Zip Ties for Mouthpieces?

[boat sju]

May want to file down any extra left so it does not cut your mouth.

Cut the excess with fingernail clippers. It leaves a cleaner edge - rounded just a bit.

 

[johndiver999]

or be a man and use a sharp knife to cut a plastic zip tie... anyone else have any scars they earned "the hard way"?

 

[johndiver999]

I don't know that a zip tie has to be super tight for this application. As mentioned most second stages have a lip. I test tightness of the zip tie by gently trying to spin the entire mouth piece. If it does not spin easily (or at all) then it is tight enough. Over strressing a cheap - non metal tabbed zip tie is more likely to cause a problem than being a tiny bit loose.

 

[Neilwood]

Cheap as you like zip ties will do me.

Why pay any more than you need? I will occasionally give my gear a look over (normally while cleaning or drying it), check the various parts for tightness and condition (any corrosion or unexpected wear) and adjust/replace as needed. If my mouthpiece zip tie is looking old and damaged, it gets replaced before it breaks.

Plastic is by its very nature very resistant to damage from salt or fresh water.

 

[W W Meixner]

or be a man and use a sharp knife to cut a plastic zip tie... anyone else have any scars they earned "the hard way"?

Hey John...

If only cuts and scrapes from sharp zip tie tails were the worst thing that can happen...

They can also cut holes in dry-suit fabric...and cut holes in rebreather loop hoses...

Just me...but I want to make sure there are no remnents of zip tie tails past the head...

Best...

Warren

 

[Hatul]

In my experience the flat type zip ties are not as strong as the traditional ones and are prone to slipping. The best ones (and recommended by Tobin) are the ones with stainless steel locking tongue.

 

[CT-Rich]

Wow three pages of zip-tie advice. I use standard issue, no-metal in them, nylon ties (my current batch came with a Craig’s List purchase). I tighten them pretty aggressively by torquing them with half turn of the needle nose pliers, snip it of with a plier at the lock. If it’s a bit sharp, a lighter flame will round it off.

 

[Ghetto Diver]

CHICOMfreight bulk bag.
No special fastening tool needed (unless doing a metric s%$t tonne). Place adjustable wrench against block with tie through mouth of wrench (loose).
Grab tie with pliers and leverage against adj wrench. Trim with blade.
Go dive.

Keep in mind, these only need to last 1-2 years.

 

[jgttrey]

That's all true and you're right, the cheapees are adequate for this application.

Personally, though, I'd just rather use the best ones. We're talking about what, an extra dime for each one maybe? And, I use them for lots of things that don't get replaced that often - attaching the corrugated hose to the LPI and wing, for example, as well as non-scuba things. Once I used them to reattach the plastic trim on our rental car in Cayman (ahem) after the crappy zip ties they last renters used to fix it fell apart....

The T&B zips, I know, are UV resistant and I like that if overtightened they tend to break cleanly rather than stretch and perhaps fail later. It's just a better product with better quality control. Necessary, no, but better, yes, and it's not like the price difference is material.

 

[BlueTrin]

or be a man and use a sharp knife to cut a plastic zip tie... anyone else have any scars they earned "the hard way"?

Why not just stab your fingers to earn these ‘hard marks’ faster and more efficiently ?