|   Cutting cable housing and cables with pliers? | [WWF]Superfly_Jimmy_Snooka
Apr 24, 2003 10:55 AM | | Anyone use anything other than a housing cutter to cut housing? How were the results? I want to use that cutter on the inside of my needlenose pliers, what should I look out for? I'm too cheap to pay $30 for Shimano housing cutters. |
| No problem... | Arek
Apr 24, 2003 11:10 AM | | ...Maybe some perfectionists will oppose, but that's what I always use to cut my cables. Just make sure that after you cut the length you need you trim off the very end piece of metal that most likely will be crashed and obstructing the hole, and would prevent the cable from sitting nice and tight inside the end cap...
Arek |
| Have a dremmel tool?...... | FreeRangeChicken
Apr 24, 2003 11:11 AM | | If so, use the cutting wheel to cut housing... Pliers are going to crimp the housing. If you *must* use wire cutters to cut the cable, put it through the housing first (wait until the end of the installation), because it's a real pain to try to get mashed up cable through a housing. |
| re: Cutting cable housing and cables with pliers? | scoplin
Apr 24, 2003 11:14 AM | | A dremel tool with a cut off wheel works nicely if you have one then come back with a nail or ice pick or something to clean out the center hole of the housing. |
| re: Cutting cable housing and cables with pliers? | Ken2
Apr 24, 2003 11:58 AM | | It may help to put some old cable through the housing when you cut it--makes it crimp the housing less. |
| I use "Linesman Pliers" (Lineman ??? sp ??? heh) | Fuelish
Apr 24, 2003 12:24 PM | | They're like fat, short needlenoses (they're more like squarenoses), with a bigger cutting area, seems to work ok if one's careful and, as posters above noted, don't crush housing and remove any stray bits of material...as far as cable, I cut them with the same thing - I wrap a piece of masking tape (or whatever's handy) round the cable and cut in the middle of it, seems to pretty much prevent fraying, have never had any problems....
Dunno if that's the proper name for the tool I use, but that's what it says on the plastic case of our handy dandy cheapo assortment of tools that came in our "Home Tool Kit" - they ain't Craftsman, but they get most home jobs done...heh :) |
| $1.29 hacksaw blade | crashaholic
Apr 24, 2003 3:36 PM | | Works fine, ream out the end a bit with tapered pointy object and it's good to go. |
| For brake housing maybe... | Fat-tire
Apr 24, 2003 4:16 PM | | but might ruin derailluer housing (or is it the other way around; which ever had the sheeth around it). I don't necessarily think you need to get the bike-only tool. Head to home depot, and a get a cheap pair of cable cutters. It probably works better than the pliers (but heck, give it a shot...I could be wrong). |
| Get the right tool for the job!! | Livid
Apr 25, 2003 6:44 AM | | On my 1st bike build I tried it with the cutting part of needlenose pliers and almost gave myself a hernia trying to cut the stuff. It crimped, but never cut, so I dashed out to the hardware store and got a pair of diagonal pliers, reasoning that they should cut if not as well as the park cutters it should be close, as well as being significantly cheaper. The diagonal pliers did indeed cut the housing, but it took incredible hand force as well as a bit of wiggling the housing to get it to cut, and even then the housing ends were badly flattened. So for the next build I went out and got the Park tool cutters and they cut through the stuff like butter, literally. I cursed myself for being cheap and not getting them in the first place.
The dremel seems like it would work too though, but I dont have one and would guess it to cost alot more than $30.
just my .02 |
| The dremel does cost more than $30, but ... | Philber
Apr 25, 2003 6:59 AM | | in addition to doing a fine job on cable and housing, it also does an awful lot more. I use my dremel all the time, and what's cool about it is that often it is pretty much the only tool that will work. It's useful for all kinds of non-bike stuff, but just on bike stuff, you can use it to: cut a slot in a rounded out bolt head, file stuff, sand stuff, enlarge cable guides, deburr a rim, cut off a broken bolt, hammer a nail ... um, did I mention cut off a broken bolt. (I love that commercial.) |
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