Become a Patron!

No stretch aliens

I’m interested in learning no stretch aliens because I’m tired of my wire getting tangled up but I’m struggling to understand it. There are videos on YouTube of people making them with nothing to secure the cores, but as soon as I apply slight tension my cores instantly collapse, even with a key ring. Does anyone have any tips to help me accomplish this?
 

mach1ne

Gold Contributor
Member For 4 Years
its much easier with higher gauge wrap wire. i can barely do it with 38, and 40+ gets easier and easier imo. there are a couple tricks to securing your cores into the drill/swivels to make them sturdier. i think @zephyr put a video on it in 'post your builds', hopefully her, or someone else, can quickly find it and link it here. i use a ribbon slider instead of a keyring and its been working for me. the keyrings always got unbalanced and started wobbling when i go fast on the drill...the ribbon slider doesnt weigh anything or wobble at all. you could also try asking in the 'official alien thread', i think theres prolly more builders following/getting notifications for that one, so you might get a bit more attention there :cheers:
 

jwill

The Great King of Nothing
VU Donator
Platinum Contributor
Member For 2 Years
VU Challenge Team
Reddit Exile
VU SWAT
its much easier with higher gauge wrap wire. i can barely do it with 38, and 40+ gets easier and easier imo. there are a couple tricks to securing your cores into the drill/swivels to make them sturdier. i think @zephyr put a video on it in 'post your builds', hopefully her, or someone else, can quickly find it and link it here. i use a ribbon slider instead of a keyring and its been working for me. the keyrings always got unbalanced and started wobbling when i go fast on the drill...the ribbon slider doesnt weigh anything or wobble at all. you could also try asking in the 'official alien thread', i think theres prolly more builders following/getting notifications for that one, so you might get a bit more attention there :cheers:

Ribbon cable slide? Do tell. I have been having a fit with ribbon cable.
 

mach1ne

Gold Contributor
Member For 4 Years
Ribbon cable slide? Do tell. I have been having a fit with ribbon cable.
i set up my cores in the drill so they are parallel and ready to go, then i hand wrap some spaced ribbon wraps for an inch or so (like maybe 5-10 spaced wraps worth), which i carefully pinch flat with nylon (or taped) pliers. you want it to be loose enough to slide down the cores towards your swivels, but tight enough (wraps, and the tightness of the pinch with the pliers) to hold the cores parallel. i usually use .4 ribbon, but its posible with .3 as well. havnt bothered to try .2 yet (and i have never bought .5, but i imagine it would have even better grip than .4). i move it an inch or two towards the swivels/out of my way, and start my aliens, then just keep moving it as i need to. if your prep is great, you might not even need one, but it can help to put a second or third one at equal intervals down the whole stretch to the swivels and move/remove them as you go.
 

jwill

The Great King of Nothing
VU Donator
Platinum Contributor
Member For 2 Years
VU Challenge Team
Reddit Exile
VU SWAT
i set up my cores in the drill so they are parallel and ready to go, then i hand wrap some spaced ribbon wraps for an inch or so (like maybe 5-10 spaced wraps worth), which i carefully pinch flat with nylon (or taped) pliers. you want it to be loose enough to slide down the cores towards your swivels, but tight enough (wraps, and the tightness of the pinch with the pliers) to hold the cores parallel. i usually use .4 ribbon, but its posible with .3 as well. havnt bothered to try .2 yet (and i have never bought .5, but i imagine it would have even better grip than .4). i move it an inch or two towards the swivels/out of my way, and start my aliens, then just keep moving it as i need to. if your prep is great, you might not even need one, but it can help to put a second or third one at equal intervals down the whole stretch to the swivels and move/remove them as you go.

