how to cut cable housings clean
08-19-08, 01:10 PM
#27
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The bike cable cutters I use do a fine job- If it mashes, I cut the mashed bit off, and it ends up fine, I just open up the inner housing with a penknife, or whatever is handy.
Did this today in fact.
Did this today in fact.
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i jam my thumbs up and back into the tubes. this way i can point my fingers straight out in front to split the wind and attain an even more aero profile, and the usual fixed gear - zen - connectedness feeling through the drivetrain is multiplied ten fold because my thumbs become one with the tubing.
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08-19-08, 06:51 PM
#28
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One of the "standard" home made tools you will find in any shop is a defunct spoke that has been sharpened to a point on a bench grinder. Use this to re-round the ends of cables you just cut. With a good cut on a brake cable housing this will slide right into the housing with ease. With derailleur housing it will re-round the hole nicely (but don't push too hard, or you may split the housing). Bend the non-business end of your new tool into the handle of your choice ;-)))
08-20-08, 04:21 PM
#29
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11-18-16, 04:07 AM
#31
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I have this problem with brake cable housing as well. It may be why my rear brake has resistance when in use. It isnt the brake and I have checked almost everything. It could also be the cable guides on the frame.
11-18-16, 04:29 AM
#32
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My first post
I was told to push the inner cable through so when U make the Cut the outer does not compress and get damaged.
You do not want to file end of outer cable as U are introducing metal that will restrict movement of Inner Cable
You do not want to file end of outer cable as U are introducing metal that will restrict movement of Inner Cable
11-18-16, 05:47 AM
#33
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Use a good old pair of diagonal cutters and squeeze slightly to get jaws to open up the coils a little and then cut when they fall between the coils. This helps prevent crushes. Follow-up by grinding the burr down on a sharpening stone (old way) or use a Dremel tool (faster). Run the cable through the end a few times to make sure it doesn't snag or grab. Good to go.
The best tool I ever had for this job I broke and that was a pair of Xuron wire cutters. The blades were really thin and got between the coils so well that it left almost no burr. I now use the diagonal cutters though (tougher tool).
Arny1811's post above mine is a good method to but use an old cable and still grind for that burr that is formed. One almost always is.
The best tool I ever had for this job I broke and that was a pair of Xuron wire cutters. The blades were really thin and got between the coils so well that it left almost no burr. I now use the diagonal cutters though (tougher tool).
Arny1811's post above mine is a good method to but use an old cable and still grind for that burr that is formed. One almost always is.
Last edited by drlogik; 11-18-16 at 05:50 AM.
11-18-16, 06:07 AM
#34
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I just installed a new set of cables on my bike. I used the park cutters. At first my cuts weren't as straight and clean as I anted, but once I learned to bake sure it was aligned correctly and made a quick clean cut, I only needed to use a flat file on a few of them. I made sure they were well opened and round at the ends with a small punch. An uneven cut is no big deal when it happens. Just use the flat file and a punch to make it about a perfect as it can be. It's really not that big of a deal.
11-18-16, 06:14 AM
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A Dremel for the spiral brake housing. So clean and easy. The plastic can melt so something is needed to punch that out.
11-18-16, 11:52 AM
#37
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cutting cable
At the Bike exchange we have the park tool and a bench grinder. Cut to length then finish with grinder. At home I use my Side cutters and grind down the ends on my Belt sander. After grinding smooth I rotate the cable at an angle to the grinder to clean smooth the housing which gets a little distorted by the heat of the grinder. Necessary to make the metal ferrule slide on. To open the ends up I use the straight pick from a set of 3 picks I bought at Harbour Freight for about $3. These little tools are a great addition to your bike tool box. Good for cleaning out gunk in tight places and lots of other things you won't realize till you have a problem and realize they are just the tool for the job. Another tool I find invaluable is a pair of electricians wire crimping pliers, the kind with one dished side and pointed on the other. After sliding the ferrule on, a light squeeze with the crimping pliers makes a small dimple in the ferrule. Just a light squeeze- and the ferrule won't slip back off. Also use this tool to crimp the cable ends to the brake and shifter cables.
11-18-16, 12:27 PM
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Shimano Di2 --- LOL
Joe ;o)
Joe ;o)
11-18-16, 02:51 PM
#40
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I don't have any experience with more modern tools, but I can tell you how we did it back in the old days. We kept a roll of soft steel wire (solid-not stranded) on the workbench, stuck the end of the wire into the cable housing, then cut with a pair of good quality 8" linesman pliers. The steel wire kept the helical steel housing from collapsing when making the cut. A quick shake of the cable and the cut-off piece of steel wire would fall out. If working on an inexpensive kid's bike, that is all we did but if it was a quality bike we would make a quick pass of the end of the cable across a bench grinder with a fine stone. Worked well on both the large diameter helical brake cable housing and the smaller diameter gear cable housing. Of course that was in the day before cables had any type of liner.
11-18-16, 06:15 PM
#41
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I don't have any experience with more modern tools, but I can tell you how we did it back in the old days. We kept a roll of soft steel wire (solid-not stranded) on the workbench, stuck the end of the wire into the cable housing, then cut with a pair of good quality 8" linesman pliers. The steel wire kept the helical steel housing from collapsing when making the cut. A quick shake of the cable and the cut-off piece of steel wire would fall out. If working on an inexpensive kid's bike, that is all we did but if it was a quality bike we would make a quick pass of the end of the cable across a bench grinder with a fine stone. Worked well on both the large diameter helical brake cable housing and the smaller diameter gear cable housing. Of course that was in the day before cables had any type of liner.
