Stray cable strands

In article said:

My FD cable is completely frayed at the end. It spreads out and either pokes
my leg or scratches the paint. Any tricks on getting it to behave?

Can you temporarily get it looking "pretty good" with judicious twisting of
the ends with a pair of pliers, and hold it in that position? If so, you can
apply some SuperGlue or the like and let it set for a minute. The cable
should be reasonably clean/non-greasy for this to work. Just don't glue the
pliers to the cable!

Art

"trg" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

My FD cable is completely frayed at the end. It spreads out and either

pokes

Quoted message said:

my leg or scratches the paint. Any tricks on getting it to behave? The

cable

Quoted message said:

itself is in good shape, so I don't want to replace it, and the end is too
far gone to put a terminator on it.

Thanks

A NEW front derailleur cable is only a couple of bucks. Buy one, install

it, put the mouse condom on the end and Voila! Perfection.

Don't be cheap.

Trg said:

My FD cable is completely frayed at the end. It spreads out and either
pokes my leg or scratches the paint. Any tricks on getting it to behave?
The cable itself is in good shape, so I don't want to replace it, and
the end is too far gone to put a terminator on it.
Thanks

Replace the cable. The best method to prevent this is to silver solder
the cable ends into a solid mass, then put the caps on the ends.

When you crimp the caps onto bare cable, the crushing of the cable
destroys the set of the cable. When the end pops off, the cable is
already frayed.

Now if you don't have any silver solder or do not want to do this, using
small diameter heat shrink tubing works well instead of capping.

--

Weisse Luft said:

Trg said:

My FD cable is completely frayed at the end. It spreads out and

either > pokes my leg or scratches the paint. Any tricks on getting
it to behave? > The cable itself is in good shape, so I don't want
to replace it, and > the end is too far gone to put a terminator on
it. > Thanks

Replace the cable. The best method to prevent this is to silver solder
the cable ends into a solid mass, then put the caps on the ends.

When you crimp the caps onto bare cable, the crushing of the cable
destroys the set of the cable. When the end pops off, the cable is
already frayed.

Now if you don't have any silver solder or do not want to do this,
using small diameter heat shrink tubing works well instead of capping.

I've never had problems with strayed ends. I I took it to a shop to get the
crankset/BB replaced and they f'ed it up. Being careful and using the
terminator cap has always been good enough for me.

Weisse Luft said:

Replace the cable. The best method to prevent this is to silver solder
the cable ends into a solid mass, then put the caps on the ends.

Does silver solder work with stainless steel cables? I tried regular
rosin core tin/lead solder and was unable to get it to work.
--
Rick Onanian

Rick Onanian said:

Weisse Luft said:

Replace the cable. The best method to prevent this is to silver solder
the cable ends into a solid mass, then put the caps on the ends.

Does silver solder work with stainless steel cables? I tried regular
rosin core tin/lead solder and was unable to get it to work.
--
Rick Onanian

both solders work - you just need to stay away from rosin flux. use a
stainless steel flux like HCl/ZnCl solution. dirt cheap at your local
hardware store.

flush thoroughly with baking soda solution after use to neutralize the acid.

Rick Onanian said:

Weisse Luft said:

Replace the cable. The best method to prevent this is to silver solder
the cable ends into a solid mass, then put the caps on the ends.

Does silver solder work with stainless steel cables? I tried regular
rosin core tin/lead solder and was unable to get it to work.
--
Rick Onanian

both solders work - you just need to stay away from rosin flux. use a
stainless steel flux like HCl/ZnCl solution. dirt cheap at your local
hardware store.

flush thoroughly with baking soda solution after use to neutralize the acid.

Rick Onanian said:

Weisse Luft said:

Replace the cable. The best method to prevent this is to silver solder
the cable ends into a solid mass, then put the caps on the ends.

Does silver solder work with stainless steel cables? I tried regular
rosin core tin/lead solder and was unable to get it to work.
--
Rick Onanian

both solders work - you just need to stay away from rosin flux. use a
stainless steel flux like HCl/ZnCl solution. dirt cheap at your local
hardware store.

flush thoroughly with baking soda solution after use to neutralize the acid.

Rick Onanian said:

Weisse Luft usenet- said:

Replace the cable. The best method to prevent this is to silver solder
the cable ends into a solid mass, then put the caps on the ends.

Does silver solder work with stainless steel cables? I tried regular
rosin core tin/lead solder and was unable to get it to work.
--
Rick Onanian

No, not even the "silver bearing" solders and their zinc chloride fluxes
are adequate for stainless.

I use a cadmium free, 60% AG, 30% Cu, 10%Sn. The flux is a paste and has
flurorides which can be nasty. I use a MAPP torch as regular propane
isn't enough.

--

Weisse Luft said:

Rick Onanian said:

Weisse Luft usenet- said:

Replace the cable. The best method to prevent this is to silver solder
the cable ends into a solid mass, then put the caps on the ends.

