EL Wire routing technique

I'd like to ask everyones opinions/experience with the routing of EL wire. Most all the tutorials I read use the folded wire technique where you simply fold the wire back on itself a number of times then insert this into an inner poly tube. A few people I've read wrap/wind the wire around and inner poly tube, wooden dowl, or other rigid center support then place this inside the diffuser.

Has anyone tried both methods? What are the draw backs with each?

Just wanted to get some inputs on this.

Thanks all!
Tiberius

I have always twisted my EL wire after folding four times. So I end up with a quadruple-helix.

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Hmmmm... Now that's something I never thought of. Thanks for the suggestion.

I think it would be interesting to actually get some lumen readings on several various methods. I have no idea how to go about doing such a thing but I'm getting ready to order some EL wire from Tim so I might try to do some experimenting. Antoher method I had thought of was to coil the wire around a rigid center but have whatever that center rod might be, have a highly reflective or mirror finish. Maybe this would radiate more light outward rather than bouncing around uselessly in a center core. ???

Tiberius