best way to diy swage a cable? no swage tools

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65TerrorCuda

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Looking to swage a bowden(?) wire into the cable end of a hurst type shifter cable. Stainless solid wire into a steel eyelet/sleeve.

Thinking of using a pointed chisel and punch because my silver solder joint didn't work. Could do bronze braze as well, just messier.

Thoughts?
 

Ive done similar cables by heating the sleeve and using a wide blunt chisel.
maybe worth a tack with a mig or braze.
 
Surprised me too. Maybe I'll give it another go with a better cleaning
Silver braze? Got to be red hot to flow.

Soldier: The melting point of silver solder varies significantly depending on its composition, with typical ranges between 620°C (1,148°F) and 800°C (1,472°F)

What flux are you using?
 
don't think stainless likes anything to stick to it
and too hot it might get brittle
not 100 % sure of the fitment ..but maybe garage door cable come with the crimps
 
Ive done similar cables by heating the sleeve and using a wide blunt chisel.
maybe worth a tack with a mig or braze.
I was considering doing a tig bead but this thing is small. Even 5 amps might smoke it. I was thinking a series of little chisel dings around the sleeve part might do it.

Silver braze? Got to be red hot to flow.

Soldier: The melting point of silver solder varies significantly depending on its composition, with typical ranges between 620°C (1,148°F) and 800°C (1,472°F)

What flux are you using?
Maybe I misspoke, this is lead-free silver bearing solder. It melts waaay lower than that and was boiling off because I overshot the temp needed at first. The paste flux contains zinc chloride but nothing specific about being acid etc.

don't think stainless likes anything to stick to it
and too hot it might get brittle
not 100 % sure of the fitment ..but maybe garage door cable come with the crimps
The wire is maybe 1/8", it's pretty tiny and the crimped part has to fit inside another sleeve so it can't protrude. I guess I wanted a challenge lol. The solder didn't stick to the stainless even though I roughed it up and cleaned it. Stuck to the steel no problem
 
I was considering doing a tig bead but this thing is small. Even 5 amps might smoke it. I was thinking a series of little chisel dings around the sleeve part might do it.


Maybe I misspoke, this is lead-free silver bearing solder. It melts waaay lower than that and was boiling off because I overshot the temp needed at first. The paste flux contains zinc chloride but nothing specific about being acid etc.


The wire is maybe 1/8", it's pretty tiny and the crimped part has to fit inside another sleeve so it can't protrude. I guess I wanted a challenge lol. The solder didn't stick to the stainless even though I roughed it up and cleaned it. Stuck to the steel no problem
Do You have a beefy line flaring fixture You can clamp in a vice? I've taken sleeves/collars & had the fixture set open-end up, pre-set to allow it to drop in to the best fitting size & the swing hinged end able to clear once the sleeve is in place.......have the cable supported & in position to grab & hold easily, torch the sleeve hot & get it just going orange then drop it in the fixture, close the swing end & put just enough pressure to keep it there. Insert the cable to the needed depth & crank those things tight, I give it a few raps w/a ball peen, & tighten again, 'till it feels like it quits givin'. Yank it out & quench it.
 
Do You have a beefy line flaring fixture You can clamp in a vice? I've taken sleeves/collars & had the fixture set open-end up, pre-set to allow it to drop in to the best fitting size & the swing hinged end able to clear once the sleeve is in place.......have the cable supported & in position to grab & hold easily, torch the sleeve hot & get it just going orange then drop it in the fixture, close the swing end & put just enough pressure to keep it there. Insert the cable to the needed depth & crank those things tight, I give it a few raps w/a ball peen, & tighten again, 'till it feels like it quits givin'. Yank it out & quench it.
I do have a line flaring clamp, this might work. It doesn't have much room to compress but it doesn't need a ton, great idea! Thanks for the options guys!
 
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