This will prove to me the cycle has had the attention to detail

[Freddyflintstone]

The ends of brake & gear cables that have a crimp/lug fitted to stop the strands unwinding.
The number of quality cycles I have seen with the crimp/lug crimped with a pair of side cutters
or bashed with a hammer.
Does anyone know the type of lug/crimp that should be used and the type of crimper that should be used.
I think a crimp, crimped correctley adds workmanship to an item
It's just that I am in the electrical industry. A loomed panel with crimps looks a work of art
when carried out by an experienced engineer.

OR should we just say "Whats up, it works- who care's its untidy"

 

[angeleye]

i use the same crimping tool that i use for making pike traces before i go fishing, works a treat and i agree it finishes the job nicely,

 

[palinurus]

I used to cut my cables to size, flux them and seal the ends in a solder pot. Then file off the excess.

Mainly because I could never find my crimps, but I always knew where the solder pot was.

 

[Freddyflintstone]

I used to cut my cables to size, flux them and seal the ends in a solder pot. Then file off the excess.

Mainly because I could never find my crimps, but I always knew where the solder pot was.

Thats one way
Curious about solder on steel - What flux did you use ?

 

[Gareth]

I agree with Angeleye.

Fox (fishing tackle) trace crimping pliers are what I use to crimp the ferrules onto bike brake and gear cable tag ends. http://www.foxint.com/catalogues-products.php?lang=e&product=2115&catalogue=3&section=53

 

[screenman]

Heat shrink tubing for me.

 

[palinurus]

(meant to quote Freddy F. there. "Thats one way
Curious about solder on steel - What flux did you use ?")

A bit of a "special". I work in in an R&D lab, I whisked up a flux consisting of a good amount of zinc chloride in a base of a mixture of different molecular weight polyglycols. And a bit of water to help the zinc chloride to dissolve.

Not really sure if the solder wet the steel or not- perhaps it just wicks up a little way and sticks to itself (I've never sectioned one end and checked!). Whatever happens it stops them fraying.

There are a few fluxes available to get soft solder to wet steel, Google Arax flux. They are pretty aggressive

 

[Bicycle]

Whenever I buy brake cables, the LBS man hands me cable-end thingies and I wave them away. His look of profound disappointment is a picture in itself.

Usually I snip the cable to length, but sometimes I loop and twist a too-long cable at the brake end. It ends up looking like a hastily re-stringed guitar.

When I pull the lever, my bicycle slows or stops, depending on the pressure applied and my speed at the time. That's all I ask of my brakes.

I know I am a fillystein; I just can't spell it.

 

[Freddyflintstone]

(meant to quote Freddy F. there. "Thats one way
Curious about solder on steel - What flux did you use ?")

A bit of a "special". I work in in an R&D lab, I whisked up a flux consisting of a good amount of zinc chloride in a base of a mixture of different molecular weight polyglycols. And a bit of water to help the zinc chloride to dissolve.

Not really sure if the solder wet the steel or not- perhaps it just wicks up a little way and sticks to itself (I've never sectioned one end and checked!). Whatever happens it stops them fraying.

There are a few fluxes available to get soft solder to wet steel, Google Arax flux. They are pretty aggressive

I know its possible, especially seeing steel battery caps soldered to copper cables
Now I know about Arax flux - Many Thanks

 

[wakou]

In response to this thread I have just ordered some of these:
http://www.campandfish.co.uk/as014---wsb-tackle-fishing-crimping-pliers-1656-p.asp
I could not bear the shame of the OP seeing my frayed ends at a forum meet, but paying more for crimpers (Fox brand) than I did for my cutters seemed a bit OCD.... So tidy cable ends for me from now!

 

[Paul.G.]

Did you know that some pro and top notch mechanics specifically use side cutters to crimp the ends as a way of "marking" thier work.

 

[subaqua]

I use the pin lug crimping tool for sub 1.0mmsq cables i have from too many years as a Electrician. have been known to use pin lugs if i can't find ends in the bit box

 

[Freddyflintstone]

In response to this thread I have just ordered some of these:
http://www.campandfish.co.uk/as014---wsb-tackle-fishing-crimping-pliers-1656-p.asp
I could not bear the shame of the OP seeing my frayed ends at a forum meet, but paying more for crimpers (Fox brand) than I did for my cutters seemed a bit OCD.... So tidy cable ends for me from now!

Compared to the price of my electrical trapezal crimpers I use- these are a bargain

 

[pawl]

I put smear of super glue on cut cable ends.

 

[mickle]

Did you know that some pro and top notch mechanics specifically use side cutters to crimp the ends as a way of "marking" thier work.

As do some not so top notch mechanics like me.