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Just bought some park tools cable cutters and am fitting some brake cables
It seems to cut through the outer ok, but its squashing some of the metal spiral into the path of the cable
Will it always do this or should they cut cleanly without any need for finishing?
What's the brake cable you're cutting?
I've not used a Park one but got a recomendation for a Felco cable cutter off here and it cuts just about anything cleanly.
#Edit - this mightn't be overly useful now you've got the park ones but I got recommended these:
http://www.garden4less.co.uk/proddetail.asp?prod=C7&partner=fr
Its been years since I've worked with brake cables, having switched to hydraulic discs. I used to grind the ends flat on a grinding wheel IIRC.
Most cable cutters flatten the housing somewhat when it is cut. If you have the Park CN-10, there is a crimper built-in for reshaping the housing.
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For brake outer (spiral wound) - you're best to fold the outer and cut at the fold. This opens the spiral or and should cut more cleanly.
Got my cable cutter from wiggle, non branded, reasonable price. Works a treat.
http://www.wiggle.co.uk/lifeline-cable-and-housing-cutters/
Should be a nice clean cut. Could be the cable i use goodridge seems really good quality.
what 18 bikes said
Worst case . Old. Spoke sharpened on the bench grinder will soon open it up
Hardly end of world
The Ice Toolz cutter has a wee spike on it for opening up the inner.
My Park cutters were fine after I tightened the bolt a little. Made them a bit stiffer to work, but they cut cleanly after that.
I've got those cutters as well and they really don't work as well as you would expect. As you've found, sometimes you need to do a second cut on the outer to trim the bit that gets pushed in. I'll need to try 18bikes trick
For inners I've found you need to tighten the bolt until they're stiff 🙁
They are cable cutters, not outer cutters...
Just open up the outer after cutting.
As b r said. Then give the outer a squish as shown above.
The trick is to cut the outer, not squash the outer - aim for a gap in the spiral, so you're only cutting one side of the spiral.
Work fine for me 🙂
As mentioned they're cable cutters not outer cutters so can squash the out sometimes. The trick I use is to put some old cable in the outer and then cut. This stops the outer getting squashed.
aim for a gap in the spiral, so you're only cutting one side of the spiral.
yep, but it still needs a bit of tidying sometimes. The biggest pain with them is they need to be so tight to cut thinner inners like gear cables
Try these.There superb and cut through both like butter.
Two different size blades on them.One for inner one for outer. 😉
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/8-200mm-CABLE-WIRE-CUTTER-COPPER-ELECTRICIAN-FENCING-CUTTERS-CARBON-STEEL-/200818211184?pt=UK_Hand_Tools_Equipment&hash=item2ec1b2b970