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YOU CAN BUILD A MACHINE THAT WRAPS CABLES IN TAPE FOR YOU

A foot-pedal machine that spins cloth tape around cables while you guide them, built from plywood and a drill battery.

by Well Done Tips

FULL CAD BOM FIRMWARE DOCS

Workshop

difficulty
●●●○○
time
a weekend
license
license not specified
repo
repo 0 stars

WHAT YOU’LL NEED

Videos
1
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COMPAREE VERDICT

This is a single-purpose workshop jig for anyone who wraps wire bundles more than once a month. The tape roll orbits the cables on a spinning PVC ring while you hold the bundle steady, which is faster and neater than doing it by hand. The foot pedal leaves both hands free. The design is straightforward — a plywood frame, a C-shaped ring cut from 6mm PVC sheet, a handful of pulleys and a timing belt driven by a 12V geared motor — but you will spend most of the weekend cutting, drilling and aligning the pulley positions so the belt runs true. The guide gives measurements but no templates, so careful layout work is the make-or-break step. The cordless drill battery mount is a nice touch if you already have compatible packs; if not, you will need to adapt the base or wire a different 12V supply. The one thing most likely to go wrong is belt tension: too loose and it slips, too tight and the motor stalls. Cloth electrical tape is specified because it stretches slightly as it wraps; standard PVC tape will not lay as cleanly. This is not a beginner's first build, but if you have cut plywood accurately before and own a drill press or a steady hand, it is a practical tool that will outlast the weekend.

GOOD TO KNOW

  • —14-step Instructables guide with photos and dimensions is the entire documentation.
  • —No CAD files for the plywood frame or the PVC ring — you mark and cut from measurements given in the steps.
  • —3D-printed tape adapter STL is linked in step 12.
  • —No formal BOM — parts are named in the text (GT2 belt, 20T pulleys, 60T pulley, 12V geared motor, PWM speed controller, foot pedal, M5 and M6 bolts).
  • —Licence is CC BY-NC-SA, which prohibits commercial use.

Parts to buy

11 items

From our check of the build. Exact quantities and part numbers are in the creator’s BOM.

  • 18mm plywoodFind
  • 6mm PVC sheetFind
  • GT2 timing beltFind
  • 20T idler pulleys (three toothed, four smooth)Find
  • 60T drive pulleyFind
  • 12V DC geared motorFind
  • PWM speed controller with knobFind
  • Foot pedal switchFind
  • M5 and M6 boltsFind
  • Cordless drill battery and compatible mountFind
  • Cloth electrical tapeFind

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Can I build this?

PrintTwo-part tape adapter (STL linked in step 12)
Buy18mm plywood, 6mm PVC sheet, GT2 timing belt, 20T idler pulleys (three toothed, four smooth), 60T drive pulley, 12V DC geared motor, PWM speed controller with knob, foot pedal switch, M5 and M6 bolts, cordless drill battery and compatible mount, cloth electrical tape
ToolsJigsaw or bandsaw to cut the PVC ring, drill press or hand drill, screwdriver, 3D printer (or access to one)
SkillsIntermediate — you need to cut a clean circle in PVC, drill aligned holes in plywood, and tension a timing belt. No soldering or code, but mechanical precision matters.
TimeA weekend — cutting and fitting the ring, mounting pulleys and getting the belt tension right will take longer than the guide suggests.
Cost$$ — motor, pulleys, belt and speed controller dominate the cost; plywood and PVC are cheap, but the geared motor and PWM controller together will run $30–50 depending on where you source them.
Safety12V DC only, so no mains shock risk. The spinning ring has exposed edges — keep fingers clear while it is running. No other hazards beyond ordinary workshop care.

Build at your own risk. Projects involve tools, electronics and sometimes mains voltage — follow the creator’s safety notes.

Videos

DIY Wire Harness Wrapping Machine

Build footage and working demonstration, published 15 January 2023, about 8.96 million views.

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Gallery

Start here

Navigation into the creator’s own docs — we don’t rewrite the guide, we route you to the source.

  1. 1.Read the full 14-step guide on Instructables (This is the only documentation — no separate repo or PDF.)
  2. 2.Download the tape adapter STL from step 12(You will need access to a 3D printer.)
  3. 3.Source the motor, pulleys and belt first(The GT2 belt length and the 60T pulley size determine the frame dimensions, so buy these before cutting plywood.)
  4. 4.Cut the PVC ring carefully(The C-shaped slot is what lets you load cables from the side — a clean cut here makes assembly easier.)

Resources

Documentation, files and community threads for this build — we link straight to the original sources and never rehost the creator’s files.

KNOWN ISSUES

  • The guide gives measurements but no templates or DXF files — you lay out the pulley positions by hand, and if they are not aligned the belt will ride off or bind.
  • Belt tension is not adjustable once the frame is screwed together — test-fit everything before final assembly, and leave one motor mount screw loose until you confirm the belt runs smoothly.
  • The cordless drill battery mount is specific to one brand — if you do not have a compatible battery, budget time to design a different holder or wire a 12V wall adapter instead.
  • Cloth electrical tape is specified because it stretches as it wraps; if you use rigid PVC tape the layers will not lie flat and the result looks messy.
  • The foot pedal and PWM controller are generic eBay/AliExpress parts — no model numbers are given, so you will need to match the voltage and current rating to the motor yourself.
  • The 3D-printed tape adapter is a two-part design that clamps the tape roll on an M6 bolt — if your tape core is a different size you will need to scale or redesign the adapter.

Can I use this for heat-shrink tubing?

No — heat-shrink does not stick as you wrap it, so the bundle will unravel as soon as you let go. This is designed for adhesive cloth tape that holds itself in place.

What if I do not have a cordless drill battery?

You can wire a 12V wall adapter or bench supply instead — the battery mount is just a convenience. Make sure the supply can deliver the current the geared motor draws under load.

Do I need a drill press to make this?

Not strictly, but the pulley holes need to be square to the plywood or the belt will not track. A hand drill and a square will work if you are careful.

Can I wrap multiple bundles at once?

The C-slot is sized for one bundle at a time. You could run several thin cables together, but the tape width and the slot clearance are the practical limits.

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Discussion1

FROM THE COMPAREE TEAM

The foot pedal means both hands stay free to guide the wires, and the C-slot lets you add cables mid-wrap — what would you use this for first?

CompareeTEAM2d ago

Practical notes from our verification: the Instructables guide is the only documentation (no GitHub repo, no separate PDF), the tape adapter STL is linked in step 12, and the video has close to 9 million views but no voiceover — it is pure build footage. The one thing that will eat your Saturday is getting the pulley spacing right, because there are no templates and the belt will not forgive sloppy layout. The CC BY-NC-SA licence means you cannot sell these, but you can build one for your own bench.

Well Done Tips

Well Done Tips (Instructables user and Instagram @welldonetips) publishes DIY workshop jigs and maker tools. This wire harness wrapper was built to clean up cable management on electronics projects and has been viewed nearly 9 million times on YouTube.

Web

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DISCLAIMER

  • Comparee is not the author of the projects featured here. All rights to each project belong to its creator — every page links to the original source, and we never host creators’ files.
  • Information is provided without warranty and may become outdated as projects evolve. Prices are indicative bands only — always check the creator’s parts list for current costs.
  • Building and operating any project is at your own responsibility. Protective equipment, safe workshop practice and compliance with local regulations are the builder’s responsibility.
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