# How to Properly Coil Cables (Tutorial I made)



## Megalomaniac (Feb 12, 2007)

*How-To “Over-Under” Looping Cables*

The most common mistake I see almost everyone make is coiling a cable. I will be showing an easy How-To on how to coil a cable (any cable) properly. I will explain and demonstrate the wrong way of coiling, right way of coiling, and why it is important to keep them cabled properly. Coiling a cable properly will keep the cable in shape, fresher, easy to dispense, and lasts longer. 


The wrong way to coil but yet the most common way of coiling is over and over looping. By holding cable in one hand, and wrapping around elbow. This method is wrong for several reasons. 

*1.	It creates a Kinks and Twists resulting in a deformed shape and a damaged cable, it can create signal loss from resistance
2.	It gets tangled easier 
3. When you get ready to use this cable its all out of wack and you waste time trying to untangle it and straighten it properly.*











*This is the proper way to coil a cable correctly:*

*Step 1* to properly coiling is to hold one end of the cable in your hand (doesn’t matter which hand, usually if a male and female end such as an XLR cable you would hold Male end in hand)










*Step 2* is to make an Over loop going clockwise with the cable making about a 1 foot diameter










*Step 3* make an Under loop by grabbing the cable about 2 feet from your right hand and bring the cable (left hand) towards your right hand and twist your hand 180 degrees clockwise as you are bringing it in.



















It should look like this when you look at it profile style:


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## Megalomaniac (Feb 12, 2007)

*Step 4 *Make an Over loop, grab cable about 2 feet from right hand with your left hand and loop it over your hand like normal, no twisting ( same as step 2).










*Step 5* repeat step 3 and 4 until cable is completely coiled

*Step 6 *Tie cables tie to it and hang the cable up or store it safe. Cable ties are cheap, buy them.





































*
Step 7 *when you are ready to use simply untie the cable tie and hold one end and throw the rest of the cable, your cable should stay straight and tangle free.










Comparison cable throw demo




Coiling a cable properly is easy to do and can be somewhat time consuming at first. But once you get the hang of it you will make it a habit to coil it like so. Your cables will last longer (saves money), stay in shape, tangle free, and it is easy to dispense when you need it for the next time.


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## ///Audience (Jan 31, 2007)

you look sooo baked in your pics!


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## Lumadar (Sep 28, 2007)

Nice work. It may seem obvious to some of us, but I'm SURE many people never thought twice about loading their cables full of kinks when storing them.


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## Megalomaniac (Feb 12, 2007)

BassBaller5 said:


> you look sooo baked in your pics!


I was trying to be a hardass and be cool by not smiling :blush:


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## OgreDave (Jul 13, 2005)

Nice & detailed .. damn, I thought *I* was bored.


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## xcoldricex (Apr 28, 2007)

haha why didn't you make a video of the coiling?

thanks this is useful!


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## Megalomaniac (Feb 12, 2007)

OgreDave said:


> Nice & detailed .. damn, I thought *I* was bored.


lol nobody bored here. actually in SPCH 1301 we were suppose to come up with an demonstration speech/demo. So I thought about something easy yet informative.  I present this Wednesday in class. I hope to get an A


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## Megalomaniac (Feb 12, 2007)

xcoldricex said:


> haha why didn't you make a video of the coiling?
> 
> thanks this is useful!


I can if you want. I figured pictures are good enough with description.


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## QtrHorse (Oct 17, 2007)

Megalomaniac said:


> I was trying to be a hardass and be cool by not smiling :blush:


You can't be a hardass with mittens on. Nice detailed write up. What's obvious to some is not to others. You could always get fancy and do the figure 8 style.


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## xcoldricex (Apr 28, 2007)

yeah, but it would've been faster for you to just make a video.


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## Megalomaniac (Feb 12, 2007)

xcoldricex said:


> yeah, but it would've been faster for you to just make a video.



my speech for class has to be 4-6 minutes. and i had to take pics for outline. i could still do a video. i'll see what i can do.


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## Megalomaniac (Feb 12, 2007)

QtrHorse said:


> You can't be a hardass with mittens on. Nice detailed write up. What's obvious to some is not to others. You could always get fancy and do the figure 8 style.


Can I still be an eThug?


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## Infinity (Jun 28, 2005)

Megalomaniac said:


> Can I still be an eThug?


