[Guide] Make and sleeve your own extension cables!

[Crys1s_Gam3r]

I originally posted this in the EVGA forums, but I though some of you might appreciate it. So without further rambling here's the stuff you'll need:

Materials:

- 18 AWG stranded wire

- Molex male/female pins for Mini-Fit Jr. receptacle housings (aka "ATX pins")

- Molex Mini-Fit Jr. housings (aka "ATX connectors")

- 1/8" or 3/16" cable sleeve

- 1/4" heat shrink (with at least 3:1 shrink ratio)


Equipment:

- Wire cutter/stripper ($5-$15)

- Molex Mini-Fit Jr crimper ($20-$50)

- Heat gun ($20)

- Lighter ($2-$6)

- Scissors (dont go cheap... get a nice $5 pair )
- Xacto knife (a kit goes for about $15)


For the sake of this guide, we'll be doing a 12" 6pin PCIe extension. You can apply the techniques in this to all the extensions with Mini-Fit Jr connectors (24pin, 8pin, 6+2pin, 6pin).

Start off by cutting the wire at 12" intervals. When they're all cut, find the shortest wire and cut them all to be exactly that length. Even the slightest variation in wire length will make one appear to "bulge", so it's best to make sure they are even while it's still easy to adjust.



Next, strip off exactly 3mm on each end of each wire.




When that's done, it's time to get out your crimper. Different people have different crimping methods, this is mine: First, put the female pin face up in the crimper, and close it until it clicks once. This will hold the pin in place, freeing up your other hand. If you used wire from a spool, you'll notice that it forms a "C" when cut.



Take the top end of the C (I'll explain why later) and insert it as far as it goes into the pin in the crimper. Finish closing the crimper until it opens. It should come out something like this:



Then insert the male pin face up into the crimper, and close to hold it in place. Then grab the bottom end of the C (if the already crimped pin is face up, this bottom end should have no pin), and insert it flat into the crimper. It's important the the already-crimped pin is facing up while you crimp this pin. Otherwise the wire would have to twist from one connector to the other.

When all the wires have been crimped, you should have this:



There are plenty of sleeving guides online so I'll just post a quick picture guide of the process:







If you used an accent color, insert the female pin side into the male connector. Then find another that has exactly the same distance from the end of the heatshrink to the end of the sleeving. Insert it into a spot next to the accent color.



Continue around the connector in the same fashion. This will ensure the "heatshrinks" are even. Insert the opposite ends into their corresponding spots on the other connector, and you're done! Well, almost. If the heatshrink-evenness is still less than satisfactory, take an Xacto knife and carefully cut a small ring off the end of the heatshrink. Using the lighter, flick it over the cut part to make it less gray.

It now should look something like this:




Emphasis on having even heatshrink is obviously on the male end of the cable. Unfortunately, this may lead to the other end having not-so-even heatshrinks. This happened to mine:



If you're unhappy with it (although this is the end you don't see) - use some big heatshrink over the connector itself to cover up the unevenness. Like so:




Now - perfection:



I hope you found this guide useful, or at least somewhat interesting. Any and all feedback is appreciated, and if you have any questions don't hesitate to ask!

[Loosenut]

Welcome to TPU Crys1s Gam3r

Nice easily understandable guide, even I could follow.

[Crys1s_Gam3r]

Thank you sir!

[Loosenut]

Originally Posted by Crys1s_Gam3r

Thank you sir!

Don't call me sir, I work for a living

[Crys1s_Gam3r]

Hehe

This feature where the replies pop up without refreshing the page is pretty awesome BTW.

[Loosenut]

Originally Posted by Crys1s_Gam3r

Hehe

This feature where the replies pop up without refreshing the page is pretty awesome BTW.

A lot of nice and good people here to help you if you ever need it too

Would you be able to post links to some places where you can find all the connector, wires and what not?

[MRCL]

Nice guide, you seem to know your stuff man.

[Fitseries3]

Originally Posted by Loosenut

A lot of nice and good people here to help you if you ever need it too

Would you be able to post links to some places where you can find all the connector, wires and what not?

he sells all this stuff i believe.

[sneekypeet]

Originally Posted by Fitseries3

he sells all this stuff i believe.

What do you mean by that, like he owns his own PC shop?

[erocker]

Originally Posted by Loosenut

Would you be able to post links to some places where you can find all the connector, wires and what not?

Any large chain hardware store carries all of this stuff.

[Fitseries3]

Originally Posted by sneekypeet

What do you mean by that, like he owns his own PC shop?

he buys in bulk and makes cables.

i recently bought some sleeving from him for my megarig. great stuff.

[sneekypeet]

Ahhh, I thought he had access to all the cool toys

Nice guide. How closely to a Gigabyte blue PCB is your light blue color?

[Fitseries3]

i believe its all MDPC-X stuff.

any color they have he can get.

i ordered more black sleeve and im thinking about getting some red

i've talked to him about shortening my modular pcie cables since i have so many of them.

[sneekypeet]

I was kicking the idea around for like a 6" 24-pin in alternating blue and white for my UD7 that shows up tomorrow

[Crys1s_Gam3r]

Originally Posted by Loosenut

A lot of nice and good people here to help you if you ever need it too

Would you be able to post links to some places where you can find all the connector, wires and what not?

Thanks,

Wire from conwire.com
Connectors from AC Ryan
Pins at Newark, molex part # 39000038 and 39000040
Sleeve and heatshrink from MDPC-x.com. I tried to organize a group buy seeing as I'm ordering from there again soon, but it was deleted within 5 mins of posting.

Or you could PM me for some, as fits has done.

Originally Posted by MRCL

Nice guide, you seem to know your stuff man.

Thanks man

Originally Posted by sneekypeet

Ahhh, I thought he had access to all the cool toys

Nice guide. How closely to a Gigabyte blue PCB is your light blue color?

I wish. I'm not sure about the Gigabyte boards, but I will post a pic soon of the sleeve next to jeans and other blue items for reference.

Originally Posted by sneekypeet

I was kicking the idea around for like a 6" 24-pin in alternating blue and white for my UD7 that shows up tomorrow

I'll reply to your PM when I finish typing this.

[Polarman]

Good guide. But this would be better in the modding section i believe.

[Duffman]

Neat guide. I could have used this if i hadn't bought my new case.

[kenkickr]

Very nice guide. If your looking for some nice sleeving at a hell of a price check this Ebayer out. I've dealt with him several times.

[Crys1s_Gam3r]

Thanks Duffman and kenkickr.

Kenkickr: PET is good, but IMO it doesn't get any better than MDPC.

[mlee49]

Sticky Request!!!!


Needs links where we can buy the sleeving and accessories.

[kenkickr]

Originally Posted by Crys1s_Gam3r

Thanks Duffman and kenkickr.

Kenkickr: PET is good, but IMO it doesn't get any better than MDPC.

I agree with you but I know around here MDPC sleeving is EXPENSIVE! Don't make me re-sleeve my Corsair again J/K

[AthlonX2]

simply amazing crysis,i think im going to give it a shot sometime in the future

[assaulter_99]

Nice and easy guide. I might try this but I have to add that this looks like a daunting challenge.

[sneekypeet]

All I can say is his work is amazing. I had talked with Crys1s a bit and we came to a quick agreement, and here is what he produced for me, a completley one off 24-pin extension for my GA P55 UD7. Have a look....




I think its going to look spot on in my rig...cant wait to get it Crys1s!

[Fitseries3]

SS 396 mofo!!!

hawt sheet