Cable end fray treatment?
 

Hiya ,

I used to solder up the ends of cables to stop them fraying, but the new stainless steel stuff doesn't seem to want to take solder. And I think also that modern cables fray more readily?. What y'all doin fer this?

When did the aluminium blind crimps come in? I think they might be post C & V?

What about shrink tube?:notamused:

Bill P

Try a drop of super glue on the stainless instead of solder.

I've done super glue, and I've done epoxy. Neither is, in my experience, quite perfect. But it helps. Heat shrink tubing is also pretty good, but it will slip off if you yank on it.

I've seen the cable end clips on bikes that look like they haven't been worked on in 60+ years. They look a little different, but I wouldn't worry about the C&V aspect of it. The ones we had in the shop in the early 80's were just like the ones out today.

Cable crimp tips might not be period correct but they are the best thing ever invented. Just buy a bottle of 500 for $15-20 and have a lifetime's supply and never look back. Then again I use modern tires and brake shoes too. I guess I'm not a purist

I just use the cable end crimp caps in silver, I think I paid $10 or $15 for a bottle of 500. I also want to get some in black.

Here's an idea if you don't want to use the crimp end OP, strip some bare copper wire out of something, small, 24ga or less, wrap the end of the cable, THEN solder.

While you're at it maybe tie and solder your wheels too :)

Idea?

I use epoxy with mostly great success. I let it dry overnight and cut it with a dremel rather than wirecutters.

http://simplecycle-marc.blogspot.com...-to-share.html

Marc

Interesting!

I use the standard aluminum crimp ends but then I'll paint them to match a color on the frame, handlebar tape or decals.

Scott

Me thinks that concern about whether cable end caps are C&V may be approaching the obsessive.

Similar to Epoxy although I haven't tried it I'd bet JB Weld would work well. When its dry you can sand and shape it and even paint it.

Hey, where's my pearl orange? :D

http://posterous.com/getfile/files.p.../_MG_5274.jpeg

True. The most C&V cable end treatment is a rough cut about an inch from the pinch bolt, frayed out about halfway. Rust is optional. Stainless cable is not.

I haven't made up my mind yet what color to use. Orange, yellow, black or blue to match the bar wrap? These things take time!

Scott

I use heat shrink tubing mainly because it will come off with little effort.

Use silver solder on the stainless steel cable.

You can cut the head off of a brass or alloy spoke nipple and then crimp that into place. Clean it up a wee bit with a file and it will look just fine.

Personally, I use the ones I get in a bottle from the local bicycle shop. And, strangely enough, they are very similar to the ones on the twenty, thirty and sometimes forty year old bikes that I drag home.

I like the idea of soldering the ends for the convenience of being able to remove/re-thread the cable quickly without an end cap getting in the way, though I appreciate the caps when I get stabbed by an uncapped end.

For those who solder - do you solder the cable in place and let the brake/derailleur cable clamp act as a heat sink, or do you remove the cable before soldering to protect the cable liner?

You can solder if you like that area whip it down when hot and the size will not increase allowing you to still slide the cable in and out of the housing also.
Cutting can be done with a pair of wire cutters also on the solder area cuts clean

For 80's and later classics, they are period correct as my 80's bikes came with them when I bought them . I've used them on my cable tips since the 80's and I can't go without them as I really hate frayed cable tips on a bike....yecccchhh..........and ouch too!

Chombi

Hahaha, just busting YOUR chops for a change :)

A dab of clear nail polish works for me.

The crimp ends come right off with a solid yank with the side-cutters. Crimp a new one on when you are done. The side-cutters I have have a crimper built into them. I always have a side-cutters when I work on anything. I guess it is an electrician thing.

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I fail to see what the big deal is with these crimps. They cost something like $.03 each when you buy them in bulk. Often you can re-use the ones you yank off anyhow. A bottle of 500 should last any home mechanic a lifetime. It's like ferrules, oil, grease, a variety of bulk bearings sized in jars, or any other consumable used when working on bikes.

Crimps are great, but you do have a wide variety of them to choose from. I like the smallest diameters I can find, with the domed end, as some of them tend to be too chunky and look awful after you crimp them on.

Chombi

I've got a bottle of XLC crimps sized 1.0-1.2mm and I've yet to run into a cable that they haven't fit on or looked bad. I've used them on deraileur cable and brake cable. Perhaps my personal level of "looks bad" is different than many other wrenches. They work fine and when crimped with my crimper they work well even on thinner cable.

BTW, nice VFR you have there Chombi.