Cannibalizing LAN cables for wire, a bad idea?

[David]

If you work with computers you can end up with a lot of extra patch cables, including, often enough, some extra long cables that at one time or another where used for a silly hookup. All these cables tend to get clumbed up in a bin somewhere collecting dust.

We've talked about using Cat5 cable for a DCC bus before, is it a crazy/stupid idea to cut open the jacket and cannibalize the individual (24, 26 gauge?) wires for use in decoder installs, turn out controls and last mile wiring? Or does this create more problems then just buying a clean spool of wire at a known gauge?

[KenS]

I don't think there would be a problem, as long as you can get the outer jacket off without damaging the small wires. All an Ethernet cable is, is a set of small gauge wires twisted in pairs, then wrapped in an outer jacket, sometimes with a layer of shielding. Take that off, and you've got ordinary small-gauge wires.

According to the Wikipedia page, while the wire should be 24ga, there have been examples using 26ga (which are problematic for the connectors) and with copper-clad wire in place of copper wire.  Neither of these should affect the use of the wire for decoder installs, although 26 ga might be a bit light for an older/larger motor or a sound decoder (it's rated for 0.3A in a closed space, versus 0.5A, but the inside of a train isn't quite the same as being inside a metal conduit, and supported current is likely quite a bit higher).

[cteno4]

if you want stranded wire check out old 25 pin serial and parallel cables as many of these used 28, 30 and 32g stranded wire. some have jackets that dont come off the wires well, but most have some sort of foil shielding that can help to strip it off. i have to dig around in the basement as i think i have a few olds ones that are not going to be used again that i will tear open to see. use to make all sorts of custom ones years ago to control exhibit stuff!

monoprice.com has very cheap cables and reasonable shipping most of the time. also might check out your local dump recycling area as there is usually a pile of old parallel and serial cables hanging out there for free!

cheers,

jeff

[CaptOblivious]

Hell, that's how my dad wired his N-gauge layout back in the day, except it was salvaged telephone wire. I don't see any problem with it.

I'm sure you know that ethernet comes in stranded and solid-core varieties (usually the very flexible, short, consumer-level products are stranded, while the huge spools for wiring buildings are the more sturdy solid-core kind), but I couldn't tell you which would be better for your uses.

[Shashinka]

I had temped a few years ago, well like 15 for Verizon on a crwe that was replacing copper for fiber optics, and ended up with five feet of cable which had aprox. 100 strands of 12g wire in it. I donated it a few years later to the model railroad at the museum of the railway I worked for at the time as I had calculated lord knows more wire than I would ever need.

[Jllaclair]

It's a great idea.  I usef Cat5 cable on my layout for all the light hookups and switch tracks.  If you have to buy it, get a 50' cable and this will leave you enough wire to wire up several train tables.

JGB Railroad on You tube

[Webskipper]

Cat5 and whatever is donated is what we use at the Tucson Toy Train Museum. Brittle though. Might just be old and dry.