corkscrew

Hi all,

After re-cabling a bicycle last night, I was left wondering.

What is the best way to de-burr your cable housing ends? I did a good enough job with pliers for clipping the extra bits of metal off, but figured there has to be a better way.

Thanks.

operator

Grinder, and 0.2s. YOu are talking about clearing housing right? Cables shouldn't need to be cleaned up with a good cutter.

BCRider

.... and a pointy scriber or sharpened spoke to flare open up the melted end of the inner tube of the housing after you touch it to the grinding stone.

If you truly did mean the cable itself then get the little crimp on ends. After cutting the cable use a twisting action to smooth any frayed out strands back into place then crimp on the end. Some folks glue the ends with CA or try to solder them and then file the ends rounded but that's more trouble than it's worth and can still leave a sharp strand or two to poke you when working around them. The crimp on caps are nicely rounded, cheap and easy to use. If you crimp them lightly they can be opened with a cross squeeze and used again for a couple of times. Or you can buy a lifetime's supply for $6 or so in bulk.

corkscrew

Sorry, I do mean housing ends.

Guess I need to get a bench grinder for the garage.

operator

You can also use a file. I mentioned bench grinder only because I work in a shop.

BCRider

A file would work great but you'll want a rounded groove in something that will support the housing while running the file over the end. Otherwise it'll spring around all over the place and be no better than just leaving it. A small block of wood or metal with a vertical V or U groove in one face and mounted in a vise or screwed to a handy spot will do nicely. Just hold the housing in the groove end pointed up and just barely over the edge and run the file over the end a few times. And even though it won't melt the core tube it's still nice to have a pointed tool to flare it back out. Makes for easier cable running.

gerald_g 

A dremel with a fine wheel seems to work as well as a grinder, no?

caloso

That's what I use.

helicomatic

You could also just hold the file on the bench and move the housing against it.

operator

Nope.

Bench grinder is faster.

BCRider

I think you'll find that the end wobbles around too much in the rather poor grip we can achieve with our fingers and the end will be rounded as a result. But a block with a vertical groove similar to what I suggested for attaching to the bench but used hand held against a file would work as well.

MilitantPotato

I lost some skin using a dremel, housing kept skipping around. I use a metal file now, takes slightly longer but the final result is flat and my fingers safe. I am pretty clumsy though.

Suppose you could use a vice to hold the cable, but meh.

rumrunn6

good quality "cable cutter" from a home depot does a good job on cables and housings!

gerald_g 

That's what I do, but only because my shop is equipped with a vise and dremel, and is sans bench grinder yet.

JohnDThompson 

And easier, in my experience.

Plus, you can put a buffing wheel or wire wheel opposite the stone to do other useful things.

corkscrew

I have a Pedro's brand bicycle cable/housing cutter. Yet most of my housing cuts leave a bit of the metal sprial wrap sticking out.

fuzz2050

Yep, a bench grinder/wire wheel is on my 'to buy' list. First I need a garage to keep it in though, damn apartment life. Till then a dremel works pretty well. Maybe 85%, for much less cost

Al1943

There have been previous threads on this subject if you want more opinions.

Al

Panthers007

Shimano or Felco cable-cutters. And an awl for opening up the housing-ends if needed.

operator

No quality cable cutter will square the ends, which is what this thread is about.

Vonspanker

Not for the brake cables on pro-level builds. If it's something you do on a regular basis use a bench grinder.

rydaddy

Cut with a cheap cable cutter. Square it off using a dremel w/thin disc. Takes less than 30 seconds per side.

zzyzx_xyzzy

I find a file doesn't melt the cable sheath or liner so there's less need to ream out the liner with a poky thing afterwards.

protip: after cutting the inner cable, drag it on a grinding wheel at an angle so the end is rounded not square. Makes it a lot easier to thread into aero brake levers.

genec

OK I do something a wee bit different...

I do use a good cable cutter, then I touch up the ends as needed, but ultimately before cutting, I leave quite a bit extra, as much as 3 inches or more. Then I super glue the end, and when the glue is dry, I coil the end into a tight loop and wrap the end into the loop.

This leaves nothing sharp to stab you, leaves lots of "service loop," especially if you end up moving something later. (like raising handlebars or lowering a front derailuer). And for maintenance, there is no fooling with crimp-on/maybe crimp-off bits.

Yes it is a unique look... little coils of cable at the ends of things. But it is quite serviceable and will not stab you.

helicomatic

We call that the "guitarist's method" around here. Superglue can be used as a substitute for a cable end crimp, but the OP was talking about cable housing.