Superglue (not solder) for cable ends?

[Jeff]

Anybody tried Superglue to "solder" cable ends? To prevent fraying?

I just had a derailleur cable tip bust out like a flower under the soldering iron's heat. Maybe a
coating or jacket was holding it together and melted?

Maybe Superglue could seal the cable-end without heat.

 

[Jt]

"Jeff" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:[email protected]...
> Anybody tried Superglue to "solder" cable ends? To prevent fraying?
>
> I just had a derailleur cable tip bust out like a flower under the
soldering
> iron's heat. Maybe a coating or jacket was holding it together and melted?
>
> Maybe Superglue could seal the cable-end without heat.

Maybe, but I would't trust it.

Either use a crimp-on fitting or a solder pot & dip the end.

 

[David L. Johnso]

On Sun, 23 Mar 2003 16:04:48 -0500, jt wrote:

> "Jeff" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:[email protected]...
>> Anybody tried Superglue to "solder" cable ends? To prevent fraying?
>>
>> I just had a derailleur cable tip bust out like a flower under the
> soldering
>> iron's heat. Maybe a coating or jacket was holding it together and melted?
>>
>> Maybe Superglue could seal the cable-end without heat.
>
> Maybe, but I would't trust it.
>
> Either use a crimp-on fitting or a solder pot & dip the end.

I don't much care for the crimp-on fittings, since they have to be removed to take the cable off,
and at that point the end will always fray, making it impossible to re-use.

I have been using fingernail polish with good success. It fits in tightly enough to be able to
pull the cable out and re-insert it, and it prevents the cable from fraying. Since I have
teenage daughters, I was able to sneak off with colors that even matched my bikes... blue,
black, and silver.

I never could get solder to flow onto the cable.

--

David L. Johnson

__o | Arguing with an engineer is like mud wrestling with a pig... You _`\(,_ | soon find out the
pig likes it! (_)/ (_) |

 

[Jeff]

Regarding the comment, "I never could get solder to flow onto the cable"

Are the strands too tight? Coated?

My experience is with telephone wires. Maybe derailleur cables are entirely something else.

 

[Tbgibb]

In article <[email protected]>, "Jeff" <[email protected]> writes:

>Anybody tried Superglue to "solder" cable ends? To prevent fraying?
>
>I just had a derailleur cable tip bust out like a flower under the soldering iron's heat. Maybe a
>coating or jacket was holding it together and melted?
>
>Maybe Superglue could seal the cable-end without heat.

I haven't but many have posted that it works. I've never had a cable tip "flower" under heat, but
eventually my solder jobs seem to fail, so "super glue" is a candidate in my garage.

Tom Gibb <[email protected]

 

[Mark Lee]

"Jeff" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:[email protected]...
> Anybody tried Superglue to "solder" cable ends? To prevent fraying?
>
> I just had a derailleur cable tip bust out like a flower under the
soldering
> iron's heat. Maybe a coating or jacket was holding it together and melted?
>
> Maybe Superglue could seal the cable-end without heat.
>
Superglue works fine. Mark Lee

 

[Ken]

"Jeff" <[email protected]> wrote in news:KGqfa.4601$T75.277077125 @newssvr21.news.prodigy.com:

> Regarding the comment, "I never could get solder to flow onto the cable" Are the strands too
> tight? Coated?

I've only used cheapo cables. As long as I heat the cables up first (normal soldering technique),
I've never had problems.

 

[D.Putnam]

Brake/shifter cables are stainless steel. Naturally solder (or stains) won't stick to it.

 

[E & V Willson]

Jeff,

Stainless is somewhat difficult to solder. The real tricks are to get the metal hot enough, and use
the right flux for the solder/metal you are trying to bond. Finding the right flux takes some
experimentation.

Ernie

Jeff wrote:

> Anybody tried Superglue to "solder" cable ends? To prevent fraying?
>
> I just had a derailleur cable tip bust out like a flower under the soldering iron's heat. Maybe a
> coating or jacket was holding it together and melted?
>
> Maybe Superglue could seal the cable-end without heat.

 

[Paul Kopit]

On Sun, 23 Mar 2003 20:33:28 GMT, "Jeff" <[email protected]> wrote:

>Anybody tried Superglue to "solder" cable ends? To prevent fraying?
>
>I just had a derailleur cable tip bust out like a flower under the soldering iron's heat. Maybe a
>coating or jacket was holding it together and melted?
>
>Maybe Superglue could seal the cable-end without heat.
>

I dip the cable end in Methy Ethyl Ketone and then use a cyano acrylic like Superglue. I don't
bother with the crimps. When it works right, you can remove the cable from the housing and reinstall
without any problem.

 

[Ant]

"Jeff" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:<[email protected]>...
> Anybody tried Superglue to "solder" cable ends? To prevent fraying?
>
> I just had a derailleur cable tip bust out like a flower under the soldering iron's heat. Maybe a
> coating or jacket was holding it together and melted?
>
> Maybe Superglue could seal the cable-end without heat.

