How To Tell A Loved One They're Coiling Cables Wrong

In the industry it's called 'paging.'

For multiple cable bunches it's difficult to not page (or figure 8) them.

When gathering cables during a pull, you need to figure 8 them on the ground, then flip the 8 over to feed from the bottom to the next destination.

(Or, zip tie the top, middle and bottom of the 8, and store until you're ready for the next phase.)

And if you need to pull one; pull a spare and a string. Wire labels are a must!

The elbow-hand thing barely works for rope.
 
I couldn't coil any kind of cable or rope to save my own life.

If ISIS stuck me in a room and told me I had to coil 100 cables or die I'd just beg them to blow me up
 
Simple. Let it fail at their most embarrassing moment. I was a soundman for a band and they kept wrapping up mic. cables like they were extension cords, around their arms. I warned them about that but they didn't listen. One night, in the middle of a song, the mic. cable shield broke, leading to a horrendous hum being broadcast into the hall. i later taught them all how to do it.
 
If the inner core is right hand lay then you coil clockwise if it’s a left hand lay counter clockwise.

Uh, how exactly do you know how the inner core is wound? In any of these for example:

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You don’t and either end will result in the same direction of the lay, this doesn’t change with whatever hand or end your holding. I was more or less kidding, when coiling wire cable the above mentioned technic is the proper way to not add stress on the cables. The same applies to rope or anything where the fibers/strands are manufactured in a certain direction.
 
As someone who can hopelessly tangle up a 1.5ft interconnect it seems that I need to watch a few videos.
 
I followed the link but did not see the instructions (maybe covered up by ads on my phone). Can someone summarize?
 
Bunch of videos on YouTube.

https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=over+under+cable+coil

I actually haven't mastered the over-under technique, but this guy:


talks about, as you're coiling, if you run into a weird twist where the cable doesn't want to lie down correctly, roll it in your fingers till it feels right, i.e. the twist is gone. That's what I do, and even w/o doing over-under, it is a much better way to treat cables.
 
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Mine are writhing like snakes.

Like this..
Indeed. I have a drawer full of them. I have to yank out all 25 of em to find the one I need.
 

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You only have one drawer? I have mine in plastic shoe-box sized bins sorted by type, each one tied with a twisty tie. Why so many? I hardly ever throw things away, that's why. Never have to untangle if you take care of them right, though.
 
If the inner core is right hand lay then you coil clockwise if it’s a left hand lay counter clockwise.

Not many sailors around. Coiling cables is the same as coiling line (or rope if you must).

"Worm and parcel with the lay. Turn and serve the other way."
 
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