How to get a square cut on cable housing using a dremel?
 

So I'm testing cutting cable housing with my dremel, using a 1.5" metal cutoff wheel. The cuts come out very clean, but I can not get a good square cut. Any ideas, tips, or tricks?

I touch the end against a fine grinding wheel. The liner typically melts to some degree but cleans out well with the cable.

You need to cut close to the end to get a square cut. I chop the cable about 1cm too long then finish it with a dremel.

A fine grinding wheel/stone works great for me too.

The easiest way is to cut with a cable cutter (passing V or semi-circular cutting edges), then use a Dremel or bench vise to touch up. If you dip the end in water before and immediately after grinding, and use a quick light touch, you won't get as much melt back of the liner,

I don't have a grinding wheel, unfortunately.

I have Park cable cutters. So you think I should cut first (with the cutters), and then try to touch-up afterwards?

for shift housing i just cut em with cable cutters and buzz it on the grinder quickly. ream out the liner while warm

Yes, using one of the stones or mini grinding wheels that Dremel makes. You can also use the cut off disc, but you have to do it as a skim cut from the rim, not from the side or you'll shatter the disc.

YEA Brake: Cut first , then square the end with your Dremel

Compression resistant gear cables :being a liner bundle of , maybe just worry thru it with a carbide disc.

an opposing V or U jaw cutter are better, as the housing is kept round.

I read somewhere that grinding the end of compressionless housing (I have compressionless brake housing too!), could possibly mess up the liner. Trying to remember, but apparently the grinder can grab the end of the strands, and split the liner. Any truth to it?

I cut using the cutoff wheel, then grind the end against the flat of the wheel to square it up. As long as you're not using too much pressure the wheel won't snap.

Oh, one other thing, the amount of sparks (and possible small debris) flying when using the dremel tool is a little disconcerting ... I'm wearing eye protection, but it seems I should have full face protection. Suggestions?

Use the opposite edge on the cutting disc and the sparks will fly away from you. I wouldn't worry about full face protection, even when using an angle grinder. If you've got a piece coming at your face large enough to cause damage, you're probably using the wrong tool to begin with. That said, those discs can and will break, often, so absolutely do not skip the eye protection under any circumstances.

...unless the wheel breaks apart. I've had cutoff wheels shatter.

Yes, it depends if you up grind or down grind. If the housing is pointing above the center of the grinding wheel, the passing wheel tends to push the housing down to where the diameter is higher, increasing pressure. This can snag and split the housing.

OTOH, if you're grinding below the center, the motion of the wheel pushes the housing away making snagging impossible.

On a bench ginder, set the tool rest so the housing is pointing just below dead center and you'll get good square results every time

I used the cutoff wheel to cut, and then used the sanding stone dremel attachment (as alternative to grinder, as you suggested). It seemed to work quite well ... nice clean square end. There is a little fraying on the outer liner which I can most scrape off with my fingernail. The inner sleeve (where the actual brake cable rides through) was slightly collapsed, but I inserted an old shift cable from the other end, pushed it through the newly cut end, and then opened it up by spinning in circles.

Use fiberglass-reinforced cutoff wheels, I've never had one shatter:

http://www.amazon.com/Dremel-426-Fib.../dp/B00004UDH9

I've typically use them until they've worn down to about 1/2" in diameter before discarding 'em.

I've never had good results attempting to square off housing ends using any type of Dremel bit. However I DO use the sides of the cheap cutoff discs to square and bevel the edges of cable ends so they initially slide through the housing without catching the liner. To square housing ends I use a table-mounted belt sander with a medium grit (100?) belt. A light touch and quick dips in water keep the liner from frying.

Even though I have a Dremel and a bench grinder handy, I find it quickets to simply cut the housing with the Park cutter and use a couple passes of a flat file to square up the ends.

I put the housing in a waist-level, workbench vise to hold it steady. The vise is right there where I am working anyway. I cut as close to where the cable is being held by the vise as possible to prevent the cable from being able to squirm around which will spoil the cut. I hold the dremel with two hands to keep it as steady as possible.

Sometimes it isn't perfect but it is always close enough and the reason I use the dremel is that the cleanup of the hole opening after the cut takes almost no time when using dremel.

I focus on what I am doing and I visualize a perfect cut while I am preparing to cut and cutting. Good luck.

As has been mentioned, the Dremel cutting wheel will melt or snag the rubber on the outside of the housing, so I cut through the outside with a utility knife. I hold the utility knife perpendicular to the housing and roll it on my workbench to make a nearly perfect, square cut through the rubber. Then it's quick to cut the steel part of the housing with the Dremel, using the cut line in the rubber layer as a guide.

I actually tried that approach, using a wire stripping tool. I found it too difficult to hit only the metal with the dremel - it ended up worse than just using the dremel on both rubber/liner and steel. Maybe you have a steadier hand than myself. :)

I was thinking too that it probably depends on the brand and type of housing, since I'm sure they each react a bit differently. Maybe the true secret is to figure out the trick for your favorite brand and then buy a few hundred feet. :lol:

Wow. I must be doing something wrong. Can someone explain why the Park Tool cutter does an insufficient job?

I think the ideal setup would be something like a Dremel 2.5" cutoff blade (fiberglass reinforced) on a dremel-like tool that looks/moves like miter saw - where you can essentially drop the blade quickly, and precisely square, on the cable.