New cable ties not as stiff as last batch

[gem]

I just bought a new package of cable ties, and I noticed that our Home Depot now carries a different brand than when I bought my last bag.  When I first cut some, I thought they seemed a little more flexible than the last batch... and they *definitely* seemed less stiff in the bodice mockup I'm making.

So to test this (officially, of course, with very carefully calibrated, standardized testing equipment LOL) I handed two cut pieces to Milord and asked him if he thought one was stiffer.  He bent both and immediately handed me back the old one.  "Much stiffer," he said.

So. Pox, for one thing (but I think I have enough of the old to handle this bodice, and the new can be used where stiffening, but not support, is necessary), but this was mainly just an observation.  I've seen people remark that they didn't find cable ties supportive enough, and I've always wondered about that.  Well, this would explain it!!

FYI, my "good" cable ties are Malco brand, product # TY34 (175 lb tensile strength! LOL)
My "bad" ties are Commercial Electric brand, and they come in a package with a green label.  They might be good enough for very light support, but otherwise, they're just way too flexible.

(Interestingly enough, I just checked the Home Depot website, and they CLAIM that my local store has the Malco brand! Where's the Evil Eye smiley when you need it?!)

[Kate XXXXXX]

So much depends on brand and size bought, I think.  I have some to experiment with.  To get the same support as I do from my polyester whalebone replacement boning, I need cable ties if about three times the bulk.

[FortuneRose]

I got the green label ones and thought they seemed really flimsy.  I had never used them in the past, though, so I thought "well...everyone claims this is the way to go!"  Now I see that the new ones they decided to carry just aren't cutting in in comparison to the ones you all had been talking about

[gracefulcarrie]

I found this problem too!

I thought maybe I had just picked up a wrong batch.  I ended up doubling up the more flimsy one and they worked alright, but the old cable ties were much better!

I did however find a batch recently that I think are closer to my first bag.  They may not be perfect but they are much better than the ones I had to double up.

It is strange because it seems like Home Depot changes what they carry willy nilly.  Sometimes they have the right cable ties and other times they don't... even at the same Home Depot. Consistency would be nice.

[Lady Kathleen of Olmsted]

Here are some suggestions  when buying cable ties for boning...


1) Buy them from the same place as possible.

2) Buy the same brand all the time. Maybe buy several packages to have enough on hand. Sometimes Home Depot or Lowes change suppliers.

3) Save the package they came in for future referrence.

I had the same issue come up when I had sent M'Lord out to get me Cable Ties a few months back. He bought the short flimsy ones, when I wrote down on paper that they came in a  package of 6, were 34" long, found in the Industrial Plumbing section at Menards.

Men!!! 

[Aaroncois]

Wow, I had no idea you could use cable ties as boning. That's cool!

[tigrlily64]

I went looking for cable ties the other day, but I didn't end up buying any because they didn't seem stiff enough...Maybe I was looking at the bad brand.  I have no idea what the brand was, or what the label looked like.  It was my first time making a bodice and using cable ties, so I thought maybe I'd gotten the name wrong.  This would explain it, though.

[Blue66669]

LOL, at this time, I'm ashamed to say that I'm employed by Home Depot....

[PrincessSara]

Oh noes!!  I didn't know about brand differences - I got some in Home Depot, the brand is Marr by Thomas&Betts.  Are these any good?

What brands are the best?  I need something that can reasonably hold me up but not be so stiff as spring steel, which I found really uncomfortable to wear.

[CapnFayeCutler]

I use Fastenal 42" Natural color cable ties. 175lb Tensile Strength. They come 25 to a bundle/pack. The website lists them at 14.50ish a pack, but I don't remember paying that much. :\

But! They also have 200lb Tensile Strength. Woo!

[Baroness de Vale]

I have never had any luck with our local Home Depot or Lowes for cable ties that were stiff enough. They always seemed to flimsy to me. Then I checked out CT Tractor Supply and theirs were great. I don't remember how much I paid for them but I bought them out the last time I was there. So if you can't find them at the hardware store, try out the local farm supply stores. They may have what you need.

[Lady Rebecca]

I just went to Home Depot on Monday to pick up some cable ties, and when I asked where their biggest one was, the guy showed me to the plumbing department. They had really big ones, 25 to a pack, that came in 36" or 48" lengths. I was kind of curious, since those were the only ones there, and went looking for the other ones they had. I found them in the electrical dept, and they did seem a bit thinner. (I bought the plumbing ones) Is it possible they've just switched them up?

I've never bought from Home Depot before, though. In OKC, I go to Lowes.

[FortuneRose]

I have never had any luck with our local Home Depot or Lowes for cable ties that were stiff enough. They always seemed to flimsy to me. Then I checked out CT Tractor Supply and theirs were great. I don't remember how much I paid for them but I bought them out the last time I was there. So if you can't find them at the hardware store, try out the local farm supply stores. They may have what you need.

I didn't even think about going there!  We have a tractor supply store just a couple miles down the road!   I'll have to go there!

[Lady Rosalind]

I just went to Home Depot on Monday to pick up some cable ties, and when I asked where their biggest one was, the guy showed me to the plumbing department. They had really big ones, 25 to a pack, that came in 36" or 48" lengths. I was kind of curious, since those were the only ones there, and went looking for the other ones they had. I found them in the electrical dept, and they did seem a bit thinner. (I bought the plumbing ones) Is it possible they've just switched them up?

I've never bought from Home Depot before, though. In OKC, I go to Lowes.

The plumbing ones are the best! 3/8 inch wide, 36 long, and I think they are 1/16" thick. I'm on my third package, and they are all from Lowe's. Anything thinner is not really going to support much. I'll have to check the brand.

[gem]

The plumbing ones are the best! 3/8 inch wide, 36 long, and I think they are 1/16" thick. I'm on my third package, and they are all from Lowe's. Anything thinner is not really going to support much. I'll have to check the brand.

The problem, though, is that they can LOOK identical--same size and thickness--and yet not be as strong/stiff.  My new cable ties look exactly like my old ones.  There's no way to tell until you actually compare them, short length to short length.  And to compound the problem, a 36" cable tie is *really* flexible, so it wasn't until I'd cut mine down and compared them to previous cut lengths (or remnants) that I could really tell the difference.