Placing strips into poly tube

[grahami2006]

Hi All from beautiful downtown Bathurst where it has just reached 3. I am trying to put led strips in a 5 metre poly tube. The strips are also 5m long but everytime I thread them through they start to twist. Have tried just about everything, even got the wife( under sufferance) to help until I started to use bad language.
Has anyone any ideas.
Thanks
Graham

 

[ewanh]

haven't done it myself yet, but...

Have you tried laying the strips out first for a while so they aren't 'curled' from being around the reel?

Are you running a string through the tube first, and using the string to pull the strip through?

Is the poly tube flat, without curls?

Ewan

 

[David_AVD]

Graham, are these the "bare" strips, the ones in a loose silicone sleeve or the solid silicone version?

 

[grahami2006]

haven't done it myself yet, but...

Have you tried laying the strips out first for a while so they aren't 'curled' from being around the reel?

Are you running a string through the tube first, and using the string to pull the strip through?

Is the poly tube flat, without curls?

Ewan

Maybe need a little more warm weather to help the tubing be more pliable.

 

[grahami2006]

Graham, are these the "bare" strips, the ones in a loose silicone sleeve or the solid silicone version?

Solid silicon but off ebay.

 

[David_AVD]

I wonder if you could use those floor board plastic "tongues" as a backing for the strip?

 

[AussiePhil]

when i did the 4M arch (the first one) i found the strip didn't lay completely flat but as soon as the pipe was bent around the arch the silicon tubed strip i used sat nice and flat.

I like David's idea of the yellow tongue support

Phil

 

[Henedce]

I used poly strapping to back my strip.
Then using a weight attached to some string, I fed that through tied off to the strapping and pulled the strip through without stressing it.