Cut your snakeskin a little long, then slide the end up until it’s maybe a half inch from where you want the finished end of the tubing.
I learned this trick from a truck mechanic in Appleton, Wisconsin, years ago. Many of us use expandable tubing—also called “snakeskin”—to make clean wire bundles. But finishing the ends of this stuff before it unravels is always a challenge.
A lot of builders just cover the end with heat shrink and hit it with the heat gun. That works—but it can slip off. This little trick works every time, and in my experience, it’s permanent.
Tie the end with lacing cord and cut off the tails—do this close to the end of the snakeskin, but not so close that random strands can escape (left). Now use the “excess” snakeskin and invert it, sliding it over the knot (right).It looks like this when inverted—the frayed ends are hidden (left). Tie another piece of lacing cord around the inverted snakeskin, beyond the first knot (so that the first knot is encapsulated). You’re done!
Wow! Great tip. This is why I am here, Flying magazine overlords, not for military rebuilds, or old certified aircraft, just good old fashioned SIMPLE homebuilts with great tips like this.
That’s a great tip! I never did like the ends of the snakeskin. I’m going to re-do mine now before I close the wings out on my RV-14.
I never knew that woven sheathing was called “snakeskin,” but it fits! Thanks for the useful tip, Paul.
Wow! Great tip. This is why I am here, Flying magazine overlords, not for military rebuilds, or old certified aircraft, just good old fashioned SIMPLE homebuilts with great tips like this.
If you use the adhesive lined version of heat shrink it should not come off, probably ever (even if you want it to).