Originally Posted by Surferbruce
use some good cutters to cut the housing if you can, then file it nice and square and use something pointy to open up the hole. one key to cabling is make sure the housing is a length that enters the brake (or derailleur) in a straight line.
Thats good tip. I usually touch up the ends with a bench grinder. One side is a wire wheel and removes debris from the opening...
Brakes are pretty simple, and only way to mess this up it to cut the cable wrong. Other than that, just dive right in. Unless you're just an idiot...