A cheap little trick I have been using when cutting cables

[MarkKBike]

I'm sure we have all run into the annoyance when cutting cables, and had them unravel on us.

Prior to cutting a break or derailleur cable I put a few drops of super glue on the area to be cut, and wipe off the extra with a paper towel. I then use a dremmel cutting wheel to make a nice clean cut. The super glue prevents it from unraveling on me. (I have a park tool made for this, but the dremmel works better). I also use the dremmel to cut housing.

If your using new cables you probably don't have to worry about this happening, but I sometimes reuse cables that are in nice condition and this allows me to easily feed previously cut cables back though the housing, Sometimes after the cable is cut, I add another drop back on to the end. And then when its time to crimp a end cap on, another drop gets put on before the cap is added.

The process ends up saving me some time.

 

[catfish]

Good cable cutters help too.

 

[GiovanniLiCalsi]

I brush clean the area to be cut, brush on soldering flux, heat and solder the cutting area. I use silver solder. This makes a very strong, unbreakable cable end, that never unravels...

 

[bairdco]

I have some Klein dykes I've been using for a long time that chop cables no problem.

To me, that's the best trick. Use good cutters and you have no problems.

Krazy glue is a great thing, though. If you ever wrap exhaust pipes with header wrap, squirt a line of krazy glue on it, cut with scissors, and it never frays.

 

[Andrew Gorman]

Just get good cable cutters- they are a lot faster than a Dremel. And they cut the housing cleanly too. BUT- if you are cutting a couple of cables a year and have a Dremel it works just fine. Dykes aren't really made to cut hardened steel, but they are so well made they work well. Cheap side cutters are a whole different thing.