Soldered Cable Ends?
02-17-09, 09:05 PM
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Soldered Cable Ends?
So having recently kinda finished a staged build-up, which included running cables, then changing my mind or screwing it up a few times and having to pull and re-run them, I got to thinking - couldn't I put a small dab of solder on the ends of all the cables rather than the squish-on cable end caps?
Squishing the end caps on seems to fray out the ends under the caps, thus preventing me from re-running cables. But a tidily soldered cable end would, in theory, allow cable reuse.
On new uncut cables, the ends seem to be fused in some way...
Thoughts?
Squishing the end caps on seems to fray out the ends under the caps, thus preventing me from re-running cables. But a tidily soldered cable end would, in theory, allow cable reuse.
On new uncut cables, the ends seem to be fused in some way...
Thoughts?
02-17-09, 09:19 PM
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I've also read that you could dip the ends in super glue.
02-17-09, 09:20 PM
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That's how I've done my cables for several years now. (soldered that is) It works fantastic.
02-17-09, 09:31 PM
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I always use silver solder with liquid flux I apply it were I'm gona cut when its hot wipe it with a damp rag to make it smooth also then cut it.
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02-17-09, 09:39 PM
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I use solder or heat-shrink tubing, whatever's closest/easiest.
02-17-09, 09:41 PM
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whatever stops the ends from fraying badly.
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02-17-09, 10:19 PM
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Yes - being inventive works fine. Another item many people don't pay enough attention to is what they cut their cables & housing with. Nothing frays out a cable better than using some cheap substitute for real bicycle-grade cable & housing cutters. If you don't have - put it at the top of your shopping-list. Yes they are expensive, but so is having your cables fray-out into a rat's nest. I've had my Shimano cutters since 1984. They're as good as new.
Nothing like that solid CHUNK! as it makes short work of cables and housing together. Always try to put some old cable into housing before cutting. Keeps the inner sleeve (and housing itself) from getting pinched shut.
Nothing like that solid CHUNK! as it makes short work of cables and housing together. Always try to put some old cable into housing before cutting. Keeps the inner sleeve (and housing itself) from getting pinched shut.
02-17-09, 10:45 PM
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Buy a silver solder kit. You should find at a hardware store for ~$3.50.
02-18-09, 03:29 AM
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Sure you can. One important piece of advice though; Some cables are stainless steel, and they won't take to the most common tin-based solders. As already posted you need to use silver for those, and I think you need a torch instead of a soldering iron to get it hot enough.
02-18-09, 12:27 PM
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I remember when I didn't know how to fix bikes, my dad used to solder the cable ends together. They worked just fine, but the rest of the bike sucked. It was a Wal-Mart bike 
02-18-09, 12:40 PM
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02-18-09, 05:18 PM
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I use JB Weld.
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02-18-09, 05:31 PM
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I could never get a silver solder kit to work on Campy stainless steel cables.
02-18-09, 11:34 PM
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Superglue is the best if you can't solder it. Twisting the cable in the correct direction as you reinsert it helps as well. I generally leave the cables long until I am completely done so that I can clip the ends one last time and then add crimps.
Edit: You also may need to degrease them to get solder to stick.
Edit: You also may need to degrease them to get solder to stick.
02-19-09, 01:07 AM
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https://www.mcmaster.com/ (Search part #7695A1)
Once you brush that liquid flux on the Campy SS cable, solder flows nicely into it.
02-19-09, 01:11 AM
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Soldered ends are functional and really attractive if you are up to the work... brand new non stainless cable takes to soldering really well.
02-19-09, 07:49 AM
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The old galvanized steel cables were easy to solder with plain lead-tin solder and regular flux or with rosin core electronic solder. The newer stainless steel cables require special flux and silver solder.
02-19-09, 11:44 AM
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Shrink Tubing, works well on the ends too. After freying the crap out of some cables due to a lack of crimp tips and having a hard time getting solder to adhere (probably wasn't using the right solder) I figured that shrink tubing would work just as well.
And it had so far!
And it had so far!
02-19-09, 10:18 PM
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Many years ago I saw one of Seattle's best bike mechanics used Shoe Goo and that's what I have been using ever since. The black looks great, if you can find it, and if you are careful about it. You end up with a small slightly tear drop shape end on the wire. I hate crimps: they don't look good INHO and are not permanent.