Does silver solder work with stainless steel cables? I tried regular
rosin core tin/lead solder and was unable to get it to work.
--
Rick Onanian

No, not even the "silver bearing" solders and their zinc chloride fluxes
are adequate for stainless.

I use a cadmium free, 60% AG, 30% Cu, 10%Sn. The flux is a paste and has
flurorides which can be nasty. I use a MAPP torch as regular propane
isn't enough.

that's hard core! it'll definitely work, but but in general, using a
hot torch like mapp in this application is not a good idea - it can
easily overheat & soften the stainless steel ruining its ability to bear
any significant load. irrelevant for the end of a cable i know, but
some people get carried away...

i use an electric soldering iron & "la.co n-3 all purpose flux - for
soft soldering of stainless steels, chrome & copper"... works fine for me.

Weisse Luft said:

Rick Onanian said:

Weisse Luft usenet- said:

Replace the cable. The best method to prevent this is to silver solder
the cable ends into a solid mass, then put the caps on the ends.

Does silver solder work with stainless steel cables? I tried regular
rosin core tin/lead solder and was unable to get it to work.
--
Rick Onanian

No, not even the "silver bearing" solders and their zinc chloride fluxes
are adequate for stainless.

I use a cadmium free, 60% AG, 30% Cu, 10%Sn. The flux is a paste and has
flurorides which can be nasty. I use a MAPP torch as regular propane
isn't enough.

Dear Weisse,

While I admire the truly technical explanations from you and
Jim Beam of how to properly solder the ends of stainless
steel bicycle cables with increasingly dangerous fluxes and
ever more powerful torches, I'm worried that Homer Simpson
may top you both by explaining the advantages of welding
cable ends with Springfield's handy nuclear reactor on his
lunch break.

Apprehensively,

Montgomery Burns

Quoted message said:

No, not even the "silver bearing" solders and their zinc chloride fluxes
are adequate for stainless.

I use a cadmium free, 60% AG, 30% Cu, 10%Sn. The flux is a paste and has
flurorides which can be nasty. I use a MAPP torch as regular propane
isn't enough.

Acid flux and plumber's solder work just fine on stainless cables with a
regular propane torch.
Phil Brown

I strongly recommend practicing on some scrap cable if you have not done
this before. On a stranded cable, the flame tends to overheat the wires on
the near side, while the other side may still be too cold to produce good
flow. You need a soft flame, slowly applied, and you have to have the
experience to recognize the proper conditions when they are reached.

Leo Lichtman said:

I strongly recommend practicing on some scrap cable if you have not
done this before.

If you give 'em scraps, the strays will never leave you alone.

Bill "always on topic" S.

S o r n i said:

Leo Lichtman said:

I strongly recommend practicing on some scrap cable if you have not
done this before.

If you give 'em scraps, the strays will never leave you alone.

Bill "always on topic" S.

Dear Bill,

Your post here is clearly the top dog in the other thread.

Admiringly,

Carl Fogel

On Fri, 09 Jul 2004 17:07:01 -0400 Rick Onanian <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

Weisse Luft said:

Replace the cable. The best method to prevent this is to silver solder
the cable ends into a solid mass, then put the caps on the ends.

Does silver solder work with stainless steel cables? I tried regular
rosin core tin/lead solder and was unable to get it to work.

Silver solder will stick nicely to stainless, with the right flux, but
it's way overkill. Regular tin/lead solder will also stick and at a
much lower temperature, but again you need the right flux. The rosin
isn't enough.

-
-----------------------------------------------
Jim Adney [email hidden]
Madison, WI 53711 USA
-----------------------------------------------

(clip) scrap cable (clip)
^^^^^^^^^^^^
If you give 'em scraps, the strays will never leave you alone.
^^^^^^^^^^^
Your post here is clearly the top dog in the other thread.
^^^^^^^^^^^
I'm trying to be serious here, and you guys keep making PUN of me.

(clip) scrap cable (clip)
^^^^^^^^^^^^
If you give 'em scraps, the strays will never leave you alone.
^^^^^^^^^^^
Your post here is clearly the top dog in the other thread.
^^^^^^^^^^^
I'm trying to be serious here, and you guys keep making PUN of me.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

My FD cable is completely frayed at the end. It spreads out and either pokes
my leg or scratches the paint. Any tricks on getting it to behave?

Can you temporarily get it looking "pretty good" with judicious twisting of
the ends with a pair of pliers, and hold it in that position? If so, you can

apply some SuperGlue or the like and let it set for a minute. The cable
should be reasonably clean/non-greasy for this to work. Just don't glue the
pliers to the cable!

Art

What I've found works pretty good is a drop of Quik JB Weld. Have to cut it
off if you need to pull the cable through the housing at a later date, but it's
easy to re-apply.
Steve