Connecting a load-bearing metal cable to itself

spool32

hey H/A!

I am suspending my youngest son's bed from the ceiling via metal wires that are about 1/8th inch thick. It is going to look excellent! Let me describe briefly what I'm doing:

Each wire will be hung from a giant hook drilled into a crossbeam that holds up the ceiling. The other end will be passed through a hold drilled in the corner of the bedframe, perpendicular to the floor. What I need is some way to anchor the wire back to itself such that it can bear about 75lbs of weight and not be pulled back through the hole I plan to drill in the wooden frame. Also, I don't want it to look terrible - the solution needs to be nice and not leave a huge hunk of wire hanging down or whatever.

Perhaps this isn't the best way to go about it, and I should get one length of solid wire that will run from one hook, through the frame, under the bed, through the frame again, and back to the second hook? I'd rather not do this, as I already bought the wire but ran into the problem I described.

Ideas?

knitdan

This is how I'd do it, but standard I AM NOT AN ENGINEER OR MECHANIC warning applies.

ehow.com/how_8244171_make-eye-splice-steel-cable.html

Then once you run it through the frame, run a threaded bolt (with a head larger than the eye) through and secure it on the other side with a nut (same thing)

How will it secure to the ceiling hook? Does one end of the cable have an eye already?

knitdan

Alternative idea: use chain instead, install eye bolts on the upper 4 corners of the frame and use latch hooks on each chain end.

That could get expensive quick though.

spool32

I got some metal loops that will turn the cable back on itself and create an eye. Each one will bear 100lbs, but they're big and ugly and won't work for the bed end.

knitdan

Is it possible to take a bit of extra wood out of the bottom of the frame so you'd have some space to hide the big ugly loops in there?

Like if you're drilling a 3/8" hole through the frame for example, you'd drill a larger circular hole at the bottom, centered on the smaller hole and about 1-2" deep.

I don't know the correct term for this sorry.

Kakodaimonos

Take a look at the cable railing hardware. You are basically doing a through post run with the bed. I'd also probably put a cable sleeve in the holes so you don't have to worry about the cable wearing through the wood. This stud assembly you drill through the stud and then tension it up.

http://www.atlantisrail.com/raileasy-stud-assembly

zagdrob

The way I'd do it is buy four of these (make it six because you'll drop one and have to take a second trip to the hardware store). Make sure the stopper is at least 1/2 inch (3/4 would probably be better) diameter and rated for 2x your expected maximum load.

http://www.alibaba.com/product-detail/Stainless-Steel-Trellis-Wire-Stopper_544623821.html?s=p

Press a hole straight down (top to bottom) through each of the corner posts. Countersink a two inch deep hole 1/4 larger than your stopper diameter at the bottom of the hole.

Thread the wire straight down the hole and connect the stopper at the bottom. Leave a tail so there is some wiggle room if the stopper slips. Hang it and put enough weight on it to pull the stoppers tight up into the countersunk holes. Adjust the stoppers to level the bed, and you're done.

I'd probably fill the bottom of the holes with a piece of dowel and sand / finish to match the bed, but I'd wait a little while to see if I need to make adjustments so I don't need to drill it out again.

The hardest part will probably be pressing the hole all the way down through the post (depending on how tall the posts are) and adjusting the bed to be level when you hang it.

If you've got the right tools, you can probably do it in an hour - doing everything by hand shouldn't take more than an afternoon, including the trip to the hardware store.

Let me know if the instructions aren't clear - I'll draw up a diagram.

Kick_04

My original thought but I am not sure if it is what you want.
Was to get a nice sturdy steel ring, run the wires through the 4 corners and come togther in the middle underneath the bed and have than use your metal clamps to loop them around the ring and clamp closed. To hide it I was thinking of a dust skirt that they put on bed, but if you are wanting to play/sit under the bed it could still look ugly. The other thing with this is the bed would be able to move and angel slightly with the cables being able to move around the ring, also be able to self level.

I like the idea about zagdrop suggestion, I have had bad experience with set screws however. So if I was to do it that way I would buy some LockTite threadlocker.

Donovan Puppyfucker

spool32 wrote: »

hey H/A!

I am suspending my youngest son's bed from the ceiling via metal wires that are about 1/8th inch thick. It is going to look excellent! Let me describe briefly what I'm doing:

Each wire will be hung from a giant hook drilled into a crossbeam that holds up the ceiling. The other end will be passed through a hold drilled in the corner of the bedframe, perpendicular to the floor. What I need is some way to anchor the wire back to itself such that it can bear about 75lbs of weight and not be pulled back through the hole I plan to drill in the wooden frame. Also, I don't want it to look terrible - the solution needs to be nice and not leave a huge hunk of wire hanging down or whatever.

Perhaps this isn't the best way to go about it, and I should get one length of solid wire that will run from one hook, through the frame, under the bed, through the frame again, and back to the second hook? I'd rather not do this, as I already bought the wire but ran into the problem I described.

Ideas?

So, from what I understand of your post, you're going to put four of these: https://www.totalfasteners.com.au/part/00503863/eyebolt-nutwshr-zp-bsw-14x3 through the ceiling joists and hang the bed from them via cable?

I would recommend using a similar arrangement to affix the cable to the four corners of the bedframe.

Now, for the cable and the ends themselves: You want stainless aircraft ultraflexible (7x19) cable. T304 stainless cable in 1/8 inch diameter will hold 1700+ pounds per length, and T316 stainless cable in 1/8 inch diameter will hold 1300+ pounds per length, so get whichever is cheaper. If that turns out to be the T316, then you will be able to load up the kids bed to the point that the ceiling will fall in before the cable fails. You can get the cable, and the eyelets for the end of it, and the crimps for securing the eyelets, and the tool for swaging the crimps from a store like this: http://www.lexcocable.com/aircraft-cable-stainless-steel-cable-galvanized-cable.html

EDIT: Actually, you don't need to swage anything if you use the threaded clamp Rope clips at the bottom of this page: http://www.lexcocable.com/wire-rope-clips.html

Usagi

So, this is for a kid, right?

You probably want to go with chain. Yes, it will probably be more expensive, but cut ends of wire ropes are fucking sharp and even if you secure them in rope clips and cover the ends with tape of some sort, you will eventually experience your son snagging some body part on the ends. Having done that at varying poitns in my life, it really really really hurts.

spool32

Thanks guys! I think I have some great ideas now.