I use epoxy. i imagine superglue would work fine. epoxy works a charm. i mix up a few drops on a
piece of paper, put it on, scrape the excess off after it has set a bit (but is still flowing), and
ive never had a cable unravel, even after repeated rethreadings. epoxy has some mass to it, so my
ends have a neat little ball end at the tip, which might even be desirable for rethreading jobs

cheers

 

[Tim McNamara]

In article <[email protected]>, "David L. Johnson" <David L. Johnson
<[email protected]>> wrote:

> I don't much care for the crimp-on fittings, since they have to be removed to take the cable off,
> and at that point the end will always fray, making it impossible to re-use.

Yes, and re-using the crimp-on ends is problematic, too. I've always used them but have never
liked them.

> I have been using fingernail polish with good success. It fits in tightly enough to be able to
> pull the cable out and re-insert it, and it prevents the cable from fraying. Since I have
> teenage daughters, I was able to sneak off with colors that even matched my bikes... blue,
> black, and silver.

An excellent idea!

> I never could get solder to flow onto the cable.

Me neither. I remember having a set of Campy cables that appeared to have been soldered and
finished off to a nice conical point. They were a nice, small beautiful touch and I've never seen
any more like
it.

 

[Ryan Cousineau]

In article <[email protected]>, "Jeff" <[email protected]> wrote:

> Anybody tried Superglue to "solder" cable ends? To prevent fraying?
>
> I just had a derailleur cable tip bust out like a flower under the soldering iron's heat. Maybe a
> coating or jacket was holding it together and melted?
>
> Maybe Superglue could seal the cable-end without heat.

Well, end caps are nice and sano, but silicone or any other caulking material will do the job too.

--
Ryan Cousineau, [email protected] http://www.sfu.ca/~rcousine President, Fabrizio Mazzoleni Fan Club

 

[Lawrence Fieman]

<snip>

"David L. Johnson >" <David L. Johnson <[email protected]> wrote in message

> I don't much care for the crimp-on fittings, since they have to be removed to take the cable off,
> and at that point the end will always fray..... I have been using fingernail polish with good
> success. It fits in tightly enough to be able to pull the cable out and re-insert it, and it
prevents the cable from fraying.

Beeswax works in much the same way. I like the combo of beeswax with crimp-on fittings. I got a
bottle of 100 multicolored crimp-on fittings. One additional advantage of beeswax is that it can
help smooth out frayed cables. Just rub it on a frayed cable, then coax the strands back. Usually
the cable can be made serviceable .

Regards, Larry

 

[Don Demair]

"Jeff" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:[email protected]...
> Anybody tried Superglue to "solder" cable ends? To prevent fraying?
>
> I just had a derailleur cable tip bust out like a flower under the
soldering
> iron's heat. Maybe a coating or jacket was holding it together and melted?
>
> Maybe Superglue could seal the cable-end without heat.

I use heat-shrink tubing. Quick, clean and removable. Since the cable isn't crimped at all, you
don't have to worry about the cable getting shorter and shorter with each removal.

-Don

 

[Wantagofast]

Seems the newer cables are stainless steel, so soldiering would be nearly impossible.

The cables in the early 80's and before were soldierable but stretched too.

"Jeff" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:[email protected]...
> Anybody tried Superglue to "solder" cable ends? To prevent fraying?
>
> I just had a derailleur cable tip bust out like a flower under the
soldering
> iron's heat. Maybe a coating or jacket was holding it together and melted?
>
> Maybe Superglue could seal the cable-end without heat.

 

[Lurker]

Fishing split-shot weights work too. They have the added benefit of being somewhat re-usable. (and
for the ecology minded, they are now available in environmentally freindly metals)

 

[Pete Biggs]

ant wrote:

> I use epoxy. i imagine superglue would work fine. epoxy works a charm.

I second that.

~PB

 

[bball]

On Sun, 23 Mar 2003 20:33:28 GMT, "Jeff" <[email protected]> wrote:

>Anybody tried Superglue to "solder" cable ends? To prevent fraying?
>
>I just had a derailleur cable tip bust out like a flower under the soldering iron's heat. Maybe a
>coating or jacket was holding it together and melted?
>
>Maybe Superglue could seal the cable-end without heat.
>
I have found a good solution to the problem. If you buy a "universal" cable with differing ends,
melt down the end that you're not using with a cigarette lighter.

Bruce Ball

 

[Dick]

For the ultimate trick endcap dip the end in epoxy and wrap it with a few strands of carbon fiber.
It's sure to make your bike faster, faster than red paint even.

Jeff wrote:
> Anybody tried Superglue to "solder" cable ends? To prevent fraying?
>
> I just had a derailleur cable tip bust out like a flower under the soldering iron's heat. Maybe a
> coating or jacket was holding it together and melted?
>
> Maybe Superglue could seal the cable-end without heat.