Stray cable strands

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

In article <40eee0af$0$17511$636a15ce@news.free.fr>, "trg" <trg@world.REMOVETHIS.std.com> wrote:
>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" <trg@world.REMOVETHIS.std.com> wrote in message
news:40eee0af$0$17511$636a15ce@news.free.fr...
> 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
>
>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.

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 wrote:
> Trg wrote:
> > 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.

On Fri, 09 Jul 2004 19:31:29 GMT, Weisse Luft
<usenet-forum@cyclingforums.com> wrote:
>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.

Rick Onanian wrote:
> On Fri, 09 Jul 2004 19:31:29 GMT, Weisse Luft <usenet-
> forum@cyclingforums.com> wrote:
>
>>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.

Weisse Luft wrote:
> Rick Onanian wrote:
> > On Fri, 09 Jul 2004 19:31:29 GMT, Weisse Luft <usenet-
> > forum@cyclingforums.com> wrote:
> > >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.

On Fri, 09 Jul 2004 22:30:36 GMT, Weisse Luft
<usenet-forum@cyclingforums.com> wrote:

>Rick Onanian wrote:
> > On Fri, 09 Jul 2004 19:31:29 GMT, Weisse Luft <usenet-
> > forum@cyclingforums.com> wrote:
> > >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

>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 wrote:
> 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.

On Sat, 10 Jul 2004 06:13:18 GMT, "S o r n i"
<sorni@bite-me.san.rr.com> wrote:

>Leo Lichtman wrote:
>> 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 <spamsink@cox.net>
wrote:

>On Fri, 09 Jul 2004 19:31:29 GMT, Weisse Luft <usenet-
>forum@cyclingforums.com> wrote:
>>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 jadney@vwtype3.org Madison, WI 53711 USA
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