Method of and apparatus for stress relieving multistranded cable

Apparatus for stress relieving multistranded cable includes a rotatable cradle of a double twist strander which carries a plurality of guide sheaves, a dual wheel capstan, and a take-up reel and a pay-off reel arranged to substantially reduce the length of the path of travel of the advancing cable and to impart stress relieving rotation and tension to the advancing cable. After the cable has been payed off of a stationary pay-off reel, it is advanced to a pair of metering sheaves to fix the starting point of the stress relieving process. From the metering sheaves, the cable advances to the dual wheel capstan mounted for rotation with the take-up reel on the cradle of the strander.