Bundled up like that in Texas? Not a chance.  Nice write up. Simple and informative.


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## Megalomaniac (Feb 12, 2007)

Infinity said:


> Bundled up like that in Texas? Not a chance.  Nice write up. Simple and informative.


got to stay fresh. H&M Bragg jeans, Express gloves and belt, & Gap Cardigan


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## Miska (Jul 25, 2007)

Only one word.... WoOW


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## Megalomaniac (Feb 12, 2007)

Miska said:


> Only one word.... WoOW


me or the thread?


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## tyroneshoes (Mar 21, 2006)

Why must you hide your hands with colorful gloves? I can only assume horrible deformity. 

BTW: Sweet action photo of the cable throw.


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## WrenchGuy (Jun 10, 2007)

Take all that time to wrap em up nice and neat and safe to throw them out in front of you and smash the plugs on the concrete...lol


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## chad (Jun 30, 2005)

WrenchGuy said:


> Take all that time to wrap em up nice and neat and safe to throw them out in front of you and smash the plugs on the concrete...lol


In the 18 years I have ben laying stage cable I have never had an end fail from tossing it from the snake to the mic or vice versa. Sometimes a bit of niced paint on the black ones but that's it.

Chad


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## bobditts (Jul 19, 2006)

do the super sweet gloves and hat help the SQ when wrapping the cables at all?


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## Megalomaniac (Feb 12, 2007)

WrenchGuy said:


> Take all that time to wrap em up nice and neat and safe to throw them out in front of you and smash the plugs on the concrete...lol


you are suppose to throw th cable, worst comes to worst some paint chips off ends.



chad said:


> In the 18 years I have ben laying stage cable I have never had an end fail from tossing it from the snake to the mic or vice versa. Sometimes a bit of niced paint on the black ones but that's it.
> 
> Chad


i have only been doing it a few years but yes x2 



bobditts said:


> do the super sweet gloves and hat help the SQ when wrapping the cables at all?


I keep it real


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## chad (Jun 30, 2005)

Megalomaniac said:


> i have only been doing it a few years but yes x2



Do you work in an "industry" that would require over-under method on everything?


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## Megalomaniac (Feb 12, 2007)

chad said:


> Do you work in an "industry" that would require over-under method on everything?


Production Assistant for a Videographer I work for. setting up video feeds(BNC cables and whatnot) and laying out XLR, & extension cords thats where it comes in handy for me


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## chad (Jun 30, 2005)

Megalomaniac said:


> Production Assistant for a Videographer I work for. setting up video feeds(BNC cables and whatnot) and laying out XLR, & extension cords thats where it comes in handy for me


There ya go. 

I could tell by the attire you weren't in the live rock-n-roll industry


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## Megalomaniac (Feb 12, 2007)

chad said:


> There ya go.
> 
> I could tell by the attire you weren't in the live rock-n-roll industry


lol I try to be a little more classy. i do enjoy music though 

little bit OT i met The Commodores once.


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## chad (Jun 30, 2005)

Megalomaniac said:


> lol I try to be a little more classy. i do enjoy music though
> 
> little bit OT i met The Commodores once.


Hmmmm, classy......  

I ran monitors for them a few times.


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## Megalomaniac (Feb 12, 2007)

chad said:


> Hmmmm, classy......
> 
> I ran monitors for them a few times.


nice guys, just dont talk about L Rich. with them

they did an Accopella for us in the interview we shot


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## chad (Jun 30, 2005)

Megalomaniac said:


> nice guys, just dont talk about L Rich. with them


Uhh, yeah. I discovered that also  

Another one of those older band stints I did was with Kool and the Gang, what a trip, talk about an ego. I had a hard time explaining to "Kool" that a monitor WILL feed back when you dump the mic into the horn of the wedge. Talk about a loud monitor mix! 2 front fill wedges 15/2" minimum and 2 "butt fills" same driver compliment with the volume pinned on all of them.

I later learned that his "monitor test" is a test to his engineers to see how well they stick up and explain themselves. I passed. If an engineer will stick up for themselves and not fold and screw up the mix then they will certainly stick up for the artist. Tight band though, killer chick drummer at the time.

