I'd love to know how all of you organize your cables for your machine(s). (post photos within!)

This post sounds exactly what the title implies. I’d love to know how all of you organize your cables for your machine(s).

My shop is pretty well kept in terms of minimizing the chaos with proper dust collection, cable management, organization of tools, supplies, etc.

However, when it comes to the CNC, It’s been a permanent temporary solution for FAR TOO long!

Also, to add insult to injury, I recently installed a bit setter and a feed hold button as well as a E-stop button to kill power to everything in the event of a “oh sh*t” moment. :joy:

All that being said, I’d love to see everyones photos of their set ups to see what worked, what didn’t work, etc.

After roughing in all of the new components I added; needless to say, it’s been bugging me for 2 weeks and I want to tackle it but I’d like to see some photos for ideas/inspiration.

I’d like to move my box that contains the vacuum, router power, and control box for the cnc to the front of my set up. However, the biggest thing I’m trying to figure out is the makita router power cable ( I’d like it in that box but I’d also like it so the cable is obviously able to move freely along the entire size of the cutting area. Idk if suspending the cable makes most sense or an extension cord with ample “play” for it to move freely, etc. would work.

I’ve seen enclosures posts that people have posted about that topic but not so much about the “internals” of how they got there.

So, let’s see how everyone has done it! I think this would be a nice post for all of us “advanced and nOObs, alike” to get ideas.

I’ll go first. (again, posting this so I can nip this in the butt and get it clean!!! :call_me_hand:


I just run the router cable on my XL up along the dust hose through bungie cords looped from a drop ceiling.

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Be careful, ‘just tidying up the cabling and hoses’ can turn into a bit of a problem…

I put extra brackets along the back of the X rail and laid a second set of drag chains to put the router, and then spindle, power cables and coolant hoses through to keep them away from the Shapeoko cabling.

Spiral wrap, cable tied down at the exits of the drag chain works as great strain relief to control the movement and bend radius of the cables and hoses, it also prevents cable / hose contact wear at the ends of the drag chain.

The Z axis drag chain also makes a great place to route the extraction hose.

And I just use some P clips on the bench and some spiral wrap for the USB and bitsetter cables.

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I use sticky back wire tie holders. You can get them at the big box stores. I like them because you just snip the wire tie should I need to add/subtract something. Also easy to add new devices like BitZero, BitSetter, BitRunner.

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I went with a large drag chain and 3D printed brackets and just put everything inside of it. VFD wire, water lines, stepper motor wires, static grounding wire, limit switch wires and air blast hose are all inside the drag chain.

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