona rack, which is quite nice. I needed more space, so I took a piece of "L" aluminum and a hand nibbler and cut slots/ "fingers" for my leads. It has held up pretty good for over 40 years of use. (And a heck of a lot cheaper than the Pomona rack too!).
I suspect one could do a nicer job with a table or band saw to cut the slots. Be sure to leave the bend intact to give more strength.

[Diabolical Artificer]

I use an old metal tube rail hung horizontally up near the roof, then leads are dangled over it and from hooks made of 2.5mm mains/earth wire. I also nail 4" nails into various bits of the workshop for extra hooks/pegs.

Andy.

[G.Castle]

Like Grim Josephs method, but with a row of drawer knobs on a board instead of screws, saves the leads getting badly kinked.

[yestertech]

Wow ! - some great ideas here - thanks to everyone who's posted.

Andy

[CambridgeWorks]

Slotted cable trunking without using the cap. Type often used in equipment racks. Unfortunatey, likes of RS sell in 4 x 2M length.
https://uk.rs-online.com/web/p/cable-trunkings/7589260

I also use some along the edge of my shelves to interconnect test gear more tidily.
Rob

[Refugee]

I use cut down meat hooks.
I cut one end down to give a bit that can be drilled into wood. A good cutting tool is needed for stainless ones.
I then fix to wood with fencing staples.

[Heatercathodeshort]

Maybe not the neatest way but I know where everything is! One rack for mains leads and another for jump leads and oddball link plug/sockets. I have tried the tidy way and it only lasts a week. John.

I just chuck them in a box, I do not coil them up beforehand, all that does is encourage knots. I learned that trick from a roadie.