alternative to cable cutter?

Use a dremel tool (high speed rotary thing) with a fiber cut-off
wheel. It will cut through anything, including cables and their
jackets and do it very neatly. It won't squish the cable jacket like
a regular cable cutter will.

someone said:

I was trying to think of an alternative to an official cable cutter.

Quoted message said:

Can steel cable be soldered? What about stainless?

Quoted message said:

If so you could solder the 1/2" area you want to make a cut in, cut
it, and then use it as normal.. the soldered area would be in the
holding screw anyway...

How about trying it and reporting what you find.

I think you'll find that a soldered cable splays regardless of how you
cut it and it stays that way. It does exactly the opposite of what
you appear to want.

Quoted message said:

What about gluing strands together somehow, then cutting?

Glue is so much weaker than steel that you'll end up with either
strands with glue splinters or a gummy mess.

Quoted message said:

What about wrapping the end in plumbers Teflon tape to avoid
separation?

You might as well tie a decorative ribbon around the cable. Teflon
tape has no tensile strength and cuts with a fingernail.

Good steel control cables can be cut just fine with diagonal cutters
intended for cutting steel wire. Electrical cutters are not hard
enough and have too sharp an edge to do this. After cutting, cable
strands will spring back to their original close packed helix. I've
been cutting control cables for many years with diagonal cutters
without problem. They works for cable housing as well although
without an end cap housings are best ground flat. I use end caps.

Have you tried it?

[email hidden]

Oh yeh, and it makes pretty sparks which cutting steel cables!

lppl jij said:

Oh yeh, and it makes pretty sparks which cutting steel cables!

Titanium too!

wle said:

i was trying to think of an alternative to an official cable cutter.

Dremel Tool with thin cutter plate. Then use a nice big drop of finger
nail polish to seal the end of the cable. (choose a dark "manly" color)

Nate
--

Let the bridges I burn light my way...

On 23 Mar 2005 20:20:42 -0800, "wle" <[email hidden]> may have

Quoted message said:

i was trying to think of an alternative to an official cable cutter.

A Dremel tool with a cutoff disc is a good alternative, particularly
for the casing.

Quoted message said:

can steel cable be soldered?

Most of the time, yes, if you're careful, with a little practice and
the right heat source.

Quoted message said:

what about stainless?

Sometimes, if you have the right solder and flux, and/or have some
phosphoric acid to pretreat it with.

Quoted message said:

if so you could solder the 1/2" area you want to make a cut in, cut it,
and
then use it as normal.. the soldered area would be
in the holding screw anyway...

Not a good idea. Fiirst, the clamped portion should not be soldered;
try it and you'll discover why. Also, if you cut the cable that close
to the exact length required, you leave very little room for
subsequent adjustment. It's generally considered wiser to leave about
35-40mm of extra cable, and crimp or solder the last 10mm of it to
prevent unravelling.

Quoted message said:

what about gluing strands together somehow, then cutting?

The glue can shatter, leaving you with a cable end that's no longer as
compact as it was. A good cable shear, such as the Park unit, will
not cause the cable to unwind when cut. It is not necessary to try to
immobilize the strands if you use the correct tool to cut the cable.

Quoted message said:

what about wrapping the end in plumbers teflon tape to avoid
separation?

Teflon tape has no adhesive; it's useless for this. I have used
plastic tool grip dip coating with limited success, I've used
superglue with moderately good results for short periods of time (it
tends to fail in six months or so outdoors), and there are tapes with
aggressive adhesive properties which might work, but crimped ends or
soldered ends are the two methods that have the best record when it
come to permanence.

--
My email address is antispammed; pull WEEDS if replying via e-mail.
Typoes are not a bug, they're a feature.
Words processed in a facility that contains nuts.

Werehatrack said:

On 23 Mar 2005 20:20:42 -0800, "wle" <[email hidden]> may have
said:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

what about wrapping the end in plumbers teflon tape to avoid
separation?

Teflon tape has no adhesive; it's useless for this. I have used
plastic tool grip dip coating with limited success, I've used
superglue with moderately good results for short periods of time (it
tends to fail in six months or so outdoors), and there are tapes with
aggressive adhesive properties which might work, but crimped ends or
soldered ends are the two methods that have the best record when it
come to permanence.

My latest technique: heat end of cable with a lighter then rub on a hot
glue stick.

On 24 Mar 2005 05:23:46 -0800, "Peter Cole" <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

My latest technique: heat end of cable with a lighter then rub on a hot
glue stick.

Excellent! Also excellent, heat shrink tubing-- in the appropriate
color of course!

Guy A
Ripley, TN

Peter Cole said:

My latest technique: heat end of cable with a lighter then rub on a
hot glue stick.

Wasn't that in "9 1/2 Weeks"?

lppl jij said:

Use a dremel tool (high speed rotary thing) with a fiber cut-off
wheel. It will cut through anything, including cables and their
jackets and do it very neatly. It won't squish the cable jacket like
a regular cable cutter will.

I actually cut the cables on my most recent build with a Leatherman,
but any reasonable cable cutter will do; for the last 20+ years I've
been using a cheap ($4 in 1983) Chinese made cutter without any
problems. I use crimp caps to keep things tidy and safe after
installation, you can crimp them with ordinary pliers and they're like
$0.01 each.

For cutting housings, the Dremel is definitely the tool of choice. Cut
it off, then use the wheel to grind the end flat and stick a pointy
tool up the end to open out the Teflon liner tube which most housings
now have.

Kinky Cowboy*

*Batteries not included
May contain traces of nuts
Your milage may vary

DIY cable housing cutter

that's sharp!!
watch out for your hands and eyes.
think

wle said:

i was trying to think of an alternative to an official cable cutter.

can steel cable be soldered?
what about stainless?

if so you could solder the 1/2" area you want to make a cut in, cut it,
and
then use it as normal.. the soldered area would be
in the holding screw anyway...

what about gluing strands together somehow, then cutting?

what about wrapping the end in plumbers teflon tape to avoid
separation?

Just buy some cheap ones (Rolson brand etc). They should still last a
lifetime in non-professional use. How often do you change your cables
anyway?

wle said:

i was trying to think of an alternative to an official cable cutter.

can steel cable be soldered?
what about stainless?

if so you could solder the 1/2" area you want to make a cut in, cut it,
and
then use it as normal.. the soldered area would be
in the holding screw anyway...

what about gluing strands together somehow, then cutting?

what about wrapping the end in plumbers teflon tape to avoid
separation?

Just buy some cheap ones (Rolson brand etc). They should still last a
lifetime in non-professional use. How often do you change your cables
anyway?