Cable cutting tool

[George Riches]

I bought one of these

There are three places to cut a cable:

All three places seem to produce a clean cut on an inner cable. 1&3 are too small to cut an outer, 2 cuts an outer but does crush it.

How should the tool be used?

[CREPELLO]

To prevent crushing the outer casing I always insert a bit of old inner cable at the point where the case is going to be cut. Incidentally, I find that a good quality pair of pliers (Stanley) cuts as cleanly as I imagine those purpose made cutters do, i.e. no crushed or frayed wires.

[Mick F]

I find that a good quality pair of pliers (Stanley) cuts as cleanly as I imagine those purpose made cutters do, i.e. no crushed or frayed wires.

I used good quality pliers for as long as I can remember but when I went to Campag Ergo, I couldn't get a good cut. It was ok, but not Good.

So I bought these:
http://www.wiggle.co.uk/p/cycle/7/LifeL ... 360031490/
Perfect!
Cuts easily and sweetly, both inner and outer with no fuss or trouble. I wish I'd bought them years ago!
They're better than pliers or wire cutters because the business end is shaped in a circular fashion, and surrounds the inner as it cuts, thereby stopping any possibility of crushing or fraying.

Though I've only used the one place to cut inners and outers. They don't seem to have a multi-choice, so I cant help with the original question.

[pete75]

I use these. They don't crush outer cables becuse the jaws have na scissor action rather than pressing againts each other.

http://www.charliesdirect.co.uk/product ... ctID=20595

[PW]

Mine are the Shimano ones. Knife through butter.

[fixer]

I use a pair of side cutters for the outers, similar to these:




For the inner, I have a pair of proper cable cutters:



Mine were packaged as "Record", although there's no name on the actual tool.

[sweatysock]

I bought a Dremel- superb for cutting cables, bolts and innumerable other unknown tasks to come

[MarkC]

How should the tool be used?

Point 1 might be to crimp cable end caps? Personally, I'd use point 2 for cutting inner and outer cables.

In my experience, most cutters partially squash an outer when cutting, including my Park ones. There is a part of your tool, immediately above the blue coating on the handles, that can be used to bring an outer back to it's normal round shape. Filing down the end of a brake outer is almost always necessary in my experience to get a smooth, tidy finish.

Park's website is always useful http://www.parktool.com/repair/readhowto.asp?id=113

[thirdcrank]

I see from the manufacturer's www that one of the holes is a spoke cutter, although it does not say which one.

http://www.marwiusa.com/default.aspx?ta ... pid=114#64 (forgot to include that first time)

FWIW I should guess that 1 is the crimper, 2 = the cable cutter and 3 = spoke cutter. (I only say this because I have two cable cutters * a Suntour and a Var. Ob both, the cable bit is like 2.)

* No, I am not an MP

[CREPELLO]

Filing down the end of a brake outer is almost always necessary in my experience to get a smooth, tidy finish.

Can I add that if you don't want the newly cut casing to swallow a load of filings, plug it with a large panel pin. The pin will also make the casing more solid and round whilst you file it.

[George Riches]

Thanks for the ideas and information. It's news to me that a firm called Marwi is behind the brands Union, Biketool, Xerama etc.
4 does looks useful to squeeze the casing back into shape and possibly to squeeze the ferrule on:

But I think the park tool CN-10 is better for crimping:

[workhard]

+1 on the marwi cutter. I'm so sad I just emailed them to ask which cutter is for which purpose. I need to get out more.

[MarkC]

But I think the park tool CN-10 is better for crimping:

It is good, I have to say. Never seen a bad Park tool (not even the beer glass!), but you'd expect that at a premium price.

[georgew]

I don't think that crimping is a good idea, in that this crushes the inner cable causing fraying, which isn't helpful if one wants to reinsert the cable into the housing at some point. Better by far is using heat shrink tubing with a heat gun. This gives a neat job and does not cause damage to the cable.

[Mick F]

Yep. You're right. Good method.

But what I do, is not to crimp too tight. That way, the inner doesn't get damaged and squidged.