Making cable ends

gumpit

gumpit

#1
#1
When making the ends of the cables. Whether barrel or ball ends. Do you jst use lead? Any lead? Wheel weights? Fishing weights? Is there a special lead? What do you guys do?
 
massacre

massacre

#3
#3
Hey Randy!

My Dad makes his own ends sometimes. IMHO the barrel is easier to make.
He uses a piece of wood, drills a hole the diameter of the barrel or slightly bigger actually. Then melts the lead in a crucible we made by welding a handle to a steel pipe cap. Place the cable where you want it to be, then pour the lead in and wait for it to cool then use a file to make the final shape. We have these like sticks of lead at work, not sure exactly but I think it's all the same. as long as it's lead it should be fine.
 
gumpit

gumpit

#5
#5
massacre said:
Hey Randy!

My Dad makes his own ends sometimes. IMHO the barrel is easier to make.
He uses a piece of wood, drills a hole the diameter of the barrel or slightly bigger actually. Then meltsthe lead in a crucible we made by welding a handle to a steel pipe cap. Place the cable where you want it to be, then pour the lead in and wait for it to cool then use a file to make the final shape. We have these like sticks of lead at work, not sure exactly but I think it's all the same. as long as it's lead it should be fine.
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I am thinking the old wheel weights at work should be fine.... Just one more thing to have fun doing... I want to buy conduit and cable in bulk just to have.
 
chatten63

chatten63

#7
#7
Wheel weights are harder lead. Stinkers are softer lead along with plumbers lead that is soft also. Silver solder would be really hard and stick to the cable strands. Silver solder is what I used when I made the rear brake cable for my arctic cat. You would need to make a metal mold to do this though. Silver solder melts at a higher temp than lead
 
bigrob

bigrob

#8
#8
Hey Randy
What I have done in the past for making barrel ends is to use a piece of copper or brass tube that is the proper diameter
Then drill a hole in it for the cable
fill it with melted solder and your done
No mold needed
 
H

Havasu Dave

Moderator
#11
#11
gumpit said:
I did see where someone used the brass barrel ends and soldered it. Is it a bad idea to do the end that goes in the carburetor?
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That is how I did the ends for a Mikuni. Very easy to do, very strong as the brass and solder adhere well together on the cable. If I recall, I used 3/16 brass tube. It fit perfectly, but I carried the Mikuni slide to ACE when I was buying the tube. It was pennies and took about five minutes.
 
manchester1

manchester1

#12
#12
bigrob said:
Hey Randy
What I have done in the past for making barrel ends is to use a piece of copper or brass tube that is the proper diameter
Then drill a hole in it for the cable
fill it with melted solder and your done
No mold needed
Click to expand...
Hey Rob, could you explain that a little better for me......I'm slow.:laugh: When I trim the cables for the brakes, they always start to frey. They also catch my pants leg when I walk by them in the garage.:laugh:
 
bigrob

bigrob

#16
#16
manchester1 said:
Thanks for the tool tip. I actually cut them clean as a whistle with my dremmel but the ends always seem to get caught on things and get frayed.
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The easiest fix for the loose cable ends is heat shrink tubing and a lighter or you can use some flux and solder to tin it
another thought might be to use a little bit of epoxy putty to make a knob on the end
 
Twid

Twid

Active Member
#17
#17
I would of never of thought to use shrink wrap. Thank you.

I cut some clean tonight with my knipex dykes or side cutters whatever you want to call them.
 
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minibikegi

minibikegi

New Member
#18
#18
Im no chemist, But soldered many types of solder plumbing/heating.. The white paste and sometimes powder FLUX for silver/braze refridgeration/dental pipe, Helped keep modern lead-free solder on steel wire cable, the cable and solder don't blend , I think its all about the Flux.? In the old Harley rags was often a Make your own cable kit! Theres diff antimony of refridge soder, I used the lower one, It worked for me but I don't build tree stands either! lol
 
minibikegi

minibikegi

New Member
#19
#19
Its in my opinion, low temp/high antimony solder with flux that will blend obviously before the wire turns color? cuz when the wire oxidizes before that, its just not gonna work? with propane and turbo-torch, lowest temp ,. Ive also wondered about the proper flux and a simple sinker,and a hyd.press? if the lead would intertwine with the cable? under pressure there would be heat? then file it down? cold solder?
 
minibikegi

minibikegi

New Member
#20
#20
For frayed cable ends I buy cheap bicycle cable shifter/kits from grocery store, long cable for other projects and very nice aluminum cable stays, theres about 10 in package,partial crimp and very professional, and also use shrink on my daily drivers. I also cut zip-ties with razor knife/flat. A poor cut zippy cuts really bad on the hands!
 
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