Hot Rods '40s equivilent of zip ties for wiring

What was used in the forties for keeping wires together. Or am I wrong in that it was all in black loom cover.
Cheers,
Stewart.

 

Same as some smoke now. Hemp. Jack E/NJ

 

I used some friction tape on my coupe along with some of the traditional black loom. It at least looks more antique than a zip tie or plastic electrical tape.


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Laced wiring is about as classy as it gets, whether it's in a hot rod or airplane.

Lynn

 

There wasn't anything like zip ties in the 40s.

but in the early 60s they used these on a few cars, they are aluminum.



OEM wiring used metal clamps, usually screwed in place, and usually had cloth loom over the wires. The lacing twine thing was what the high zoot guys did, probably picked it up from military service, as it was used in aircraft and electronics.

 

https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/wiring-tricks-for-your-hot-rod.979696/page-3
http://www.dairiki.org/hammond/cable-lacing-howto/

 

Not exactly how we used to lace telephone cables, but pretty close........................

 

Lacing always looks clean.

 

I worked a Power house built in the 50s . Miles of wiring , every inch was hand laced and lacqured . It was a work of art to look at .

 

Stewart,

Have a look at the stuff I used on my roadster. It came from O’Reilly.

Chuck

 

I never saw the string tie stuff on a hot rod in the 50's or 60's.
Wiring was often less tidy than what we see today.

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Beautiful. About an inch a minute. Patience.

 

All of the electrical panels in the place that I worked in had the wires neatly tied like in choffmans post. They are a thing of beauty and a lost art.

 

I was an aircraft electrician in the 60's and the first position I held was in the wire fabrication shop making the harnesses with plug ends and tied lacing that would eventually go down to the hanger to be installed on aircraft. After a month or so in that shop I went down to the hanger and started installing these harnesses. It was part of routine service. It was Lockheed Air Service at Kennedy Airport in NY.

Pat

 

I laced the wiring in the coupe I'm building but worked in the electric industry and did it that way in the early 70's when I started. The company I worked for wouldn't let us use zip ties when I started, didn't like the sharp ends in confined areas.

 

I recall them also being in brass from the very few that I've opened under 50's Chevy's.

 

Squirrel is Spot on as for O.E. Factory way. Even the early Show Rods were not all that well done. The basic complete harness hung off there terminal posts and the main loom unit was hung on a half round metal tab mounted off a stationary post generally mounting the gauge cluster into the dash and not many of those.
The Wizzard

 

^^^^^ Exactly. They held the harness in place rather than used to bundle wires.

 

You got that right, building a hot rod or custom in the early days fit & finish wasn't high priority, getting the car on the road was job number one.

Today, even the average guy does a far superior wiring job than what was seen in the 40's & 50's. HRP

 

I have seen the metal ones squirrel posted on early Chevys -still have a bundle here somewhere-my 57 Fuely had them on the harness when I got it in 76. Replaced some when we restored it in 2005

 

Lacing is a lot like trussing a roast.

 

You could do a single stitch like the roast above and it would go a lot faster. The roast, however doesn't have a "locking stitch", where the twine goes UNDER the loop and lock in place - like the guy in the video I posted above. If you don't use a locking stitch, the minute you let go of the tension - it all gets loose.

 

found this somewhere and saved it.

 

Just starting on an early '40s era modified. Don't want it trick or too clever, but something an average guy would have built in his dirt floored single stall wooden garage,
Whilst I love the look of laced wiring, and I'm sure I could manage it eventually, I'm in agreement that it would only be the "high zoot cars' (what a great definition!) would have it. So I'm still not sure what to do. Grrrr.
Cheers,
Stewart.

 

Having made many laced looms for aircraft engines, they are easy to do because they are laid out on a board which is easy to get to, and you follow the manual to the letter, so there is no real "thinking" to be done, just assembly.
When you install it, it is the correct length with all the right connectors and mounting clips, so it attaches easily, and rarely has to be repaired or modified.
It's a different thing with a car, you really need to plan it well, lots of measuring, and most times you are trying to lace upside down on your back, in the dark. Then if you need to add or modify, you need to unlace or cut, and re-do.
Just something to consider before you start. I have never built a car which has not had it's electrical system modified or added on to later in it's life.
Cable ties or loom tape are easier, lacing looks better.

 

I can still remember my first Model A Coupe, that would be around 1960 + or - a few. I bought a new roll of Black electrical tape, gathered up all those different colors of wire and wrapped everything into one big Black unit. Nobody laughed, pointed or asked anything. It was just done and lasted years till the Coupe moved on. May still be that way. Wasn't the only one I did like that.
The Wizzard

 

that is the way to go, for a 1960ish build.

I wonder what tape was available in the 40s? Friction tape?

 

I just went to http://www.riwire.com/Catalogs/sup/pages/supplies.htm being that's where I buy a lot of loose vintage electrical stuff to see what they have listed. Nothing at all not even friction tape and I know it's been around longer than me. What I don't like about Friction tape is that it's sticky on both sides and eventually turns brown from dust.
The Wizzard

 

Yes, that seems to be the issue. What was available in the '40s? Was it a case that it was just cobbled together with tape where needed. I accept that wiring would have been the last thing to do and may have been rushed in the urgency to hear it fire up, but there were some nicer cars as well, not necessarily show cars as there weren't shows yet. There has to have been something that was just well put together though. I've looked through a lot of books ( Don Montgomery etc.) but can't find any good quality close ups. Very few of the pictures we have from that era were taken by professional photographers or with expensive cameras. Most were snap shots taken with a simple camera.
The hunt continues. Thanks for all the input guys.
Cheers,
Stewart.