Flex System replacement - Any viable alternative?

[DrJB]

I'm sure those who have sets with the 'old' flex-system can relate to this. The inner cables that came with many flex-system sets are notorious for breaking easily and availability on BL is not the best. Has anyone come up with a replacement option for the inner cables? Finding a cable is one thing, making the indentations is another ball game. Yet, I'm hoping someone out there already figured this out.

[Foggy]

Good topic folk, I just bought some on bricklink for my second 8856 cause 3 where broken.. and paid them a lot. Now i take really good care of them.

[AttentionSpanner]

My dad's into plastic models and he's been trying to make some with a thin plastic rod, but hasn't perfected them yet... Maybe someone can create some 3D model and try to 3D print them? 

[TechnicRCRacer]

3 hours ago, AttentionSpanner said:

Maybe someone can create some 3D model and try to 3D print them? 

That would be hard... I do not have any flex cables.

[JDL1967]

Maybe this is one idea. In a good fishingshop you can buy steel leaders. They sell them in 1-2 and 3 mm. On 2-5 and 10 meter reels. You can cut them to the length you want. With the little steel bushes ( they come with the cable ) you can make a stop on both sides. In a specialized fishingshop they will have differend sizes. The picture below is an example..

 

 

Edited July 30, 2017 by JDL1967

[AttentionSpanner]

JDL1967, what could the cost of a project like that be, though, do you think? If it's even comparable to the cost of buying original LEGO flex cables (or cheaper, even), it sounds like a no-brainer. Have you tried this idea to see if it works? Because if it does, now, I'm really interested... 

[JDL1967]

The cost will be low. I did not try it, but as they are steel cable's, and steel connectors you can make a strong connection. I think the price is somewhere between €.5 and and €.30 depends of the pullingpower of the cable. But the low range pullingpower about 20KG would be inough for lego i think. Like i sayd, it is just a idea. Most of these cable's have also a coating because they used in water. The coatingcolors i know are transparant, dark green and black. But it could be that there are more colors available. 

[JDL1967]

I bought a flex cable on BL, so i will try this week to make one. Let you know when its ready..

Edited July 31, 2017 by JDL1967

[Rudivdk]

@JDL1967 sounds really interesting. Wanted to use flex cables to create some brakes on a car MOC awhile ago, and broke 2 of them because the plastic had gone brittle... If your idea works, it would be a fantastic alternative. I'll be eagerly awaiting your results

[JDL1967]

I never used them. But as i am also have fishing as a hobby i know a little bit about the steel leaders. Thats why i orderd a flex cable with connector on BL. i checkt my tacklebag and i have a few meters if steel leadercable. Don know it it is the right size, if not i will buy a bigger one. When i have make an alternative cable, and place some pictures with how it looks and offcorse how to make them..

[suffocation]

I think JDL1967 has had the right idea. There's also this alternative but I wouldn't count on it for heavy loads:

 

[JDL1967]

4 minutes ago, suffocation said:

I think JDL1967 has had the right idea. There's also this alternative but I wouldn't count on it for heavy loads:

 

See what you mean. The steel cable is mutch stronger. And in todays market, there are also flexable steel cable's available.. i will make one with the connector witch belongs to the flex cable, and one with a pin..

[ChrisYe]

Strimmer wire is also a possible solution. It pushes/pulls fine through the outer tubing but I haven't had time to work out a solution to connect each end.

[JDL1967]

Guys, still waiting on the BL order. A soon as it gets in, i will start to make a flex cable with a steel core...

[JDL1967]

Hello @DrJB, @Foggy, @Rudivdk , @suffocation and the rest of the members here. I have made a steel flexcable, give it a few very hard pulls and it wont get apart. In the pictures you can see how i did it. For the record, because i have no lego sets or moc's with flex clable's in it, i whas not able to test it in a build. But i would be glad to send it to one of you, so it can be tested.

The way i did it whas, put the steel cable in a steel sleeve, put it on the cable and fastened it on the cable. Then i cut the cable and sleeve on the right size, ans flatten it a little bit. Then you can put in the connector and also you can put in true a 3mm rigged hose. I have made some pictures, so you can see the steps.

It is an idea, but only if it is tested, i can see if it works and of it needs some upgrades. Maybe @Jim or @Milan can take a look at it. If one of them want to test it, i would send it to them by mail..

Edited August 3, 2017 by JDL1967

[RohanBeckett]

looks good!  if anything, I'd be more worried about the steel slowly cutting through the plastic outer piping - if the mechanism is operated with too much force! :)

[suffocation]

@JDL1967 Great work, mate! Thanks for sharing your idea and the how-to pictorial. This could be great for a ton of applications, such as brakes.

(I know most purists are going to frown at this but the way I see it, Jesse's idea is a legitimate replacement for a discontinued Lego part.)

[JDL1967]

2 hours ago, suffocation said:

@JDL1967 Great work, mate! Thanks for sharing your idea and the how-to pictorial. This could be great for a ton of applications, such as brakes.

(I know most purists are going to frown at this but the way I see it, Jesse's idea is a legitimate replacement for a discontinued Lego part.)

I can say i am a purist myself. But as it is an old part, i think it would be right. It is an idea to replace broken lego flex cables who are made as we know out of plastic. It isn'd a "replacement" just a solution as the flexcable's are fragile at the ends where they get in the connectors. And yes you could use them for breackcables. Evenso they are easy to get chromed or gold plated because they are made out of steel. Sometimes you have to make something yourself because lego dosent make it. And we must forget that it is a kids toy and playability and safety are key. And cutting in the rigged hose can be prevented by simply place an extra steel sleeve on the cable before the end on the cable on both sides. 

Edited August 4, 2017 by JDL1967

[JDL1967]

@suffocation if you want i can send it to you with a peace of steel cable, some sleeves and 3mm rigged hose. Then you can test it in a build. And if you are ready with the test, you can place the outcome here. As i dont have any sets with these flex cable's, i am not able to test it myself. To prevent damage to the rigged hose, you can put an extra sleeve before the end notch..

[Rudivdk]

@JDL1967 I still have the bar code scanner truck assembled on a shelf. It uses flex cables of 5l, 12l and 20l (stud measure). Don't know what size you prepared, but if you have one of the above lengths I can test them in an instant, especially the 12l and 20l as they sit on the outside of the model and are easily reachable. You can send me a PM for address details if you like, or if you do not live to far away I might be able to pick em up at your place...

[JDL1967]

@Rudivdk if you send me a pm, we can take care of that. I can send it to you with some explaining how to make usable steel flex cable's..

Edited August 7, 2017 by JDL1967

[Rudivdk]

2 hours ago, JDL1967 said:

@Rudivdk if you send me a pm, we can take care of that. I can send it to you with some explaining how to make usable steel flex cable's..

Cool, PM sent...

[TechnicRCRacer]

I found one in a bulk brick dump. Maybe I can modify it, otherwise I am using it for a steering bar.

[suffocation]

10 hours ago, JDL1967 said:

@suffocation if you want i can send it to you with a peace of steel cable, some sleeves and 3mm rigged hose. Then you can test it in a build. And if you are ready with the test, you can place the outcome here. As i dont have any sets with these flex cable's, i am not able to test it myself. To prevent damage to the rigged hose, you can put an extra sleeve before the end notch..

Thanks mate! I should be able to replicate it myself as soon as I have access to my toolbox.

[JDL1967]

They are allready on there way to @Rudivdk  for testing. So i think Rudi will post in a few weeks if it works on the old lego sets or not..

Edited August 8, 2017 by JDL1967