Custom cabling, modular connections, need advice.

[Codesmith]

I got six fans each connected to a 3" Male to Female molex Cable.
I got a non-modular PSU with extra connections cluttering up the place.

I understand electronics, but I have no clue what I am going as the practical stuff and I currently solder about as well as a trained monkey.

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With my current tools and skill set the best I could manage would be;

Cutting the wires, do an ugly soldering job and cover up any exposed wire with electrical tape.

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What I would like to be able to do is 3 pin male & female connectors, have all the wires neatly soldered to the pins with neat black shrink wrap.

Maybe if I did a nice job I would them want to look into doing some cable modding on my PSU. Create modular connections for the unnecessary cables so I can remove them now, but easily add them again latter..
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Questions
l soldering job.
2) What tools would I need to do the best possible job.

3) What additional parts/tools to create my modular connections? I am guessing I need pins, some tool that crimps pins and some sort of pin extractor.

4) Xoxide sells the the malextracter4 and 3 Connectors, where would I go to get any addition parts I would need?

5) What about the very thin black shrink wrap tubing? I do I need some sort of hot air gun, a powerful hair drier or what?

6) Finally what about my PSU. Assuming I learn to attack wires to pins and pins to connectors in a professional manner, where I can find suitable male female connectors for more more than 4 wired are involved?

7) Any way of creating custom length SATA cables?

This is something I want to start doing and I want to get good at it.

Anyway any guidance on anything related to soldering and creating custom cabling would be greatly

 

[Codesmith]

I found this site for parts.

http://www.action-electronics.com/molex.htm#Mini
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I am planning running a single set of wires to the location of each fan and then connecting then via 3 pin terminals.

Ultimately the wires will lead to a 4 pin female power connector and not to a header on the motherboard.

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When the PSU runs out of warranty I plan on cutting any unneeded wires externally and attaching a female connector.
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The extra parts I mentioned were the pins/terminals and the tools needed to work with them. Namely extractors and crimpers.

I will give pliers a try before buying a $20 crimper.

I might already have enough 3 pin and 4 pin connectors and wire sitting in my computer junk drawer.

So I might just need a variety of pins and matching pin extractors.


No soldering is involved so I won't be buying a soldering equipment or watching the six NASA soldering instructional video's I found.

I am not sure if people like them because they are incredibly good or simply because they are from NASA.

I probably don't need to use any shrink tubing either. But its nearly impossible to use a lighter for the smallest gauge of shrink tubing. Three really isn't a distance at which the wires shrinks without melting.

The package indicates I need to use a heat gun. But its nearly impossible to find one with a low enough settings. Turns out people usually use hair driers.

 

[audiovoodoo]

Have you seen the other thread that's appeared today on the same subject:

http://forumz.tomshardware.com/hardware/Modular-Kit-ftopict204950.html

It has links to a few good resources on this topic.

 

[audiovoodoo]

lol.. guess it must be common knowledge then seriously though they are good suggestions you made

These were the two link I thought most pertenant:

http://www.frozencpu.com/cat/l3/g11/c28/s217/list/p1/Power_Supplies-Accessories-DIY_Modulation-Page1.html

http://reviews.pimprig.com/modding/frozencpu_diy_psu_modulation_kit.php

 

[Codesmith]

Thanks

Now I just got to find out what gauge wires I am using, whether a 1000 watt hair drier is hot enough, whether pliers can crimp good enough, what pin extractors I need....

I probably shouldn't mod my PSU until the warranty expires. Some hooks will hide the cables, I got 2" hidden above my window.