Winch cable?

[slugzracing]

Ok before someone gets pissy and says use the search button I did, and I wasted 2 hours of study time (hehe) reading through a crapload of topics on winches I have not yet found what people like to use for their cable. I will probably be using a servo since I have a 6 channel radio that is not being fully utilized and I would like to have a decent length of cable to play with. Would a high test fishing line work or is there something better?

[skid]

Kite string? May not be better, but another option.

[TwistedCreations]

Call Scott over at Rockstomper, he will hook ya up with some synthetic rope. It's da bomb ;)

[AdamF]

Maybe some thin bailing wire? A cheap necklace?

[RSI]

i use 30lb fishing line

[sean_lv_crawler]

i use same ^

[badger]

I got the smallest ID of twine/rope from Home Depot and it works great. Strong as shit and I can spool on about 20 ft.

[Grizzly4x4]

Yeah, I use the small yellow Nylon twine from Ace Hardware.

[BoilermakerFan]

Look for braided fishing line. It's called Spyder or Spectra. 80lb test will be more than enough.

[badger]

Originally Posted by BoilermakerFan

Look for braided fishing line. It's called Spyder or Spectra. 80lb test will be more than enough.

Have you actually used fishing line though? I would think that if you don't keep the line tight you will get a huge tangled mess.

[BoilermakerFan]

Originally Posted by badger

Have you actually used fishing line though? I would think that if you don't keep the line tight you will get a huge tangled mess.

It's not monofilament so it doesn't have a memory and want to tangle. It's basically thin, really fawking strong, braided string. The Spyder wire is made from one of the polymers used to make bulletproof vests, but it's not Kevlar. Kevlar is too abrassion resistant and will actually cut through most other plastics and it will wear the hell out of an aluminum pulley.

I use the Spectra on my r/c sailboats for the lines without tangles.

Now, if you don't keep the line tight, it could slip off the pulley and catch on something else on the rig, but it wouldn't make a tangled mess.

I'm working on a winch, once I get it done, I'll use this stuff for the line and let you guys know how it works...

[Ace]

Boiler,

Where did you get the Spectra line? I've used it in tooling at work but I thought it was really expensive...

[Grizzly4x4]

http://www.alltackle.com/power_pro.htm

This stuff?

[TwistedCreations]

Spiderwire would work too, that stuff is strong

[Grizzly4x4]

Originally Posted by TwistedCreations

Spiderwire would work too, that stuff is strong

Hmmm, I've heard of spiderwire. I was worried about it unraveling like Badger said.

I tink I'll try it.

[skate]

dont use spiderwire use power pro it is much stronger. i have been fishing with power pro for 3 years and it has never unraveled.

http://cabelas.com/cabelas/en/templa...166&hasJS=true

[BoilermakerFan]

Weird, I never received notification that there were new posts...

Oh well. Yes, PowerPro or any of the Spectra based lines. Mine is Tuff Stuff or something like that. Bought it up in MN when I lived up there. I have 80-lb test, but the 250-lb looks interesting...

I've never had unravel either, but I'm not draging mine over rocks, yet. Just touch the ends with thin CA to hold them together. If it became really worn through abrasion, just strip it off and wind on new line. Heck, you'll have 150 yards of the the stuff!

Skate and Griz, thanks for the PowerPro links. I'll grab it off Cabela's when I order a few other goodies for camping.

[rckjeep]

great thread, useful info and no BS. well except this post.

[gemiller]

Did anyone ever try picture hanging wire, it seems like it would work like a real winch cable(having the capability to put real ends since its a wire) and will look way more realistic and is only like 1.50 for 50 feet.