Chad


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## Megalomaniac (Feb 12, 2007)

lots of interesting audio stories i bet


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## avaxis (May 23, 2006)

WrenchGuy said:


> Take all that time to wrap em up nice and neat and safe to throw them out in front of you and smash the plugs on the concrete...lol


i wouldn't want to throw my WBT plugs on concrete, or get dirt stuck on my cryogenic-treated cables. 











P/S: actually i use belden cables


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## Megalomaniac (Feb 12, 2007)

avaxis said:


> i wouldn't want to throw my WBT plugs on concrete, or get dirt stuck on my cryogenic-treated cables.
> 
> 
> 
> ...



lol the throwing of cables is more for stage use  I doubt you will be using C-treated cables on stage...even then XLR connectors have that metal ring to protect the pins from damage for stage use....


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## speakerboy (Oct 2, 2007)

To quote Tommy Boy: "I was just checking the...uhh..... I'm retarded."

Care to make a video?


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## theothermike (Dec 20, 2006)

i like my way of cable coiling. double up the cable. then like u explained to us start off holding the male end or connector side, properly coil a cable like u did, then leaving about 5 ft or so. wrap the last bit around the center when going for the under loop until about 1 ft left. then go in middle of the center small circle that u wrapped around middle of the loop, and since ur pushing a bare wire that is like a half moon through, when it comes out of the other side and u yank, youll have a handy hook to hook the wire on. and this method is also kink free from my experience as a carpet cleaner this whole summer. this is same method a friend of mine (fire fighter) uses.

i think it might be called the figure 8 method not sure.

Mike-


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## chad (Jun 30, 2005)

theothermike said:


> i like my way of cable coiling. double up the cable. then like u explained to us start off holding the male end or connector side, properly coil a cable like u did, then leaving about 5 ft or so. wrap the last bit around the center when going for the under loop until about 1 ft left. then go in middle of the center small circle that u wrapped around middle of the loop, and since ur pushing a bare wire that is like a half moon through, when it comes out of the other side and u yank, youll have a handy hook to hook the wire on. and this method is also kink free from my experience as a carpet cleaner this whole summer. this is same method a friend of mine (fire fighter) uses.
> 
> i think it might be called the figure 8 method not sure.
> 
> Mike-



Our main goal is really "tossing" cables, they are also much more stackable in circular form, most go into a work trunk as opposed to hung. After you get the hang of it it's second nature, all cables come out the same size This method also keeps the stress off the conductors and filler inside reducing deformities as there would be at the fold-over. You want the wire to naturally "lay"

Chad


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## Thumper26 (Sep 23, 2005)

so, is there any merit behind the cryogenic treatment? i chalked it up to bs.


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## chad (Jun 30, 2005)

Thumper26 said:


> so, is there any merit behind the cryogenic treatment? i chalked it up to bs.


Sure! It helps to alleviate back issues because it makes your wallet lighter thus evening the load on your back


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## Oliver (Jun 25, 2007)

Thumper26 said:


> so, is there any merit behind the cryogenic treatment? i chalked it up to bs.


How do you test for crogenically treated anything ?


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## chad (Jun 30, 2005)

Hic said:


> How do you test for crogenically treated anything ?


Ask it.....


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## Megalomaniac (Feb 12, 2007)

chad said:


> Ask it.....


fool-proof-noob-proof


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## Aaron'z 2.5RS/WRX (Oct 24, 2007)

Megalomaniac said:


> got to stay fresh. H&M Bragg jeans, Express gloves and belt, & Gap Cardigan


What...No Aber-chumpy & *****..... what's this world coming to....


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## Aaron'z 2.5RS/WRX (Oct 24, 2007)

Megalomaniac said:


>


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## Megalomaniac (Feb 12, 2007)

Aaron'z 2.5RS/WRX said:


> What...No Aber-chumpy & *****..... what's this world coming to....


abercrumy is not for the ethnically diverse


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## Megalomaniac (Feb 12, 2007)

Aaron'z 2.5RS/WRX said:


>


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## DaveRulz (Jun 22, 2006)

When I worked in the sound industry in college, we referred to this as reverse coiling, because you reverse every other coil. It REALLY makes a big difference when uncoiling long cables, and lets them lay nice and flat. When coiling 5 runs of 4/0 there is no other option than reverse coiling into a box.  It's not really worth using for wires under 10 feet in length as there just aren't enough coils for it to make a difference.


