A brilliant and straight forward technique to solder cables. Old school technology at its best.
How to Solder Throttle and Brake Cables
Re: How to Solder Throttle and Brake Cables
I think this Bairdco approach is way cleaner and easier in the long run. Probably success every time.
Re: How to Solder Throttle and Brake Cables
I didnt know Baird's game was cold like that
Re: How to Solder Throttle and Brake Cables
I buy that knarp pack from the auto parts store and just solder them on for big stuff like brakes. I make the tiny carb ones from scratch.
Re: How to Solder Throttle and Brake Cables
Ha! When I saw the title I thought, "I wonder if I can find that pic from ten years ago" with the mold thing I made...
I started doing that with motorized bikes, because the kit throttle cables were like 2' too long.
I made that from a piece of aluminum about the same thickness as a cable end.
Used a band saw to make a groove for the cable to fit in.
Drilled a tiny pilot hole all the way thru, then a bigger hole the size of the end almost all the way through.
Clean the cable, lay it in the slot, then smash the cable a bit to unravel it.
Use a bernzomatic torch to melt the solder, let cool, and file the top while it's still in the mold.
Use a spring-loaded punch in the tiny hole in the bottom to pop it out, cut the excess cable, and file the end if necessary.
Pretty simple.
I made this back before I could find cable knarps. I didn't know they existed. Now I just use those, unless I run out and need a cable right away.
I originally posted the how-to on a motorized bike forum, but it's been shared to motorcycle forums, and other places, so that's my legacy...
Re: How to Solder Throttle and Brake Cables
Also, when I first did this, to test the strength, i used a vice, opened enough so the soldered end sat on top, with the cable hanging down (so nothing was squished in the vice,) then wrapped the loose cable around a piece of pipe, and used all my weight on the pipe to try to yank the soldered end off. Didn't budge it. Never had one come off.
Re: How to Solder Throttle and Brake Cables
I googled “cable end mold” thinking there would be something like a lee bullet mold for cable ends.
Your mold was one of the first things that popped up.
Re: How to Solder Throttle and Brake Cables
> baird co Wrote:
> Ha! When I saw the title I thought, "I wonder if I can find that pic
> from ten years ago" with the mold thing I made...
> I started doing that with motorized bikes, because the kit throttle
> cables were like 2' too long.
> I made that from a piece of aluminum about the same thickness as a cable
> end.
>
> Used a band saw to make a groove for the cable to fit in.
>
> Drilled a tiny pilot hole all the way thru, then a bigger hole the size
> of the end almost all the way through.
>
> Clean the cable, lay it in the slot, then smash the cable a bit to
> unravel it.
>
> Use a bernzomatic torch to melt the solder, let cool, and file the top
> while it's still in the mold.
> Use a spring-loaded punch in the tiny hole in the bottom to pop it out,
> cut the excess cable, and file the end if necessary.
> Pretty simple.
> I made this back before I could find cable knarps. I didn't know they
> existed. Now I just use those, unless I run out and need a cable right
> away.
> I originally posted the how-to on a motorized bike forum, but it's been
> shared to motorcycle forums, and other places, so that's my legacy...
Lol i am actually rebuilding a motorized bicycle engine and the only thing left to do is set up a throttle cable. I ordered it like 6 months ago but with covid its really delayed.
Re: How to Solder Throttle and Brake Cables
A lighter and some flux.
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