Cable Lore

Cable Lore

Anaconda Wire and Cable Company

Welcome to the PowerPath Company’s webpage dedicated to that singular bit of the wire and cable industry lore, the Anaconda Company’s Cable Lore

Introduction:

There is no element of the wire and cable industry more deeply shrouded in myth and pathos; or one more frequently quoted without acknowledgement; or more often plagiarized, than the Anaconda Wire and Cable Company’s series of quasi-internal quasi-external publications: Cable Lore.

Written, printed and distributed by the Power Cable Engineering and Research group of the Anaconda Company from their offices in Marion Indiana starting in March 1965, this series of brief articles--covering nearly every aspect of the state-of-the-industry during that time--would continue for nearly two decades. Over seventy five were eventually published, (including the New Era group that came out of the Malvern Engineering center after the Marion offices were closed). Authored by various members of the Power Cable Engineering and Research group, the Cable Lore series was the brainchild of the group’s actual (and spiritual) leader Steve Bunish. Even if your interest in wire is only cursory, you should—at least—do yourself the pleasant favor of scanning the collection and reading a few signed by Steve himself. Later in life a published author, his powerful intellect and crystal clear thinking (and writing) shine through, even to this day.

As witness to the Cable Lore’s relevance, one can find snippets—or indeed whole tracts—taken from these articles, and quoted without attribution, all over the internet. Once you’ve read the series for yourself, you’ll see their echoes in catalogues, marketing pieces and correspondence throughout the present day wire and cable industry.

Some of the Cable Lore articles should be required reading for anybody in our industry, others may seem dated, their topics stale, but you’ll be surprised how much of the material is current, and up-to-date--and will be right up until someone decides to repeal Ohm’s Law. Taken as a group, these articles offer a fascinating insight into the evolution of power cable, and a peek into the inner workings and political dynamic of a group of engineers at the top of their game, working for the most powerful and influential company in their respective industry and time.

My purpose here is to let the authors and the articles shine on their own; to bring them off the shelf, so to speak, and to put them in your hands in their original format and without edit. Simply, to allow the next generation the same advantage I had as a newcomer to the wire and cable biz. To that end, the complete set of seventy five Cable Lore articles, distributed under Bill Wilken’s signature in 1984, is available below by clicking on the links. (In the interest of thoroughness I’ve also included all the disclaimers, the index, the registration cards and even the original cover letters in this archive.)

If you are new to the industry, welcome! Read on and learn. If you are an old-timer with comments, corrections, or insights about the Cable Lore series to share, please contact me, (see the PowerPath Company’s main webpage for details). If you are an attorney, or like-minded fun-spoiler working for one of the Anaconda Company’s many successors, and want to throw a wet-blanket over the powerful knowledge building and credit sharing taking place here, I shake my head and ask: “How do you sleep at night?” and implore you to, please, continue your searching elsewhere first, and only after expunging all the outright stolen bits of the Cable Lore throughout the internet, in catalogues, and marketing pieces, revisit this site—with its open acknowledgment (and freely given full credit)—and then write me that dreaded letter, with its veiled threats, and tell me to cease and desist or whatever…

Until then, enjoy this fantastic archive of Wire and Cable Knowledge!

Dave

A Disclaimer: The PowerPath Company and its employees can not vouch for the accuracy of the engineering data contained in the Cable Lore articles. Readers should carefully note the date of the original publication and bear in mind the ever-changing state of polymeric technological advance. The often lively discussions contained in the Cable Lores reflect the opinions of the authors and are based on their view of material science at the date of publication.

One further note: The PowerPath Company and its employees expect no financial gain by of sharing this archive. What are shown are digital copies of David Hammel’s personal collection of Cable Lores, painstakingly amassed during his career at Anaconda, Cablec, and BICC. These Cable Lore articles are offered strictly for the personal enlightenment of, and enjoyment by, their readers.