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## Miska (Jul 25, 2007)

I cant believe this thread it still going. WOW


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## Megalomaniac (Feb 12, 2007)

DaveRulz said:


> When I worked in the sound industry in college, we referred to this as reverse coiling, because you reverse every other coil. It REALLY makes a big difference when uncoiling long cables, and lets them lay nice and flat. When coiling 5 runs of 4/0 there is no other option than reverse coiling into a box.  *It's not really worth using for wires under 10 feet in length as there just aren't enough coils for it to make a difference*.


granted, but you want to make it a _habit _of coiling it this way.



Miska said:


> I cant believe this thread it still going. WOW


Whats so hard to believe? Not many people know how to coil a cable...


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## chad (Jun 30, 2005)

DaveRulz said:


> When coiling 5 runs of 4/0 there is no other option than reverse coiling into a box.


And if anybody has EVER coiled feeder you quickly realize that it's one dusgustingly dirty workout! Feeder is nasty ****!


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## DaveRulz (Jun 22, 2006)

Yup,not a fun job at all! When we had to set up outside, sometimes we'd have hundreds of feet of 6/5 and 4/5, that's no fun to coil either. Destroys your back, and gives your biceps and fore-arms an insane workout.


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## chad (Jun 30, 2005)

DaveRulz said:


> Yup,not a fun job at all! When we had to set up outside, sometimes we'd have hundreds of feet of 6/5 and 4/5 Coated in mud and piss , that's no fun to coil either. Destroys your back, and gives your biceps and fore-arms an insane workout.


Corrected......


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## DaveRulz (Jun 22, 2006)

Yeah....NOT cool! But pro-sound is a a lot like car audio. You do a lot of work behind the scenes, beat yourself up, question yourself if it's worth it, but when the first note plays....big ****-eating grin. No matter how many times I set up for a big show, I always got that smile when we'd warm the system up.


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## chad (Jun 30, 2005)

DaveRulz said:


> Yeah....NOT cool! But pro-sound is a a lot like car audio. You do a lot of work behind the scenes, beat yourself up, question yourself if it's worth it, but when the first note plays....big ****-eating grin. No matter how many times I set up for a big show, I always got that smile when we'd warm the system up.


Do you work for a production company? Local, regional, or touring?


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## DaveRulz (Jun 22, 2006)

I'm out of it now, worked for the Tech Crew at RIT for the 5 years I was in school. We worked with a production company for the larger shows (usually EAW850s etc, or whatever the artist brought) but had a complete set up of our own that we'd use for smaller shows (EAW695's with 4 dual 18 bins for sub) it was a lot of fun, but not what I was going to school for, so when I graduated that ended. 

I thought about getting back into it, but it can be a pretty hard industry to work in, the beginning positions all have you basically breaking your back and traveling all over the place. I knew a couple people who took summer positions with the sound company we worked with and they said that they made pretty good money and that they learned a lot, but they were destroyed after just the summer and couldn't imagine doing it for longer than a summer. In retrospect, I think I might have been happier busting my ass all day than dealing with stupid corporate America.


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## Megalomaniac (Feb 12, 2007)

so i think im officially a nerd and am very compulsive about this technique. I was at a gig last night and I saw someone coiling an extension cord over and over. im like NOOOO!!!! Let me do it!!! :nerd:


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## chad (Jun 30, 2005)

Megalomaniac said:


> so i think im officially a nerd and am very compulsive about this technique. I was at a gig last night and I saw someone coiling an extension cord over and over. im like NOOOO!!!! Let me do it!!! :nerd:


We had a lighting architect come in the other day and wanted to borrow an extension cord, I handed him a perfectly wrapped cord. When he was finished over the elbow it went before he handed it back to me. I thought my boss was going to **** bricks when we got outside, I guess the look on my face was priceless......


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## SQCherokee (Mar 5, 2008)

you got a lota stuff in your house


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## Megalomaniac (Feb 12, 2007)

i know this. i usually get a lot of packages and have boxes everywhere


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## garvinzoom (Mar 23, 2008)

Very nice write up on a topic I never have put much thought into. Good things to know.

