Back in the early 80's I soldered the ends. Now since I'm using stainless and the slippery cables, I just use the crimp on cable ends. If I need to remove the cable and plan on re-inserting it, I just cut it near the crimp.

One other thing that I did try is using wiring ferrules. I was working for a machine builder. We use stranded wire on projects. The old solution would be to dip the wire end in a solder pot or leave the end loose. While that may be quick, both techniques have their problems. Nowadays the preferred method to gather up and secure the end of the stranded wire is to use a ferrule and crimper. The better crimpers have dies on four or six sides and put a series of crimps down sides of the ferrule. I tried this on my Lambert and it works good.



A kit with the crimp tool and an assortment of ferrules is about $35 US. Automation Direct sells 500 pieces of 16awg ferrules for $8.75 in either red or black. That is not bad if you decide to commit to this. For me, I'm still sticking to the crimp on cable ends. But if I get a kit for home, things could change. This could work for a bike shop or co-op.