How to Make Cat-5 Braided Audio Cables

Using Cat-5 wires may be a way of saving a few bucks and getting a few blisters to achieve a 10 gauge wire, if you're up to the task.

Things you'll need

 * 14 lengths of cat-5 cable with Teflon insulation (cut 1/5 more than what you need)
 * The complete attire to make a normal cable

Steps

 * 1) High-quality-RCA-bullet-plug-Eichmann.pnge the blue/orange jacket on the cables. You now have 56 pairs of cables.
 * 2) Discard one of the pair. You need only 54 pairs. Keep it for another project or recycle the metal at a local scrapyard for some bucks.
 * 3) Braid three pairs of wire together. Repeat until you have 18 braids (54 pairs divided by 3).
 * 4) Braid three trios of braided wire together. Repeat until you have 6 branches.
 * 5) Braid three branches together. Repeat until you have a pair. One will be used for left, other for right channel.
 * 6) Separate the solids and the striped wires in both branches, strip and twist them together. One twist will be used as ground.
 * 7) Put some solder on the ends.
 * 8) Put the heatshrink tubing.
 * 9) Put the connectors on the ends and crimp them in place.
 * 10) Put more solder.
 * 11) Solder the ground pin.

Also see

 * How to Make Cables