Thanks,
Jason


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## Megalomaniac (Feb 12, 2007)

ok there is a guy on another forum who is argueing with me for no reason now and just bashing me. he says my cable coiling tutorial was wrong and laughed at me. he started bringing up OSHA standard, he never described it at all....and isnt playing nice. I googel and found nothing on it? Am I missing something?

http://www.stevemeadedesigns.com/board/index.php?showtopic=20875&st=50



David said:


> Off topic forum means nothing, other than its not about car audio, you and everyone else that do dumb **** are still bannable, wanna find out? keep going.
> 
> so your How-to, on how to roll up a cord is major contribution? , I got news for ya, thats gay as Hell, I work with cords every day and let me tell ya something, Thats not how you roll up a cord LMAO, I do Roll up my garden hoses that way, but only so I can get all the water out
> 
> I will give you a B on the Big 3 how-to-do- it thread, would have gotten an A if it wasnt for the how-to Roll up a cord thread.


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## Vorlon (Nov 17, 2007)

Was that an s2k trunk in that pic? ^_^


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## Megalomaniac (Feb 12, 2007)

Vorlon said:


> Was that an s2k trunk in that pic? ^_^


what?


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## garvinzoom (Mar 23, 2008)

Megalomaniac said:


> ok there is a guy on another forum who is argueing with me for no reason now and just bashing me. he says my cable coiling tutorial was wrong and laughed at me. he started bringing up OSHA standard, he never described it at all....and isnt playing nice. I googel and found nothing on it? Am I missing something?
> 
> http://www.stevemeadedesigns.com/board/index.php?showtopic=20875&st=50


That guy is a complete asswipe. I would not even waste my time with him, some forums pick lousy moderators.


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## Megalomaniac (Feb 12, 2007)

garvinzoom said:


> That guy is a complete asswipe. I would not even waste my time with him, some forums pick lousy moderators.


he is the admin :/ 

i am done with that forum now, he crossed the line too many times and is now just a waste


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## garvinzoom (Mar 23, 2008)

Yeah, there is no sense in that. People are so hard on the internet, what a joke.

The one person was like "you have to know what easter is, they have the stuff out in yards for months". That guy thinks Easter is about rabbits and colored eggs. LOL. He wants to run his chops on you for what you do not know about a christian holiday when you are not one when he can't find his ass with both hands.


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## Vorlon (Nov 17, 2007)

Megalomaniac said:


> what?


Was that the trunk of a Honda s2000 in the 13th pic down?


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## Megalomaniac (Feb 12, 2007)

Vorlon said:


> Was that the trunk of a Honda s2000 in the 13th pic down?


thats a video bro  click it

no its my 2000 honda accord lx. **** i wish i had an s2k


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## Megalomaniac (Feb 12, 2007)

garvinzoom said:


> Yeah, there is no sense in that. People are so hard on the internet, what a joke.
> 
> The one person was like "you have to know what easter is, they have the stuff out in yards for months". *That guy thinks Easter is about rabbits and colored eggs*. LOL. He wants to run his chops on you for what you do not know about a christian holiday when you are not one when he can't find his ass with both hands.


lol i said that. but seriously i dont know the background of the holiday, and i should not be expected to know so...but you understand thanks.

anywho i asked what that way of coiling was he didnt give me a straight answer he just started bragging about his certification instead of trying to school me. I guess I will never know, not even the all mighty Google gods know lol.


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## chad (Jun 30, 2005)

A certified cable coiler! ****fire! Hire him, start him on feeder and multicore!

There's a lot of misinformation on that forum from my parusing in the past, I also noticed a lot more money than sense also.

I tend to avoid that type of unproductive bickering as I've grown older.


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## Megalomaniac (Feb 12, 2007)

chad said:


> A certified cable coiler! ****fire! Hire him, start him on feeder and multicore!
> 
> There's a lot of misinformation on that forum from my parusing in the past, I also noticed a lot more money than sense also.
> 
> I tend to avoid that type of unproductive bickering as I've grown older.


i agree chad, i dont know why i stayed long as i did on that forum. I use to be part of the moderating staff. but left in feb unofficially, then powers were stripped from me. big woof. worse than ROE imo....and i dont post at ROE for that reason.


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## Vorlon (Nov 17, 2007)

Megalomaniac said:


> thats a video bro  click it QUOTE]
> 
> .....wow I may have to delete this account make a new one! Not gonna live that one down >.<


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## Megalomaniac (Feb 12, 2007)

Vorlon said:


> .....wow I may have to delete this account make a new one! Not gonna live that one down >.<


no worries, not many people know photobucket does the vieos


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