difference between brake and gear cable housings

[alex]

Cutting the compressionless cable is easy, with the right tool - a hook-jawed cable cutter

the correct tool is a dremel!

[Dan]

Cutting the compressionless cable is easy, with the right tool - a hook-jawed cable cutter

the correct tool is a dremel!

the correct tool is a bandsaw!
EDIT: I was wrong. The correct tool is a 'shark with a fricken laser beam attached to it's head'.

[il padrone]

Cutting the compressionless cable is easy, with the right tool - a hook-jawed cable cutter

the correct tool is a dremel!

I go by what the guys in the LBS use. Never seen a dremel used for this in a bike shop.

[alex]

ive never seen a torque wrench being used in a bike shop either...

[human909]

I've used both a dremel (when I didn't have the correct tool) and the correct tool (a hook-jawed cable cutter).

I am afraid that there will be no prizes for guessing which performed better.... The correct tool performed the job perfectly! A dremel does get the job done but I wouldn't call it quick and easy.

[il padrone]

ive never seen a torque wrench being used in a bike shop either...

Yep, and I don't own or use one of them either

[Dan]

What about the sharks? Won't someone please think of the sharks?

[alex]

I've used both a dremel (when I didn't have the correct tool) and the correct tool (a hook-jawed cable cutter).

I am afraid that there will be no prizes for guessing which performed better.... The correct tool performed the job perfectly! A dremel does get the job done but I wouldn't call it quick and easy.

the problem with cable cutters is that once you have cut the cable you need to de-burr the housing with ... something. and even then, not every cut is going to turn out that well after de-burring (wound brake outers). i get a much better result cutting the housing with cable cutters and leaving about 20mm extra then using a dremel to cut to the correct length, no de-burring required. and no issues at all with tight cable ferrules, they always go straight in, avoids the problem of squishing the ends and forcing them in.

i actually think it is quicker than using cable cutters, de-burring, and hoping the ferrules fit over the housing (and the associated fiddling to get that right)

[eeksll]

I find the slight squish quite good, it keeps the ferrule on.

Also if you cut your cables with a bit of old inner cable inside, it does not squish as much.

[Mulger bill]

I find the slight squish quite good, it keeps the ferrule on.

Also if you cut your cables with a bit of old inner cable inside, it does not squish as much.

Works for me.

Pushing the old cable through after the cut does a better job of opening up the plastic liner than any sharpened spoke will do.

[il padrone]

the problem with cable cutters is that once you have cut the cable you need to de-burr the housing with ... something.

Not a problem if you use the right type of cable cutters = the hook-jawed ones that I linked to. They don't squeeze the spiral wire inwards. They also will cut your gear cable housing whereas side-cutters will not.

[alex]

the problem with cable cutters is that once you have cut the cable you need to de-burr the housing with ... something.

Not a problem if you use the right type of cable cutters = the hook-jawed ones that I linked to. They don't squeeze the spiral wire inwards. They also will cut your gear cable housing whereas side-cutters will not.

i use those exact cable cutters and 9 times out of ten they do not cut the spiral inner properly

actual real world experience, now i use a dremel with great success

[il padrone]

i use those exact cable cutters and 9 times out of ten they do not cut the spiral inner properly

actual real world experience, now i use a dremel with great success

Just went downstairs and cut some brake housing. For real world experience. I cut it twice to check.

Both cuts the spiral wire was quite fine. Plastic liner was squeezed of course, but so what? I think you may need new cable cutters - I can recommend the Park model

[alex]

of course you did!

[human909]

I think the answer is we all can use whatever tool we wish to use. As long as we end up with a good final result then it really doesn't matter.

Here is my progression in bike cable maintenance.
-Pliers for cable ===> Ruins the pliers and if you do get it cut then good luck threading that mangled end through the housing.
-Dremel for cable ====> It gets the job done but it isn't quick, clean and easy.
-Pliers for brake housing ====> They do the job better and quicker than a dremel IMYO, though a dremel can assist in finishing
-Side cutters for cable ===> GOOD side cutters will cut cable cleanly. POOR side cutters will dent the cutters!
-Side cutters, pliers, dremel for gear housing ===> This stuff gets mangle by ALL!
-Bicycle cable cutters =====> Cut cable and housing quickly and cleanly. If no inner wire is used the crushed housing needs to be opened.

I'm an tight-ass innovative Aussie male I will normally first go to an amateur hack job with the tools at hand rather than a proper job with the right tools. Most of the time my handiwork is fine, but when it comes to bikes I've quickly found that the right tools make an easy job.
-I've tried truing wheels with a small shifter (success but some rounded nipples)
-I've tried removing cranks without a crank puller (yeah right!)
-I've tried removing cassettes and bottom brackets without the correct socket (yeah right!)

[Dan]

I think the answer is we all can use whatever tool we wish to use. As long as we end up with a good final result then it really doesn't matter.

Here is my progression in bike cable maintenance.
-Pliers for cable ===> Ruins the pliers and if you do get it cut then good luck threading that mangled end through the housing.
-Dremel for cable ====> It gets the job done but it isn't quick, clean and easy.
-Pliers for brake housing ====> They do the job better and quicker than a dremel IMYO, though a dremel can assist in finishing
-Side cutters for cable ===> GOOD side cutters will cut cable cleanly. POOR side cutters will dent the cutters!
-Side cutters, pliers, dremel for gear housing ===> This stuff gets mangle by ALL!
-Bicycle cable cutters =====> Cut cable and housing quickly and cleanly. If no inner wire is used the crushed housing needs to be opened.

I'm an tight-ass innovative Aussie male I will normally first go to an amateur hack job with the tools at hand rather than a proper job with the right tools. Most of the time my handiwork is fine, but when it comes to bikes I've quickly found that the right tools make an easy job.
-I've tried truing wheels with a small shifter (success but some rounded nipples)
-I've tried removing cranks without a crank puller (yeah right!)
-I've tried removing cassettes and bottom brackets without the correct socket (yeah right!)

Good summary there, except you forgot to mention the sharks with fricken laser beams attached to their heads.

Do they get , or ?

[human909]

Good summary there, except you forgot to mention the sharks with fricken laser beams attached to their heads.

Do they get , or ?

They get a big in terms of clean cuts of both cable and housing.

However all that thrashing and laser beaming makes a mess of your workshop. Last time I had a shark on my bench turned my Oppy into an Op unicycle!

[JonoMarshall]

Clean cuts? Isn't that what ferrules are for? Blunt pliers and lots of cursing for the win.

[il padrone]

of course you did!

You don't believe what I'm saying ????