I need something a little more forgiving. I have a hard time getting ribbon cable to lay flat and stay in a straight line. I was thinking you knew of some magic device that the ribbon laid in like those claptoning things that slide on the wire. My coil making skills are still limited to multi core claptons wrapped in 38 or 40g.
 

mach1ne

Gold Contributor
Member For 4 Years
I need something a little more forgiving. I have a hard time getting ribbon cable to lay flat and stay in a straight line. I was thinking you knew of some magic device that the ribbon laid in like those claptoning things that slide on the wire. My coil making skills are still limited to multi core claptons wrapped in 38 or 40g.
what method are you using to make your stacks? putting a drop of juice on the stack and sliding your fingers down the stack to spread it out can really help it to want to stay together while you are working on it. i like to fold mine in half too (if you need 8 plies, cut 4 piece of wire that are twice as long as your finished wire needs to be, + an extra inch or two for the drill chuck/swivel end). that bend makes it pretty easy to get the ribbon stacked, and its a bit sturdier than the opened end of the stack, so its a good place to start wrapping/binding/gluing. once that end is tight, set up a ribbon slider there and slide it towards the open end. it should straighten out the rest of the ribbon and keep it all parallel while you bind/glue that end and stick it in your drill, folded side to the swivels, then the slider is right there waiting for you to do your wraps and slide it back to the swivel end.

that kind of prep can also help with round wire aliens/claptons, or anything with 3+ round wire cores (glue/bind the end once you get it parallel, install a ribbon slider, slide it to the other end and glue/bind it when its all tight)...or slide it half way down, install another slider and slide that one to the end, so you have a middle stabilizer as well.
 

jwill

The Great King of Nothing
VU Donator
Platinum Contributor
Member For 2 Years
VU Challenge Team
Reddit Exile
VU SWAT
what method are you using to make your stacks? putting a drop of juice on the stack and sliding your fingers down the stack to spread it out can really help it to want to stay together while you are working on it. i like to fold mine in half too (if you need 8 plies, cut 4 piece of wire that are twice as long as your finished wire needs to be, + an extra inch or two for the drill chuck/swivel end). that bend makes it pretty easy to get the ribbon stacked, and its a bit sturdier than the opened end of the stack, so its a good place to start wrapping/binding/gluing. once that end is tight, set up a ribbon slider there and slide it towards the open end. it should straighten out the rest of the ribbon and keep it all parallel while you bind/glue that end and stick it in your drill, folded side to the swivels, then the slider is right there waiting for you to do your wraps and slide it back to the swivel end.

that kind of prep can also help with round wire aliens/claptons, or anything with 3+ round wire cores (glue/bind the end once you get it parallel, install a ribbon slider, slide it to the other end and glue/bind it when its all tight)...or slide it half way down, install another slider and slide that one to the end, so you have a middle stabilizer as well.

I do that with round wire and square wire as well with no issue. The thin floppy nature of ribbon is what gives me a fit. I have somewhat limited use fingers from being them being broken so many times. Flimsy ribbon cable is just difficult for me. One day I will have that aha moment.
 

mach1ne

Gold Contributor
Member For 4 Years
One day I will have that aha moment
thats it right there. i tried a lot of different ways, from videos and people on forums. i tried combining them, or parts of them. nothing was working for me. i eventually got a combination of ideas that saw me get my first really clean staple build. after a couple more, i had the experience to refine it a bit and now its second nature. imo the framed staple stacks are easier to clapton than 3+ round wire stacks. its gonna be different for every set of eyes/hands that try it. the key is to keep trying and experimenting until you get something. even failing a build teaches you stuff...and gives you practice at all the components that you do successfully...just keep at it :cheers:
 

GillyDaKidd78

Member For 3 Years
I’m interested in learning no stretch aliens because I’m tired of my wire getting tangled up but I’m struggling to understand it. There are videos on YouTube of people making them with nothing to secure the cores, but as soon as I apply slight tension my cores instantly collapse, even with a key ring. Does anyone have any tips to help me accomplish this?
I have been looking in to the Alien Makers from Patino's. want to get a set of those
 

VU Sponsors

Top